Last week's post, if you recall (click HERE), was part one of our trip to Massachusetts. In it I wrote about our doing the Freedom Trail in Boston, which occured on Monday May 12. For today's/this week's post, which took place the following day, I write about the next step on our Massachusetts visit: Battle Road and the fighting that occured at Lexington and Concord. We did that tour the very next day - May 13.
I can't think of a better way to celebrate America 250~
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Monday May 12 the Freedom Trail in Boston.
Now Tuesday May 13: the Battle Road Trail.
The Battle Road Trail is about five miles long, connecting historic sites from Lexington through Meriam's Corner to Concord. Much of the trail follows the original remnants of the Battle Road where thousands of Colonial Militia and British Regulars fought a bloody engagement on April 19, 1775.
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| And so it begins - this is a fine basic overview of what happened on that fateful day in 1775. This and the following two pictures I took of a diorama inside the Lexington Visitor's Center. |
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| A sort of diorama of the occurence on Lexington Green. This is an excellent depiction!
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From the Visitor's Center it was off to another day steeped into history~~~~~~~~~~~
Directly next door was the Buckman Tavern:
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| Sign of the Tavern |
I was thrilled to see, in person directly in front of me, the Buckman Tavern!
I mean, there it was!
Do I sound excited??
Do I sound excited??
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| "Built in 1709 by John Muzzey, the Buckman Tavern was a gathering place for both locals and travelers and the site of many important town meetings. Captain Parker and his militia gathered in this tavern in the early morning hours of April 19, 1775, to await the oncoming British Redcoat troops." |
Patty and I wore our modern clothing on this day. If we ever return, we will dress more appropriately, for (I'm sure you'll agree), just like in Boston, there are wonderful scenarios a-waiting to be created by those of us who wear 1770s clothing.
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| Unfortunately, we found out that all of the historical buildings were closed on Tuesdays until sometime in June - still a few weeks out from the time we were there, so I could only capture exterior images. |
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| We saw most that are highlighted on this placard - - click the photo to enlarge~ |
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| The Minute Man Statue (unveiled in 1900) Honoring Captain John Parker and the Lexington Militia~ |
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| Here it is: Lexington Green. From the British view looking towards the Militia. Hallowed Ground indeed! |
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| Meeting House Marker The meeting house that stood here in 1775 served as a church and public gathering space. During the Revolution, the Militia also stored gunpowder in the all-purpose building. |
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| The large center building here in this sketch is the Meeting House mentioned on the stone marker in the picture before this one. To the left is Buckman Tavern (looks like a side view), and to the right we have the Old Belfry mentioned in the picture below. |
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| "The site of the Old Belfry from which the alarm was rung April 19, 1775" |
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| The placards flank the flag pole~ |
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| Parker Boulder This monument marks where the Militia lined up to face the British troops on April 19, 1775 |
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| Revolutionary War Monument Erected on July 4, 1799, Lexington‘s Revolutionary War Monument is the oldest war memorial in the United States. Featuring a granite obelisk set on a simple pedestal, it marks the approximate location of the line of the Lexington militia that stretched across the Green to confront the British Regulars on April 19, 1775. |
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Jonas Clarke, minister to Lexington from 1752 to 1805, composed the monument’s inscription honoring the eight men who died on Lexington Green. |
On April 20, 1835, the 60th anniversary of the Battles of Concord and Lexington, seven of the eight men honored on the monument were exhumed from Lexington’s Old Burying Ground and reinterred in a tomb beneath the monument in an elaborate ceremony with full military honors.
As reported in the Boston Daily Advertiser on the that same day, the ceremony began at 3AM, the time when British troops fired on the Lexington militia with an eight-gun salute, honoring the eight men who “first fell as martyrs in the cause of civil liberty.” At sunrise a thirteen-gun salute honored the Thirteen Colonies (later States) followed at eleven with a procession, accompanied with military escort to the burying ground to receive the remains of those killed on April 19, 1775.
