The "Midnight" Ride...

...'Twas the eighteenth of April in 'Seventy-five.... > 236 years ago, two men left Boston with the news that "The regulars are coming!"; their object was to warn two men in Lexington, and then carry the news on to the town of Concord. One rider took a longer land route, and ambled his mount past a British sentry post to leave Boston; the other took a boat and then borrowed a horse. Paul Revere, the silversmith and Son of Liberty, stopped along the way in his northerly trip and warned any house that was near the road. William Dawes, Junior, a tanner and a Son of Liberty, did not warn anyone, except the two men in Lexington. Both men made it to Lexington, to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were on their way to place them under arrest, but neither made it to Concord. The man who warned Concord was a third man who joined the other two after they had left Lexington, a Dr. Samuel Prescott. > ...On the evening of April 18, 1775 Dr. Joseph Warren summoned Paul Revere and instructed him to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts. He was to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them. Several associates rowed him across the Charles River to Charlestown. There he borrowed a horse from his friend Deacon John Larkin. And, he verified that the local "Sons of Liberty" committee had seen the pre-arranged signal. Paul had arranged for these signals because he was afraid he might be prevented from leaving Boston. There were two possibilities. The British could march "by land" out Boston Neck. Or they could row "by sea" across the Charles River to Cambridge. One lantern hung in the steeple tower of the North Church would indicate "by land". Two lanterns would indicate that the British intended to come "by sea". Robert Newman, the church sexton, snuck out of his house and went to the church where he was joined by John Pulling. John locked him in the church. He hung the lanterns for only a minute so that the British would not become suspicious. After hanging the lanterns, he left through a window. The British subsequently questioned Newman about the incident but no charges were filed. > On the way to Lexington, Revere reportedly stopped at each house "alarming" the country-side. He arrived in Lexington about midnight. Approaching the house where Adams and Hancock were staying, a sentry reportedly asked that he not make so much noise. Paul Revere is reported to have replied: "Noise! You'll have more noise than this before long. The regulars are coming out!" > After delivering his message, he was joined by William Dawes, a second rider sent on the same errand by a different route, who reportedly arrived about 12:30. They decided on their own to continue to Concord, Massachusetts where weapons and supplies were hidden and left about 1:00 AM. On the way, they were joined by a third rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott. It seems that he had been visiting his girlfriend at a Lexington tavern. The story is that she was the tavern owner's wife and that he was discovered with her and fled the tavern when he met up with Revere and Dawes. > Shortly after that, British troops stopped and arrested all three. Prescott immediately escaped. Dawes escaped soon after. Revere, however, was held some time before being released. As he had no horse, he returned on foot to Lexington in time to witness part of the battle on Lexington Green on April 19, 1775. It was the first battle in which British troops were killed. Dawes also did not make it to Concord. He got lost in the dark and unfamiliar surroundings. The only one who actually made it all the way to Concord was Dr. Samuel Prescott.