April 19 marks two and half centuries since the historic events at Lexington and Concord, including the famous “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” which began the American Revolution.
It is no understatement to say that this was a pivotal moment in the struggle for American independence. These were the very first clashes—and shots fired—between the colonial militia and the British troops.
It was Paul Revere’s famous “midnight ride” on the eve of this famous date that alerted Joseph Barnes and his fellow members of the local militia that the British were coming; though Revere was hardly the only one out riding hard to warn people that night.
Though sudden incursions from the British were not uncommon at the time, especially since they had garrisoned in nearby Boston years prior, Revere had knowledge that this foray into the countryside was different from previous ones. This time, the British regulars had specific written orders from their commanding general, Thomas Gage. He wrote, “[Y]ou will march with utmost expedition and secrecy to Concord, where you will seize and destroy all the Artillery, Ammunition, provisions, tents, small arms, and all military stores whatever.” The British were after guns owned by the citizenry.
It was on that same night that Barnes and company would gather at Buckman Tavern on the Green at Lexington, Mass. Barnes and roughly 80 of the members of the militia fell under the command of Capt. John Parker, who formed them into ranks on the Green shortly before dawn.
As the British formed up on one side of the Green, Parker allegedly told his men: “Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
It wasn’t long after that a shot rang out and a fusillade soon erupted from the British ranks. Eight militia members were killed and 10 more were seriously wounded. While it is impossible to know exactly which firearm was the one that fired that shot, we do know of—and have thankfully preserved—a few of these firearms from this fateful day.
“Pvt. Joseph Barnes was armed with an American cherry-stocked, 20-gauge fowler and a carved powder horn. It is unknown if he was able to get a shot off at the British before he and the rest of his company fell back on Concord that morning, but he survived the opening round of the War for Independence and took his fowler with him to Bunker Hill and numerous other battles over the course of the next few years. He served in the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment, in Capt. William Walker’s Company. His regiment also saw action at the battles of Saratoga, the Battle of Newtown, the Siege of Boston and Valley Forge,” wrote Phil Schreier, director of NRA Museums, for America’s 1st Freedom. “His fowler stayed in his family for generations and was eventually converted from flintlock to percussion so that it could continue to provide sustenance for him and his descendants. A true national treasure, it was witness to the opening fight for American independence.”
A further, in-depth analysis of the arms and events of April 19, 1775, can be viewed at American Rifleman.
As for the coining of the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” it did not come about until many years later in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn,” which was written in 1837 for the dedication of an obelisk monument in Concord, Mass.
“By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, and fire the shot heard round the world,” reads the poem’s opening stanza.
Emerson’s words immortalized the Battles of Lexington and Concord as a transformative event in not only American history, but in all of world history. On this day, 250 years later, we pay thanks to those brave enough to take the first step and fire the first shots to secure freedom for the citizens of the United States of America for centuries to come. Without their armed resistance, we may not have the country we know and love today.
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