(from THIS site)
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| Three American flags at the Revolutionary War Monument: our current flag, the Betsy Ross flag, and the Gadsden flag |
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| From the Militia view looking towards the British. Was I really there?? Just...wow! Seems almost like a dream now... |
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| History within history~ Right here~~~~~ |
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| I did not know Cambridge was the original name of Lexington. But that was way before the skirmish. And we did visit the early sites mentioned in the placard - Buckman Tavern, Hancock-Clarke House, & the Burial Ground~ |
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| Ye Old Burying Ground "In case the name “Ye Olde Burying Ground” didn’t already imply this graveyard’s colonial roots, this property across from the Lexington Battle Green is the final resting place of more than 50 Revolutionary War Patriots. The cemetery originally interred some of the Minutemen who died at the Battle of Lexington, but those men were later reburied on the Battle Green." |
Our next stop:
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| Another Paul Revere-related stop |
The parsonage was originally built for John Hancock I, the grandfather of the patriot John Hancock, in 1737/38. Subsequently, the house was occupied by Jonas Clarke and his family. It was built on what later became Hancock Street. In 1775, just after midnight, Paul Revere arrived on horseback to inform John Hancock and Sam Adams that “the Regulars are out,” not the commonly known phrase, “The British are coming.” John Hancock and Sam Adams were guests at the Hancock-Clarke house at this time.
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| The Hancock-Clarke House |
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| The door that Paul Revere knocked upon. |
Sadly, like Buckman Tavern, the Hancock-Clarke House was closed up, so I put my camera against a window and snapped this.
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| Looks like I captured the kitchen. |
I would have loved to been able to see the room that John Hancock, Sam Adams, William Dawes, and Paul Revere had all gathered in. I heard it's on the 2nd floor.
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| The side entrance. |
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| Information on a placard on the outside of the home. |
Immediately, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott were able to get away, (and Prescott being the only one of the three making it to Concord), but, according to Revere, "an officer seized my bridle, put their pistols to my Breast, ordered me to dismount, which I did."
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| "Dr. Sanuel Prescott at Meriam's Corner" |
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| I saw three different banners throughout Minute Man Historical Park. |
For many of the house photos here, I did snap a few pictures through the windows - no...no peeping tom---no one lives in these houses. Now I did come across a couple that folks did live in - Obviously, I did not take any window shots of those!
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| Jacob Whittemore House Such a real beauty! |
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| Again, if it's Tuesday, it must be closed up! So here are a couple of window shots. |
Because of the architecture - I enjoy seeing the insides of these historic homes.
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| The same room from above from a side window. The other rooms were just storage. |
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| My bride and I at the front door. The house has a bit of a Daggett look, eh? |
Neither Jacob nor Moses fought with the Lexington militia on April 19th, although Jacob had trained with it and Moses would volunteer for other Revolutionary War campaigns. Instead, Jacob and Moses carried Sarah Whittemore Reed and her children to the relative safety of a nearby woodlot just before the battle reached their home. Sarah was still recovering from the birth of her third child 18 days earlier. To the west of the house, Captain John Parker led the Lexington militia in engaging the retreating British Regulars.
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| Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott passed by here on their ride toward Concord. Later the British column passed by here on their way to Concord, and again in the afternoon during their fight while retreating back to Boston. |
Paul Revere, along with fellow riders William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, were apprehended by a patrol of British officers at this site. Revere was detained, questioned, and released several hours later. Dawes turned around and escaped and Prescott, who was also able to escape, made it through to Concord.
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| Imagine galluping down this path, dark as pitch... |
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| And then the road opens up to a pasture...but the silhouettes of British scouts could be seen with the night sky as background. |
As Mr. Revere himself wrote in a deposition:
"When we had got about half way from Lexington to Concord, the other two stopped at a house to awake the men, I kept along. When I had got about 200 yards ahead of them, I saw two officers as before. I called to my company to come up, saying here was two of them, (for I had told them what Mr. Devens told me, and of my being stopped). In an instant I saw four of them, who rode up to me with their pistols in their bands, said ''G---d d---n you, stop. If you go an inch further, you are a dead man.'' Immediately Mr. Prescot came up. We attempted to get through them, but they kept before us, and swore if we did not turn in to that pasture, they would blow our brains out, (they had placed themselves opposite to a pair of bars, and had taken the bars down). They forced us in."
