April 19, 1775: The bloodied British Army Regulars retreat to Boston

: World Tribune; 18 April 2025; Hits: 3

Part V: ‘The shot heard round the world,’ 250 years on

by WorldTribune Staff, April 18, 2025 Real World News

On April 18, 1775, the British Military Governor of Massachusetts, Gen. Thomas Gage, sent 800 British Army Regulars on a secret, preemptive raid to seize guns and ammunition from American patriots at Lexington and Concord.

As the sun rose, April 19, 1775, 800 British regulars approached Lexington’s town green. To their surprise, they were met by Lexington’s militia, comprised of 77 men who were mostly members of the Church of Christ.

Part I — April 18, 1775: Human intelligence alerted American patriots of raid to seize their guns Part II — As British forces headed towards Concord, Lexington’s militia gathered on the village green Part III —April 19, 1775: The first shots are fired on Lexington Green Part IV April 19, 1775: British search at Barrett’s farm failed to find American guns

12:00 p.m. — The British begin the return march to Boston

Lt. Col. Smith and his British column prepared to return to Boston. Companies wrapped up their search for arms and returned to the town center. Carts were procured for their wounded.

By about noon, Lt. Col. Smith gave the order to march. They had 18 miles to go before they would reach the safety of Boston.

The enemy, however, was growing in strength and also on the move.

12:30 p.m. — Skirmish at Meriam’s Corner

So far there had been fighting at Lexington Green where the first colonists were killed, about 5:00 a.m., and at Concord’s North Bridge where the first British soldiers died, around 9:30 a.m. The situation was about to get much much worse as the British column moved out east from Concord center on the road back to Boston. They were attacked by newly-arrived minute and militia companies from Reading, Chelmsford and Billerica at a road junction called Meriam’s Corner.

The British had to pull their flank guard in to cross a brook. The colonists took advantage of this choke point and opened fire. This action is the start of what came to be known as the “Battle Road.” From there the fighting continued as the column pushed east from Concord into Lincoln.

1:00 p.m. — Framingham and Sudbury join the fight near Brooks Hill

Companies from Framingham and Sudbury arrived from the south and engaged the British column on their right flank at a place called Brooks Hill. Companies from Concord, Lincoln, Bedford and Acton, who had fought at North Bridge earlier that morning ,were also in pursuit as were Reading, Chelmsford and Billerica. Meanwhile, 3 companies from the town of Woburn had just arrived and were soon to make their presence felt.

1:30 p.m.~ An ambush at Elm Brook Hill

As the British column descended the east side of Brooks Hill, they came to “Lincoln Bridge.” The Woburn companies of Captains Belknap, Fox and Walker, led by Maj. Loammi Baldwin took a position on the high ground east of Lincoln Bridge. They had somewhere between 180 – 200 men and may have also been joined by companies from Framingham as well.

The Woburn companies opened a brisk fire then fell back toward the second turn in the road, firing from new positions as opportunity allowed. As the British column plunged ahead through the turn of the road they were soon met by a heavy fire from their left (west side of the road).

One participant said the British suffered “more deadly injury than at any one place from Concord to Charlestown. Eight or more of their number were killed on the spot and no doubt many wounded.”

1:30 p.m. — David Lamson attacks a British supply wagon in Menotomy

One thousand British reinforcements left Boston sometime after 9:00 a.m. led by Brig. Gen. Hugh Earl Percy. Hoping to meet up with Smith’s column before it was too late, they left a wagon train loaded with ammunition behind to catch up when they could. It was lightly guarded.

A group of older men, many of them veterans of the old French Wars, gathered at the Cooper Tavern in Menotomy. They chose David Lamson, a half-Indian veteran, as their leader. They set up an ambush for the supply train. Lamson called upon the British drivers to halt and surrender. Instead they chose to make a run for it. Lamson and his men opened fire and killed several men and horses.

1:45 p.m. — Parker’s Revenge

The first shots of the American Revolution occurred at roughly 5:30 in the morning, April 19, 1775. In the space of no more than a few minutes life for the people of Lexington had changed forever.

Eight of their neighbors and relatives were dead and ten were wounded. What they did next is a testimony to their courage and the leadership of Capt. Parker.

