Colonists (Number of soldiers)Lexington: 77
Concord: 400 By the end of the battle: 3,800 Leaders: John Parker James Barrett Major John Buttrick William Heath Joseph Warren Causalities: 49 killed 39 wounded 5 missing |
Great Britain (Number of soldiers)Departing Boston: 700
Lexington: 400 Concord: 100 By the end: 1,500 Leaders: Thomas Gage Francis Smith John Pitcairn Walter Laurie Hugh Percy Causalities: 73 killed 174 wounded 53 missing |
"The shot heard 'round the world."
The Lexington and Concord Route
The battles of Lexington and Concord marked the outbreak of open armed conflict between the mother country, Great Britain and its thirteen colonies North America.
Approximately 700 British Army regulars, under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, were given orders to capture and destroy military supplies that were stored by the colonial Massachusetts militia at Concord. Through gathering intelligence, Patriot colonials had received word weeks before the expedition that their supplies might be at risk and had moved most of them to other locations. They also received details about British plans on the night before the battle and were able to rapidly notify the area militias of the enemy movement.
The start of the battles occurred just as the sun was rising in Lexington. The militia was outnumbered and fell back, and the regulars proceeded on to Concord, where they searched for the supplies. At the North Bridge in Concord, approximately 500 militiamen fought and defeated British troops. The outnumbered soldiers fell back from the minutemen after a pitched battle in open territory.
More militiamen arrived soon thereafter and inflicted heavy damage on the regulars as they marched back towards Boston, hiding in the woods and attacking with stealth. Upon returning to Lexington, Smith's expedition was rescued by reinforcements under Lieutenant-General Hugh Percy. The combined force now of about 1,700 men, marched back to Boston under heavy fire in a tactical withdrawal and eventually reached the safety of Charlestown. The accumulated militias blockaded the narrow land accesses to Charlestown and Boston, starting the Siege of Boston.
Approximately 700 British Army regulars, under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, were given orders to capture and destroy military supplies that were stored by the colonial Massachusetts militia at Concord. Through gathering intelligence, Patriot colonials had received word weeks before the expedition that their supplies might be at risk and had moved most of them to other locations. They also received details about British plans on the night before the battle and were able to rapidly notify the area militias of the enemy movement.
The start of the battles occurred just as the sun was rising in Lexington. The militia was outnumbered and fell back, and the regulars proceeded on to Concord, where they searched for the supplies. At the North Bridge in Concord, approximately 500 militiamen fought and defeated British troops. The outnumbered soldiers fell back from the minutemen after a pitched battle in open territory.
More militiamen arrived soon thereafter and inflicted heavy damage on the regulars as they marched back towards Boston, hiding in the woods and attacking with stealth. Upon returning to Lexington, Smith's expedition was rescued by reinforcements under Lieutenant-General Hugh Percy. The combined force now of about 1,700 men, marched back to Boston under heavy fire in a tactical withdrawal and eventually reached the safety of Charlestown. The accumulated militias blockaded the narrow land accesses to Charlestown and Boston, starting the Siege of Boston.