"When we had got about half way from Lexington to Concord, the other two stopped at a house to awake the men, I kept along. When I had got about 200 yards ahead of them, I saw two officers as before. I called to my company to come up, saying here was two of them, (for I had told them what Mr. Devens told me, and of my being stopped). In an instant I saw four of them, who rode up to me with their pistols in their bands, said ''G---d d---n you, stop. If you go an inch further, you are a dead man.'' Immediately Mr. Prescot came up. We attempted to get through them, but they kept before us, and swore if we did not turn in to that pasture, they would blow our brains out, (they had placed themselves opposite to a pair of bars, and had taken the bars down). They forced us in."
"When we had got in, Mr. Prescot said ''Put on!'' He took to the left, I took the right towards a wood at the bottom of the pasture, intending, when I gained that, to jump my horse and run afoot. Just as I reached it, out started six officers, seized my bridle, put their pistols to my breast, ordered me to dismount, which I did. One of them, who appeared to have the command there, and much of a gentleman, asked me where I came from; I told him. He asked what time I left. I told him, he seemed surprised, said, "Sir, may I crave your name?'' I answered ''My name is Revere." ''What'' said he, ''Paul Revere''? I answered ''Yes.'' The others abused much; but he told me not to be afraid, no one should hurt me. I told him they would miss their aim. He said they should not, they were only waiting for some deserters they expected down the road. I told him I knew better, I knew what they were after; that I had alarmed the country all the way up, that their boats were caught aground, and I should have 500 men there soon."
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| On this very spot~ This circular memorial marks the spot where Paul Revere was captured about 1:30 or 2 a.m. on April 19, 1775. |
Revere continued: "(I was ordered) to mount my horse, they first searched me for pistols. When I was mounted, the Major took the reins out of my hand, and said, by G-d Sr, you are not to ride with reins I assure you; and gave them to an officer on my right to lead me. he then Ordered 4 men out of the Bushes, and to mount their horses; they were country men which they had stopped who were going home; then ordered us to march. He said to me “We are now going towards your friends, and if you attempt to run, or we are insulted, we will blow your Brains out.” When we had got into the road they formed a circle and ordered the prisoners in the centre & to lead me in the front.
We rid towards Lexington, a quick pace; they very often insulted me calling me Rebel, &c &c. after we had got about a mile, I was given to the sergant to lead, he was Ordered to take out his pistol (he rode with a hanger) and if I run, to execute the Major’s sentence; When we got within about half a Mile of the Meeting house, we heard a gun fired; the Major asked me what it was for, I told him to alarm the country; he Ordered the four prisoners to dismount, they did, then one of the officers dismounted and cutt the Bridles, and Saddels, off the Horses, & drove them away, and told the men they might go about their business; I asked the Major to dismiss me, he said he would carry my, lett the consequence be what it will; He then ordered us to march, when we got within sight of the Meeting House, we heard a Volley of guns fired, as I supposed at the tavern, as an Alarm; the Major ordered us to half, he asked me how far it was to Cambridge, and many more questions, which I answered; he then asked the Sergant, if his horse was tired, he said yes; he Ordered him to take my horse; I dismounted, the Sarjant mounted my horse; they cutt the Bridle & saddle off the Sarjant’s horse & rode off down the road."
Left without a horse, Revere returned to Lexington in time to witness part of the battle on the Lexington Green.
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| Engraved in the memorial. |
I very much appreciate the kindness of the folks who willingly took our picture.
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| My son, and my wife & I at the Paul Revere Capture Site. The monument is very difficult to read, for it is weather-beaten. Though we were not dressed period, I was wearing my favorite Paul Revere shirt. |
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| One of two placards at the monument. |
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| Telling the story of Paul Revere's capture. |
Being here was almost as emotional for me as being at Paul Revere's grave the day before in Boston at the Granary Burying Ground. It really was. I mean, here--this spot -- is where the "midnight ride" ended. The whole journey was over - he did what it took to (possibly unknowingly) help to create a country of citizens rather than a country of subjects.
Wow!
And I was there where it all happened!