Sometime mid-morning Capt. Parker collected his shattered company. They marched west towards Concord for the purpose of getting back into the fight. They chose a place very close to the border with the town of Lincoln on rising ground overlooking the road and a narrow bridge that the British regulars would have to pass. The ground chosen by Parker’s company was wooded and strewn with large boulders for cover. When the advance guard of the British column crossed the bridge Parker’s men opened fire.

2:00 p.m. ~ The ‘Bloody’ Bluff

With over a thousand Colonial Militia closing in on the column quickly, the British rear-guard passed the Whittemore house and the Bull Tavern before ascending the sloped sides of the Bluff. From this commanding viewpoint, covered by trees, the Regulars watched Colonial militia advance toward the Tavern, a building that Reading militia man Rev. Edmund Foster knew as “Benjamin’s Tavern.” The British rear-guard then opened fire from the high ground at the Bluff and covered the lead elements of their column now ascending Fiske hill.

3:00 p.m. — British Reinforcements arrive in Lexington

Through a tragedy of errors 1st Brigade, under Hugh Earl Percy, did not leave Boston until 9:00 a.m. (Gage issued the order to muster the brigade and march at 4:00 a.m.). By the time they reached Lexington, about half a mile east of the town common, Smith’s column was in an almost full headlong retreat. Lt. John Barker, 4th Regiment of Foot recounts…

“The country was an amazing strong one, full of hills, woods, stone walls &c., which the Rebels did not fail to take advantage of, for they were all lined with people who kept an incessant fire upon us, as we did too upon them but not with the same advantage, for they were so concealed there was hardly any seeing them. In this way we marched between 9 and 10 miles, their numbers increasing from all parts while ours was reducing by deaths, wounds and fatigue, and were were totally surrounded by such an incessant fire as it’s impossible to conceive, our ammunition was likewise near expended. In this critical situation we perceived the 1st Brigade coming to our assistance…”

3:30 p.m. — Percy’s Brigade resumes the march to Boston

After a brief rest and time to tend the wounded at Munroe Tavern in Lexington, the British column now under the command of Hugh Earl Percy resumed their march to Boston. With the addition of 1st Brigade, the column was now more than 1600 strong. Smith’s exhausted soldiers were placed at the head of the column while fresh troops from the brigade formed the rear-guard, the most dangerous post.

4:30 p.m. — Fighting at the ‘Foot of the Rocks’ in Menotomy

As Percy’s column entered the town of Menotomy (modern day Arlington) the fighting intensified. Companies from Watertown, Medford, Malden, Dedham, Needham, Lynn, Beverly, Danvers, Roxbury Brookline and Menotomy joined the fight.

The fighting along the Battle Road grew more and more grim as the column entered more thickly settled areas. One British officer described it as “one continuous village.” The fighting was house to house.

The home of Jason Russell in particular became a scene of horror as Mr. Russell, 58 years old and lame, refused to be driven from his home. Other men from Danvers and Needham may have also barricaded themselves in his orchard, only to then suffer several killed and wounded by British flankers who came in behind their position. Jason Russell himself was also killed and bayoneted multiple times. Other men, including some from Beverly, managed to make it into the cellar of the home and were able to defend themselves. Mrs. Russell later discovered the body of her husband and 11 others in one room of the house with the blood ankle deep.

6:30 p.m. — Percy takes the road to Charlestown

The British column was nearly spent. The men were exhausted and ammunition was running low. Hugh Earl Percy knew he had to reach safety soon or his column would be cut off. Suspecting that the bridge in Cambridge was held against him (which it was), Percy instead took the road to Charlestown — a brilliant move that saved many lives.

7:30 p.m. — The battle ends

With the British column across Charlestown neck and able to take a good defensive position on Bunker Hill, covered by the guns of the fleet, the engagement came to an end.

British casualties were 73 killed, 174 wounded, 26 missing.

Colonial casualties were 49 killed, 41 wounded, 5 missing.

Percy would also say of his adversaries that day,

“Whoever looks upon them as an irregular mob will find himself much mistaken. They have men amongst them who know very well what they are about… You may depend upon it, that as the Rebels have now had time to prepare, they are determined to go thro’ with it , nor will the insurrection here turn out so despicable as it is perhaps imagined at home. For my part, I never imagined they would have attacked the King’s troops, or have had the perseverance I found in them yesterday.”

Conclusion: 250 Years Ago, 49 Patriots Died, and the American War of Independence Began