The “shot heard round the world”

The Battle of Lexington, 19th April 1775, 1910 (oil on canvas by William Barns Wollen) / Source: wikiart.org

245 years ago, on April 19, 1775, the “shot heard round the world” was fired at the battle of Lexington and Concord.

A handful of American farmers and storekeepers, patriots engaged a British Army, who were to take and/or destroy our powder and weapons. Eight of our men were killed right away guarding our powder.

Our American patriots decided they would no longer be molested, abused, brutalized, restricted to their homes, robbed of their weapons, their voices outlawed, unallowed to speak freely, unallowed to elect their own government leaders, have no representation to determine their taxes, nor would they continue to have a standing Army rule their communities and live in their homes, taken by force! THEY RESISTED and confronted their oppressors.

There were over 1,500 British soldiers that they faced this day! A handful of men faced the British at dawn. By the end of the battle, nearly 4,000 civilians, patriots had joined the fight! The enemy retreated. 49 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 our County is named. Here in Warren County, his picture and history now hangs in every school and government building, and I am honored to have had a small part in having him seen and remembered in our County.

Two months later, 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.

PLEASE, NEVER ALLOW WHAT THEY GAVE US BE LOST!

The Rev. Larry W. Johnson
Front Royal, Virginia