When the fighting at Concord spread along the Bay Road during the afternoon of April 19, 1775, the Hartwell brothers likely participated in the action that swept through their family farm.
Ephraim then sent an enslaved woman named Violet down the road to awaken Samuel Hartwell next door. Eventually news of the British march reached Captain William Smith, commanding officer of the Lincoln Minute Men. Thus the Lincoln Minute Men were warned in time, and arrived at the North Bridge before the British soldiers appeared.
The five photos below showing the inside I took from placing my camera lens up to the windows. It's obvious that the interior decor' is in storage and will be brought out in June when it re-opens to the public.
And I was there where it all happened!
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| To get back to where we were parked (see the little pathway on the right? That leads to the parking area), I walked in the direction in which Paul Revere came. While Patty and Miles took the short way, I walked alone, just taking it all in. I mean, just the day before I was at Paul Revere's grave, his home, and the Old North Church. Then earlier on this day I was at the Hancock-Clarke House where he went to warn John Hancock and Sam Adams, and now, there I was, visiting the very spot where he was captured by British scouts, where his adventure ended. Add to that just two weeks earlier, at our own Michigan reenactment version of the Battles of Lexington & Concord, and I represented my hero by riding a horse and shouting that the Regulars were coming out. It was all a bit overwhelming for me and even pretty emotional, so I needed these few minutes of solemn quiet time before our next Battle Road stop. |
We did not walk to each stop on this tour, for my degenerative discs in my lower back and the sciatica that plagued my legs prevented that, so we drove, missing a few of the historic stops, though I was not going to miss this next piece of history: The Hartwell Tavern~
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Hartwell Tavern is a restored 18th century home and tavern . It sits on "Battle Road," and since it was here at the time of the battle on April 19, 1775, it is what is known as a witness house, like the others on this path. |
A witness house is a house that existed and was occupied during a specific historical event, like the American Revolutionary War, and still stands today as a physical reminder of that time. These houses are often associated with key moments in history and offer a glimpse into the daily lives of people who lived during those periods. I suppose, in a way, what we do at the Waterloo Cabin is a sort of "witness house" thing, though the cabin did not witness any great historical event. We're still bringing it to life.
Hartwell Tavern was built between 1732-1733. When Ephraim and Elizabeth Hartwell got married, Ephraim's father Samuel gave them a new house surrounded by 18 acres of land, as well as 12 additional acres elsewhere (30 acres total). In this new home the couple started a family and by 1756 the Hartwells had nine children living in the house. That same year, Ephraim applied for and received a license to open part of their home as an inn. Ideally located along the historic Bay Road, the Hartwell house offered rest and food for farmers and merchants headed to and from Boston. The Hartwell family continued their inn operation until the 1780's.
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| On April 19, 1775 the road that passes in front of the Hartwell Tavern is the very same that the British troops marched upon while conducting their raid on Concord. The soldiers passed by the tavern on their way to Concord, and again on their way back to Boston. Current scholarship indicates there are no records or stories about soldiers entering the tavern for any reason. |
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| This is the angle in which the Redcoats would have seen this building as they marched along the road toward Concord. Three of Ephraim and Elizabeth Hartwell's sons were in the Lincoln Minute Man Company (Capt. William Smith's Co.) that fought at the North Bridge and on the battleroad on April 19. Samuel and John were both sergeants, and Isaac was a private. All three went on to later military service in the Revolutionary War. |
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| As mentioned earlier, in the early morning hours of April 19th, an advance guard of British soldiers captured Paul Revere just down the road from the tavern. Dr. Samuel Prescott of Concord, who was riding with him, escaped by leaping his horse over a stone wall and fleeing through pasture and swamp. Prescott emerged near the Hartwell Tavern and likely alarmed Ephraim that the British regulars were on the march. |
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| We may have to return here some day simply so we can go inside all of these closed up buildings. Which means that we not return on a Tuesday in May! |
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| The front door and front window (with a candle). |
The five photos below showing the inside I took from placing my camera lens up to the windows. It's obvious that the interior decor' is in storage and will be brought out in June when it re-opens to the public.
