7:00 am– ninety minutes had passed since the Battle of Lexington and Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith leads his force of 700 redcoats into Concord. As they marched into town the several hundred person troop led by 65-year-old Colonel James Barret became just as terrified as the Lexington men and run.
Three hours pass and the Americans only stand and watch the British troops take over their town, seizing weapons and gunpowder.
The battle at the north bridge in Concord. Amos Doolittle 1775.
About 10:00 am– A man overlooking the town covered in a smoke cloud asked Colonel Barret, “Will you let them burn the town down?”
On that note Colonel Barret orders his troops to advance toward the 100 redcoats guarding Concord’s north bridge. When the Americans had about 200 feet between them and the British the redcoats fired at them. Two Americans were killed and several were wounded but they did not run.
“Fire, fellow soldiers, for God’s sake, fire!” An American officer called.
The American soldiers began to chant, “Fire! Fire! Fire!”
Fifteen redcoats were killed or wounded by the time they began retreating toward Boston.
For the next six hours the redcoats retreated back toward Boston… Had it not been for reinforcements commanded by General Percy, they would have been slaughtered at Lexington on the way back.
And, this is what the Second Amendment addresses.
It’s not hunting; it’s not even personal protection.
It is so that the citizens can keep and bear firearms, and are familiar enough with the use of them,
That when a despot wishes to remain in power by force,
Or desires to confiscate “assault rifles” by force,
Or commit other acts against the plain sense of the law of the land,
The armed citizens answer with force sufficient to prevent them from carrying out their plan.
“Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand,
Between their loved home, and the war’s desolation.”
One of my distant ancestors was there that day…
Many years later he was to recall that yes, he was afraid. But he cared more for his family, his home, and his freedom, and was willing and ready to do what was needed, even if it was at the cost of his own life, to defend them.
And centuries previously, the Barons of Scotland said “We do not fight for honour, riches, or glory, but solely for freedom which no true man gives up but with his life.” (Declaration of Arbroath).
We have always been warriors, and so we will continue.
Pat- Excellent point!
Ian- Great piece of family history!
Yet, today, in Massachusetts, you have to crawl to the local Bede or Sheriff, and beg and bribe them to get permission to get a card that says you are now eligible to beg and bribe the local Bede or Sheriff for the chance to actually buy a specific gun but when you do buy the gun you must bury it within layers of iron or steel and do so completely unloaded and not have your ammunition anywhere next to your gun.
And they control which guns and which accessories you are allowed to think about possessing.
And, after a trip to shoot said firearm in a state-approved facility that has more restrictions on it than non-Kennedy family sexual predators, you accidentally drop a spent casing into the floorboard of your car, and then later on, you or yours are driving your transportation and the local version of Redcoats or outright Stasi find said spent shellcasing, they will treat it like you or yours are smuggling illegal (and immoral) weapons and you or yours will be locked up and anyone living at your or yours residences will lose any right to have a firearm.
In Massachusetts. Today. In Free America.
(bangs head against the wall, thump, thump, thump, thump…)
Yep – I remember a few years ago where they had to put a trigger lock on the musket at the MA statehouse that commemorated the revolutionary War. You can’t fix stupid!
Beans- Sadly true… Grrr…
Tom- Yeah, that was…speshul!
There’s a protest in Olympia happening now, here’s the link for the live stream.
Unfortunately, those of us who are out of work can’t rebel and go to work until our employers rebel.
All we can do is drive around state capitals honking our horns.
Or all we will do.
We could do more, but that gets into Lexington territory….
Grog- Thanks!
Ed- Point… sigh