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An American Story

It was a cold April morning.  The sun was still below the horizon.  A man had just raced through the sleepy little town yelling a warning to anyone who could hear him,  “They’re coming! They’re coming now!”  This was a shock to the people in the town.  Many thought this day would never come, yet here it was. They had tried to prepare for this while at the same time hoping it would never happen. They were ready. They had to be ready.  The townspeople began waking each other up and spreading the news.  “They’re coming!  Everyone is meeting at the tavern to decide what we are going to do”.  The young men and boys were excited.  The older men, however, were a little nervous.  Mothers, daughters, and sisters timidly waved goodbye as the men in their lives left to meet with the others at the tavern.

The people in the town had been regularly meeting to discuss the current political situation. The government had been trampling on the rights of the people for years and the anger was growing.  The situation was becoming more tense by the day.  The people were angry that their rights were being ignored.  Many in the nearby city had become rowdy, and at times had destroyed property in venting their frustration at the government.   The government had recently lashed out at the people for protesting and a some citizens were no longer alive because of it.  The townspeople had begun to fear for their safety and started to make plans with the other towns in the area.  They began stockpiling supplies, such as rifles and ammunition.  Most thought this was unnecessary, “The government will eventually come around,” they said… but on this April morning, rifles were being passed out at the town tavern.

The men in the town, young and old, all knew how to load and fire their guns.  It had been taught to them by their fathers and grandfathers.  They hoped the guns would not be needed. Maybe just a show of resistance would be sufficient?

A roster of all the men in town and the weapons they owned had previously been compiled.  A man in the tavern was now checking off who had shown up and what they had brought.  Those who needed a rifle and ammunition were issued them from the stockpile the townspeople had amassed.  The men could be heard whispering to each other, “Is it true?  Are the government troops really coming?  Are they really going to take our guns from us?”  Other men confidently exclaimed, “Once they realize we are not willing to give up our firearms without a fight they will move on.  The government soldiers don’t want to inflict violence on their fellow citizens.  If we stand shoulder to shoulder with our rifles and tell them to move on, they will leave us alone.”

A young man burst into the hall yelling, “They’re almost here! I just saw them over the next hill.  There are hundreds of them!”  A man who had a leadership position in the town ordered the men to assemble on the road and block the path of the government troops.  If they could convince the government soldiers to turn back here, it would be better for everyone because the main stockpile of weapons was in the next town.  The townspeople correctly assumed that this was the primary destination of the government troops.  The citizens lined up on the road while a pastor said a prayer for protection.  The few veterans among them tried to give some comforting words to those who were nervous.

The man who was in a leadership position told the townspeople to leave their guns in a nonthreatening position.  “We don’t want this day to end in violence,” he said, “We just want to let them know that we are serious about our rights and our liberty.  The officers in command of the government troops are reasonable men and I’m sure if we talk to them and explain the situation, they will leave us alone.”

At that moment the sound of marching feet could be heard from behind the next hill.  Then, the flash of the rising sun reflecting off pieces of steel began reaching the eyes of the townspeople.  Finally, soldiers could be seen marching towards the town.  These were well trained soldiers from the most powerful military on earth.  How could the men of the town stand up to them?

The officer at the front of the line stopped the soldiers when they were a stones throw away from the men of the town.  He ordered the towns people to lay down their arms saying,  “We are here to confiscate your weapons and ammunition.  Leave them on the ground and tell me where the rest are hidden.  If you do so, you may all safely go home.”  One of the men tried to reason with the officer and told him that they were not giving up their guns because they had the right to own them.  The officer replied, “I don’t care what you say your rights are! I have orders from the top that you are to surrender your firearms and that is exactly what you are going to do!”  The man tried again to reason with the officer but his words fell on deaf ears. The officer yelled, “If you are not going to obey my order, you leave me no choice!” At that moment the officer ordered his men to raise their rifles and aim them at the men of the town.  Some of the men raised their rifles in return, but many kept their rifles at their side believing the soldiers were only bluffing.  The two sides continued to stare each other down for what seemed like an eternity.  Each side was expecting the other to back down.

Suddenly, the crack of a rifle shot was heard.  No one knew where it came from but upon hearing the shot, the soldiers let loose a volley into the men from the town.  The men of the town tried to fight back, but the trained soldiers were just too much for them in the open street. Many of the men from the town were hit and those who had survived the first few volleys had to fall back.  Word of what happened in the town of Lexington spread to the other nearby towns like wildfire.  This fight was not yet over.

Citizens began grabbing their rifles and joining their neighbors within minutes of hearing the news.  These ‘minute men’ came from every nearby town and farm. In small groups they began to harass the government troops, who were now marching on their way to Concord to seize the large supply of weapons that had been stored there. The minute men were shooting at the British troops from every direction and started to inflict heavy casualties. When the British soldiers finally reached Concord they discovered that the colonists had already moved and hidden their supply of weapons. Now the British troops had to march back to Boston empty handed while taking fire all along the way.  Soldiers from the most powerful army on Earth were bested by a bunch of farmers and shopkeepers.

On this day, April 19th 1775, a revolution that would change the world had begun.

Happy Patriots Day Forgotten Liberty readers!

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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.

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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