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| In the 1980's, the National Park Service restored Hartwell Tavern to its 1775 appearance, however keeping its 1783 and 1830 additions. |
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The main structure, the foundation, most of the walls, and some of the flooring are original. |
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| In all, about 60 - 70 % of the "original" structure remains within the restored house. |
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| Storing food and drink in the barrels, mayhaps? |
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| A goodly supply of lanterns, for nighttime activities, I'm sure. |
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| Notice the kitchen is on the north side of the house, the side that gets the cold winds in winter. Low ceilings keep in the heat. Also, to minimize the wall exposure on the north side, many New England houses were built in what's known today as a "Saltbox" style--the long slanted roof sometimes even going all the way to the ground to protect the house from the cold north wind. |
The information given here on the Hartwell Tavern came from THIS site.
But there's more to the Hartwell story, though not fully involving the tavern:
Mary Flint Hartwell married Samuel Hartwell, son of Ephraim and Elizabeth Hartwell, in 1769. Samuel and Mary occupied a house on the Bay Road in north Lincoln, located about 200 yards to the east of his father, Ephraim Hartwell's residence and tavern.
April 19, 1775 was a day Mary would remember for the rest of her life. Years later she often related the story of the events of April 19, 1775 to her family. It is through them that we have her account. In the morning she observed the army marching past her house toward Concord where her husband Samuel was waiting with the men from his company and other towns. Mary remembered...
"The army of the King marched up in fine order and their bayonets glistened in the sunlight like a field of waving grain . If it hadn't been for the purpose they came for I should say it was the handsomest sight I ever saw in my life."
Although Mary Hartwell had good reason for entertaining vindictive feelings towards the invading army, her actions proved that her better nature soon prevailed. She said, "I could not sleep that night, for I knew there were British soldiers lying dead by the roadside; and when, on the following morning, we were somewhat calmed and rested, we gave attention to the burial of those whom their comrades had failed to take away. The men hitched the oxen to the cart, and went down below the house, and gathered up, the dead. As they returned with the team and the dead soldiers, my thoughts went out for the wives, parents, and children away across the Atlantic, who would never again see their loved ones; and I left the house (and) followed the rude hearse to the grave hastily made in the burial-ground. I remember how cruel it seemed to put them into one large trench without any coffins. There was one in a brilliant uniform, whom I supposed to have been an officer. His hair was tied up in a cue."
Mary Hartwell passed her stories of April 19, 1775 on to her grandchildren.
Next up we would have the Redcoats marching past Meriam's Corner. No incident at this point...just nearing their destination of Concord.
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| Heading west to Concord by way of Meriam's Corner. |
However, I'm going to try and keep this in order of the excitement - - - so we'll now skip to Concord and the North Bridge, but we will be back at Meriam's corner shortly. Just so you know, I did not get nearly as many photos in Concord as I did in Lexington. By the time we made it to Concord, we were pretty tired, it was fairly warm (upper 70s), and it was nearing rush hour traffic and suppertime. We were ready to head back to our hotel. This was when we realized that to do this tour properly, at least two full days would be needed, and we had already made plans for the rest of our time here in Massachusets. So let me apologize now for not including nearly as much of what happened in Concord as I would have liked to.
Finally...to the Old North Bridge~~~
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| Perhaps, aside from Burnside Bridge in Antietam, the Old North Bridge is probably the most famous bridge in American history! And we're about to see it! |
The North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts is often refered to as the location of the "shot heard 'round the world," and the beginning of the American War for Independence.
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| On the morning of April 19, 1775, Colonial Militia from Concord and surrounding towns exchanged gunfire with British regulars guarding the critical river crossing. |
Although the fighting at the North Bridge lasted only a few minutes, it marked the beginning of a massive battle that raged over 16 miles along the Bay Road from Boston to Concord, and included some 1,700 British regulars and over 4,000 Colonial militia.
