Battle Road

Two Stories from Battle Road

Two Stories From Battle Road

by Joe Wagner

The engagements along what has become known as “Battle Road” between Concord and Boston MA., on April 19th, 1775, were the beginning of our Revolution, and the things that happened along that road were unique and interesting events in more than the obvious historical way.  If you have read John Galvin’s book, “The Minutemen”, with its incredible detail of names, units, times, etc., as just one example, you realize someone went to a lot of trouble to gather copious amounts of detailed information.  Compare the records of Battle Road to the rest of the war, when we often know almost nothing of the details of even major battles and other significant events.  The detail concerning April 19th, 1775 is available because of politics.  So much detail is available on the events of that one day because the patriot politicians of Massachusetts wanted to publicize the overwhelming response of the American people to the tyrannical acts of the British army.  They wanted to prove to the world the broad-based support the rebellion had among the common people, and the strength they could bring against the British army.  To document this story, the Whigs of Massachusetts interviewed and wrote down the story of virtually every individual person who played any role in the events of April 19th. This record provides a most complete picture of revolutionary America, not only of the battle, but of life and times in colonial New England.  Here are two stories from that record: