Lexington and Concord Battle: When the American Revolution began – A day to be commemorated by the American Patriot

Two hundred and forty-six years ago on 19 April 1775, the “shot heard round the world” was fired at the battle of Lexington and Concord. A handful of American farmers, shopkeepers, clergymen, men, and boys engaged the British Army, whose objective was to take and destroy patriot property, powder and weapons.

Depiction of the Battle of Lexington by William Barnes Wollen, 1910, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Eight of our men, American Patriots, were killed right away defending their rights. Fed-up with the status quo they were determined that they would no longer be molested, abused, brutalized, restricted to their homes, weapons taken, not allowed to speak freely, not allowed to elect their own government leaders… have no representation to determine their taxes, barred from earning a living… nor would they continue to have a standing foreign Army rule their communities and live in their homes, taken by force! They resisted and confronted their oppressors.

There were more than 1,500 British soldiers that they faced that day. A handful of Americans faced the British at dawn. By the end of the battle, nearly 4,000 civilian patriots had joined the fight. Hearing the gunfire they ran toward it. Not away from it. The enemy retreated. Forty-nine Patriots were killed 39 wounded, and 73 British Redcoats killed, 174 wounded. Among our leaders was a young doctor, Dr. Joseph Warren, the man for whom this county, Warren County, Virginia, is named. He arrived at the Lexington Green after hearing gunfire bringing his medical bag to minister to the dying and wounded.

Here in Warren County, Dr. Warren’s picture and history now hang in every school and government building. (I am honored to have had a small part in having him remembered in our county.) Two months after the Battle of Lexington and Concord, on June 17, Joseph Warren, age 34, would die a martyr’s death fighting at Bunker Hill, so that you and I could live free under a Constitution… a free people… not ruled by a tyrant King! We live free because our forefathers shed their blood for US! Let us never forget them.

The Rev. Larry W. Johnson
A.k.a. Liberty Man-Teacher and Living Historian of the American Revolution History
Front Royal, Virginia