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| Concord's North Bridge, where it is said that the "shot heard round the world" was fired, April 19, 1775. Significance: Concord's North Bridge is where colonial minute men and militia were first ordered to fire upon British soldiers. The first British soldiers of the American Revolution died here. |
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| 1836 Battle Monument |
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| 1836 Battle Monument on the opposite end - the direction in which the Redcoats came. |
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| Here you see my wife and I on the bridge...in a more peaceful time (lol) |
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| The Minute Man statue 'Twas unveiled for the Centennial celebration of the battle on April 19, 1875. |
Inscribed on the front facing is the first stanza of the poem “The Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
BY THE RUDE BRIDGE THAT
ARCHED THE FLOOD,
THEIR FLAG TO APRIL’S
BREEZE UNFURLED,
HERE ONCE THE EMBATTLED
FARMERS STOOD,
AND FIRED THE SHOT HEARD
ROUND THE WORLD.
While the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired at Lexington, it was the battle at Concord, and the skirmish at the North Bridge in particular, that resonated with the phrase "shot heard round the world."
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| The 7 foot tall bronze statue was cast from old Civil War cannons |
Secured under the base of the stature are two time capsules. The first one placed there in 1875 includes: Lemuel Shattuck’s book History of Concord, the Account of the Fight from the Diary of Rev. William Emerson; a 1874 Town Report; Photographs of Daniel Chester French and The Minute Man; Map of the Village in 1775; Map of Center of Concord in 1874; coins, stamps, newspapers of the time and invitations to the 1875 celebration.
In January of 1975 the Minute Man was removed from its base so that a mold could be made of the statue in case it were ever damaged. At that time it was suggested that a second time capsule be created for the upcoming Bicentennial of the Battle. Girl Scout troops from the Town of Concord were selected to run this project. Contents of this second time capsule are: microfilm containing images of letters, photographs, and scrapbooks made by the Girl Scouts; a cassette tape with “The Sounds of Concord”; an American flag; a Bicentennial flag; military patches; Girl Scout pins; and money.
All the Old North Bridge information came from THIS site.
The Old Manse in Concord played a vital role in shaping Concord's historical, literary, and intellectual landscape. Built in 1770, it was the former home of patriot minister William Emerson and later of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, serving as a central hub for Concord's early intellectual life. The house overlooks the North Bridge, where the first battle of the American Revolution began, and was a meeting place for leading figures of the time.
The report of the bloody transaction at Lexington was spreading in every direction with the rapidity of a whirlwind. The people were seen, in arms, moving swiftly to the seen of action.
The alarm reached Concord about the hour of four in the morning by way of Dr. Samuel Prescott who, only a short time before, was riding with Paul Revere and William Dawes. The town father's, after speaking with their minister, William Emerson, decided to muster their militia immediately and also to confirm the accuracy of the alarm by sending riders to Lexington. Like the Lexington militia, they all agreed that the town should defend itself.
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| The front facade of the Old Manse |
The time was diligently improved by the inhabitants in removing and concealing the publick stores. When the enemy approached the town, the Americans then collectively retired across the North Bridge to the high ground beyond it, and then waited for the reinforcements from the adjacent counties.
Concord resident, Phebe Bliss Emerson, the minister's wife, was deeply frightened. According to family tradition, Phebe was "delicate," a euphemism that commonly referred to a mental state rather than a physical condition. She had heard the alarm from her African slave, Frank, who came running into her chamber with an axe in his hand, shouting that the Redcoats were coming. Mrs. Emerson turned white as a Concord coverlet and fainted away on the spot. When she revived, she looked around for her husband and saw him outside in the yard helping people of the town who had gathered in front of the Old Manse (their home). Phebe Emerson rapped sharply on the windowpane to get her husband's attention, and told him that, "she thought she needed him as much as the others."
(From the Diaries and Letters of William Emerson and taken as written from "Paul Revere's Ride" by David Hackett Fischer)
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| This sign explains how the plowed North Field of the Old Manse House became a battlefield on April 19, 1775. |
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| Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandfather, William, who lived in this house at the time of the great battle, watched the action from the second story window, where he bear witness to the what happened not only in his north field, but on the North Bridge as well. |
William and Phebe Emerson's grandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, was a prominent 19th century American essayist, poet, philosopher, lecturer, minister, and abolitionist.
He also wrote the well-known poem, The Concord Hymn (Sung at the Completion of the Battle Monument pictured and mentioned above, July 4, 1837):
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.
The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.
