without giving  a    FIGHT! 

 

 

 

 

O' how wrong are they  ... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In September of 1774, General Thomas Gage, British Governor-General of

Massachusetts, had become worried enough by the political climate that

he decided to engage in a little gun control. Attempts, successful and

unsuccessful were made to seize gunpowder and spirit it away from the

colonials-- and their militias.

This vastly inflamed the populace, who immediately began to break up

their large stores of powder into many smaller caches, making them

easier to hide and much more difficult to find in any quantity.

Note that the elders of the community did not engage in a spirited

political debate about whether or not there were too many

militarily-style weapons in the hands of the people; they did not

discuss helping General Gage clamp down on ownership; they set to

securing their weapons, and their powder and shot-- that without which

a musket was just a club.

So, by the time the spring of 1775 rolled around, the political pot

was ready to boil. Among others, Paul Revere kept a close eye on the

doings of the British garrison. And when, on April 18, British forces

began forming up, he took off to warn the countryside, heading

specifically for Lexington, where Samuel Adams and John Hancock, among

others, were present.

It was Gage's intent to seize militia weaponry stored at Concord--

muskets, powder, shot.... and cannon. Yes, crew served weapons in the

hands of the citizenry.

At this point, do remember that the 2nd Amendment is intended to

protect pre-existing rights, not to create new rights.

The British forces were strung out along a line of march, and when

they came to Lexington Green, there was a brief skirmish, resulting in

several casualties among colonial forces. But the British column was

delayed, and while word continued to spread around the countryside,

militia forces from all over that section of Massachusetts poured

towards Lexington and Concord.

The British made it to Concord.... and soon realized that forces were

gathering. The colonial forces were still hesitant to fire on the

British, but firefights soon built into running battles. The British

commanders began to realize that they were rapidly becoming

outnumbered, and were in direct danger of being cut off and chewed to

bits. And the rout was on as the British realized their danger and

realized that a rapid retreat to Boston was their only hope.

The British army was caught afoot, and could only travel at the speed

of the column, already much hampered by many casualties, officers and

enlisted alike. Some of the colonial forces fought as units, under the

discipline of their commanders, who had much experience fighting the

French. Other colonials, such as Hezekiah Wyman, fought as singletons.

Wyman was a tall, gaunt old man, with long white hair, riding 'a

strong white mare'. He was a marksman of some renown, and used that

skill as he would ride ahead of the British column, strung out on the

road to Boston, and using the saddle of his horse, sniped the British

column from outside the range of the British smoothbore muskets--

Wyman was firing rifled muskets.

Surviving British officers referred to Wyman as 'Death on a Pale

Horse'. The pursuit carried until dark, and the British forces made it

back to friendly lines only by the barest of margins, and were held at

siege for a considerable time.

Gage, realizing the plight of his men, dispatched a wagon and some

grenadiers to fortify his forces in the field, but a gaggle of men

considered 'too old for militia service' were guarding the road, and

intercepted the resupply effort. They shot the lead horses in their

traces, then the officer and sergeant, and the grenadiers took to

their heels, throwing their weapons and gear into a pond as they

passed.

They came upon an old widow woman in the fields, picking dandelions

for tea.... and surrendered to her, begging mercy. So, she took them

to the local militia commander, then got in their faces. 'If one of

you manage to get back to England, you tell them that you surrendered

to an old widow woman.'

And a couple of them did make it back to England, and recounted the

tale, producing much wonder and consternation in Parliament.

"We retired for 15 miles under an incessant fire, which like a moving

circle surrounded and followed us wherever we went."

-Lord Percy, April 20, 1775

The people who produced that 'incessant fire' were the people who

created this country. These are the men who understood that the only

thing that stands between a free man and a rapacious government is his

weapons.... and his willingness to use them.

And a nation was born, based on the premise, stated clearly in the

Declaration of Independence--

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created

equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable

Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of

Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted

among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the

governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive

of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish

it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such

principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall

seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Does the blood of those heroes still flow in America? Are Americans,

individually, still prepared to do what is right, rather than what is

easy?

 

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