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Battle of Lexington & Concord...
Battle of Lexington & Concord...
Item # 701395
May 11, 1775
PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST, Philadelphia, May 11, 1775
* The Battles of Lexington and Concord
* Start of American Revolutionary War
This is a gem of an issue, as it is what all serious collectors seek for their Revolutionary War collection: an American newspaper with a terrific report on the famous battles at Lexington and Concord.
This page 3 report, datelined from Salem, April 25, begins: "Last Wednesday the troops of his Britanic Majesty commenced hostilities upon the people of this province..." The report continues with: "On Tuesday evening a detachment...commanded by Lieut. Col. Smith...landed at Phipps Farm...[and] proceeded with silence and expedition on their way to Concord....The people were soon alarmed and began to assemble in several towns before day light...".
Upon seeing a group of militia that had assembled, the commanding officer confronted them with the now famous command "Disperse You Rebels, D----N You, Throw Down Your Arms and Disperse" and then there was a discharge of arms, the first shots supposedly fired by the British troops. The report then states that the British continued their march to Concord but were again engaged by the provincials near a bridge, plus there is mention of an additional skirmish at Menotomy. The reports then describe the events regarding the British retreat to Lexington, mentioning they "...set fire to Deacon Joseph Lourings house and barn, Mrs. Mullekins house and shop, and Mr. Joshua Bonds house.... They pillaged almost every house..." They then proceeded to "...Bunkers Hill, and...afterwards went into town, under protection of the Somerset man of war of 64 guns..." and more.
See the photos for the full text, which takes about two-thirds of the page. A great report, especially with the famous quote, as well as the passage, "The people were soon alarmed", the alert due to the famous rides of Paul Revere, Prescott and Dawes.
Page 3 also has a report from Philadelphia which includes: "This day the Continental Congress elected the Hon. Peyton Randolph, Esq., President, and Charles Thompson, Esq; Secretary." and a bit further on is: "The Hon. House of Assembly of this Province, now sitting, have added Doctor Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Willing, and James Wilson, Esquires, to their appointment of Delegates to attend the Congress."
Most of page 2 is taken up with an: "Extract of a Letter from the Earl of Dunmore to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Williamsburg, Dec. 24...". Dunmore was the Royal Governor of Virginia at the time. He reports on the efforts of the Continental Congress being organized by the various colonies to deal with the frustrations imposed by England.
Four pages, 8 by 10 inches, damp staining is mostly near the margins, otherwise in good condition.
A cornerstone issue for any private collection and one that rarely comes on the market.
AI notes: The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, marked the outbreak of armed conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen American colonies, igniting the Revolutionary War. British troops, numbering around 700, were dispatched from Boston under orders to seize colonial military supplies stored in Concord and to arrest prominent Patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Warned in advance by riders like Paul Revere and William Dawes, colonial militias—known as Minutemen—mobilized rapidly. At dawn in Lexington, the British encountered a small group of militiamen; though the colonists were vastly outnumbered, they stood their ground until an unknown shot—later called “the shot heard ’round the world”—triggered a brief skirmish that left eight colonists dead. The British moved on to Concord, where they met stronger resistance at the North Bridge. Colonial forces pushed the British back, and during the long retreat to Boston, militia fighters used guerrilla tactics, harassing the redcoats from behind trees, stone walls, and buildings. British forces suffered heavy casualties—over 250 men—while the colonists proved their resolve and fighting capability. These first battles galvanized colonial resistance and marked the point of no return in the conflict for American independence.
Category: Revolutionary War
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