On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
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| A closer shot of the back of "Old Manse" facing toward the North Bridge and the North Field ~ |
Whenever visiting a place where a great battle took place, we must always remember it is also a graveyard to some extent:
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| This speaks for itself. Right next to the Old Manse property. |
This brief but significant confrontation initiated a broader conflict along the Bay Road between Boston and Concord, for the march home was perhaps the worst of it all for the Redcoats.
Road to Boston - - - -
The Battle Road primarily follows a stretch of what was then known as the Bay Road (now Route 2A and parts of Massachusetts Avenue) connecting Concord, Lincoln, Lexington, and Arlington (then Menotomy).
The march back to Boston refers to the British regulars' return journey from Concord all the way to Boston on the later afternoon of April 19, 1775. The retreat from Concord was not a simple march. Colonial militia and minutemen continuously harassed the British column, engaging in a running battle for about 16 miles, marred by continuous ambushes and attacks from those colonial militiamen along the road.
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| The militia used guerrilla tactics, firing from behind trees, stone walls, and buildings. |
The prolonged fighting and ambushes resulted in significant casualties for the British, including 73 killed and 174 wounded.
The first skirmish of the "Battle Road" occurred at Meriam's Corner, where colonial militiamen from Reading, Chelmsford, and Billerica attacked the British.
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| A stone monument with a short description of the events that took place here. Built around 1705, the Meriam House has seen significant change in its 300 year history.
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| From sustainable agriculture to bloody battles, this home has witnessed incredible events. |
The house as built circa 1705 consisted of a larger two-story east section and a smaller one story west wing, separated by a chimney. The house was oriented facing south, rather than facing the nearby road to Billerica that passed it on the west side.
The frame of the original house survives intact today, except for the roof of the west wing, which was replaced by a second story circa 1725, and the roof of the main house, which was damaged by fire and replaced circa 1925. The remaining frame is of post-and-beam construction, being made of heavy timbers that are mortised and tenoned. The frame rests on a fieldstone foundation that incorporates a cellar on the east side. The “footprint” of the original house measures approximately 39 feet wide by 20 feet deep.
The Meriam House has a total of 35 exterior windows: one in the cellar story, 20 in the first story, 12 in the second story, and two in the attic story. The existing windows date from several periods of construction, including circa 1820, circa 1925, and the 1950's. Virtually nothing survives of the
original 1705 windows.
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| And there's the Nathan Meriam House (circa 1705). |
Now...just what did this "witness house" 'see' in April of 1775?
When the column of regulars reached Meriam's Corner around 12:30 in the afternoon, about a mile east of Concord's center, newly arrived companies of militia from Reading, Chelmsford, and Billerica arrived and took cover behind the Meriam houses and barns. First to arrive was a company of Reading minute men under the command of Captain Brooks. They had separated from their regiment a few miles up the Bedford Road and pushed ahead towards Concord. When they arrived they saw the British light infantry descending Meriam Hill and pulling back towards the road to cross a small bridge over Elm Brook. Thus temporarily without the protection of its flank guard, the British column was vulnerable to attack. Captain Brooks ordered his men to open fire.
Like a few other of the closed up historical homes, I snatched a few shots through the windows.
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| This early 18th century house sits at the junction of two roads: Lexington Road, running east, and Bedford Road coming from the north. Not far from the house, Lexington Road narrowed to cross a small brook. In the early afternoon of April 19, 1775, the retreating British column was attacked here by militiamen from the towns of Reading, Chelmsford, and Billerica who had just arrived on the Bedford Road. In order to cross the brook, the British column pulled in their flank guard. This allowed the militiamen to get close enough to fire upon them and inflict casualties. From this point on the fire would not cease until the British regulars arrived at Charlestown, 18 miles away! |
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| Could this be the great hall/living room? |
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Eva Parra wrote: "Opening the Meriam House was my main project at Minute Man National Historical Park. One of my favorite features in the house is an engraving on a beam above the fireplace. It’s still not entirely clear what is engraved. The beam is original to the house, and the intersecting red beam was encased in 1820, covering the top of the engraving, so we know it was created between 1705 and 1820." |
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| This house was lived in and used as a home up until 1990! |
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| The same room as above, but a slightly different angle. |
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| I did not note which windows these rooms belonged to. First-time visit, so I was just capturing what I could. I do, however, believe this is the westernmost room. |
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| Same room as the picture directly above - westernmost room. As mentioned, I was not able to have a tour of the interior, I have no idea which rooms are which, though I believe this was the kitchen. |
At some point, a one-story kitchen addition with bedroom was added to the back, north side of
the house. This was probably part of a larger project that included the rebuilding of the original center
chimney. A plausible date for this work is circa 1743.
This change would best explain the location of the first-story bake ovens in the rebuilt chimney: one oriented north-south, for the addition; one oriented east-west, for the east room; and none in the west room.
From THIS site
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| I love these old "saltboxes" (as what they are called today). |
Meriam family oral tradition holds that on that April morning, “when the alarm was given in Concord that the British soldiers were coming, Josiah Meriam, with his sons, Josiah, Jr., and Timothy, went to the village, and later were among the forces at the North Bridge, and probably crossed the meadows and appeared again at the encounter near the house. Joseph, Josiah’s youngest son, then seven years old, remained at home, as he always said, ‘to take care of the women’ and soon went with them to a place of refuge behind the hill. The British soldiers entered the house, helped themselves to whatever breakfast they could find, taking the unbaked pies from the oven…”
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| Could this be one of the two that were killed in the above description? |
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| Here, again, is the Jacob Whittemore House As the by the King's Regulars as they marched back to Boston... |
Well, I would say day two of our vacation to Massachusetts was, again, pretty amazing. I imagine if I lived there I would be studying every little thing, every detail, just as I do at Greenfield Village. But I hope you enjoyed the text and photos here. If you've never been, make plans.
Part one in this series - Boston - was already pretty awesome, and now day two - - another great big WOW!
Yet there's more to come.
Here are my up-coming Massachusetts blog plans:
we visited the Concord Museum, Plimoth Patuxet, Mayflower, and the Pilgrim Museum, and I am hoping to do a separate blog post for each. However...not necessarily right away~.
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| It's here! And so were we! |
The Pilgrim posts will be in November. But I do have to have time to put the others together.
Vacations----we need them! We work all year for them. Sometimes we plan these special times for years.
Some folks really really love cruises. Others go to Disney World or Disney Land or amusement parks like Cedar Point. And still, many head to the ocean or one of the Great Lakes to spend a week at the beach. Many enjoy sight-seeing vacations.
I'm a history vacationer; if I'm going to go on a vacation - especially if it's a long way from home, and hotel or motel accomodations are necessary, then something historical needs to be attached. I'm lucky---bless'd, rather ---for I am married to a wonderful woman who also has an eye on history and enjoys where we go. In fact, she asks me to plan them.
History is not old black and white images or sketches of the past.
History is in living color.
Alive!
And Massachussetts is filled with the colonial past everywhere you turn.
To be amidst all of this wonderful American history---and to be here only a few weeks past the 250 celebration of the Revolutionaty War's beginnings---well, this was, simply put, pretty amazing! As I said before, however, two days minimum are needed for each tour. One day each gave us a wonderful overview, but to really get into it, two days per are truly needed.
So---here we were, two days into our four days vacation.
Well, for day three, we did visit the Plimoth Patuxet open-air museum, and then on day four we went to see Mayflower II. Posts are coming for that, but I decided to hold off on until November, a bit closer to Thanksgiving. But we did visit a couple of indoor museums, so I will be posting about those in a few weeks.
Until next time, see you in time!
Some information came from the pamphlet The Lexington-Concord Battle Road by Lexington Visitors Center
Much of the historical information also came directly from THIS site.
~To see part one of our Massachusetts visit, centering on the Freedom Trail in Boston, click HERE
~Links to the American Revolution from Passion for the Past Postings to Help Celebrate America's 250th - click HERE
~To see my links to my Colonial Williamsburg vacation posts, click HERE
~To see my Gettysburg vacation link, please click HERE
`To see Gettysburg, Antietam, and Harper's Ferry vacation link, please click HERE
Vacation
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