Reunion 2016 suggested TOUR for new attendees
This year's schedule includes free time where folks who did not take the Minuteman Tour to the Minuteman National Historic Park may consider taking it this year. It's well worth the time and it is nearby.
The tour that we took two years ago began with a visit to Battle Road, the famous locale where Paul Revere rode to on that famous midnight ride to warn the British that the "British are coming" on the evening of April 18, 1775. He had two pieces of information to deliver that were vital to the Patriots in in Lexington and Concord.
According to the story online entitled the Real Story of Paul Revere's Ride:
In 1774 and the
Spring of 1775 Paul Revere was employed by the Boston Committee of
Correspondence and the Massachusetts Committee of Safety as an express rider to
carry news, messages, and copies of resolutions as far away as New York and
Philadelphia.
On the evening of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere was sent for by Dr. Joseph Warren
and instructed to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn Samuel Adams and
John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them. After being rowed
across the Charles River to Charlestown by two associates, Paul Revere borrowed
a horse from his friend Deacon John Larkin. While in Charlestown, he verified
that the local "Sons of Liberty" committee had seen his pre-arranged signals.
(Two lanterns had been hung briefly in the bell-tower of Christ Church in
Boston, indicating that troops would row "by sea" across the Charles River to
Cambridge, rather than marching "by land" out Boston Neck. Revere had arranged
for these signals the previous weekend, as he was afraid that he might be
prevented from leaving Boston).
On the way to Lexington, Revere "alarmed" the country-side, stopping at each
house, and arrived in Lexington about midnight. As he approached the house where
Adams and Hancock were staying, a sentry asked that he not make so much noise.
"Noise!" cried Revere, "You'll have noise enough before long. The regulars are
coming out!" After delivering his message, Revere was joined by a second rider,
William Dawes, who had been sent on the same errand by a different route.
Deciding on their own to continue on to Concord, Massachusetts, where weapons
and supplies were hidden, Revere and Dawes were joined by a third rider, Dr.
Samuel Prescott. Soon after, all three were arrested by a British patrol.
Prescott escaped almost immediately, and Dawes soon after. Revere was held for
some time and then released. Left without a horse, Revere returned to Lexington
in time to witness part of the battle on the Lexington Green.
Unfortunately, that battle did not go very well for the patriots as they were ill prepared and outnumbered when they faced the British at the Green. The British fired on the rebels and after a brief exchange the local militia pretty much scattered. As things played out, that emboldened the British to think that the mission would face similar undermanned resistance. They were wrong.
Your first stop should be the Minute Man Visitor Center in Lexington where you will view a 25 minute movie entitled THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION, which will explain what took place on April 19, 1775, when a group of Minutemen (local militia volunteers) engaged the mighty British army in force during the Revolutionary War.
PAUL REVERE CAPTURE SITE
Once the movie viewing is completed you should travel east towards very nearby Lexington where there are many historic sites to visit. Click on the link below to see the offerings:
Return back via Battle Road to the earlier visited Visitor Center and pass it and soon you will come up to the site where Paul Revere was captured by the British advance party in Lexington.
*For an interesting personal account of Paul Revere's ride and what took place when he was captured that evening, go to this site:
Next you should travel to Hartwell Tavern (see above map). There we will observe a program featuring park rangers clad in minutemen uniforms. There is a program schedule that shows when the different offerings take place during the day. Click here to view the Ranger Program listings: Schedule.
Virtual Paul Revere's Ride Link
To those of you who would be interested to learn more about this area, you can visit the Friends of The Minute Man National Park on Facebook. You do not have to have a Facebook account to see the photos and notations on their page. You can get there by clicking on this link:
FRIENDS OF MINUTE MAN NATIONAL PARK
At the conclusion of the Hartwell Tavern
demonstration you should continue to travel west on Battle Road to the North Bridge in Concord, where you will see the
actual site where American militia actually engaged with the vaunted British
troops and assured the revolution had passed the point of no return.
There is a parking lot directly across the street from the trail leading up to the bridge.
PATH LEADING TO NORTH BRIDGE
THE OLD MANSE LEFT OF THE NORTH BRIDGE PATH
To the right of the bridge, a park ranger presents a program that explains what took place at the bridge on the day that the 'shot heard 'round the world was fired by the Minutemen who faced off against the British troops crossing the bridge.
*Spoiler alert: the British are astonished at the audacity of these volunteers and begin a tactical retreat to keep from being overrun by the larger militia facing them. They are sniped at all the way back into Boston. Up until this moment, no one dared to challenge the might of the Royal Army.
To read the reason the British headed up to Concord from Boston and the events as they played out click here: Strategy
VIEW ACROSS THE BRIDGE SHOWING THE HILL
WHERE THE MINUTEMEN WERE ASSEMBLED
BEND IN THE CONCORD RIVER FROM THE BRIDGE
At the end of the presentation you can cross the bridge and head up the hill (not very steep, but should anyone want to avoid the climb, they can return to the parking lot and drive to the North Bridge Visitor's Center.* The walk from the bridge to the Visitor's Center is about a quarter of a mile. Along the way, you will see the road where the British used to get to Colonel Barrette's farm where large stores of ammunition, firearms and artillery were thought to be stored. (Having learned of the plan through spies, everything was moved to Worcester, 40 miles southwest beforehand).
*To drive to the Visitor's Center take a right after leaving the parking lot and follow the road up a winding hill and look to your left. You can't make a mistake. Just stay on the road.
MARKER AT THE FORK IN THE ROAD LEADING TO BARRETTE'S FARM
As the British retreated from Concord and Lexington, they were ceaselessly attacked by snipers hidden in the tree lines along their route. It was an embarrassing display by the proud British forces. They were outraged that the minutemen would not attack in formation and instead undertook this type of guerilla warfare.
The Visitor Welcome Center is home to a remarkable collection of weapons and paraphernalia from the battle period. The Welcome site sits on a high hill overlooking the bridge, British path that was taken to Barrett's Farm and the beautiful Concord River which takes a bend just west of the site. The scenery is beautiful, so take along a camera.
If you set your GPS to take you back to the hotel you will drive right by the site of the farm which was the target of the British on that day. It is exactly 1.5 miles from the Visitor's Center and a three minute drive. If you use Google maps to get you there it will center Barrett's Farm in the middle of the vast farm. The actual site is on the right hand side of the road and you should look for a restored building. Click here to learn more and to view a photo of what it looks like today: Barrett's Farm Site