Oct 25-Concord, the North Bridge, and Battle Road

Back to the story...after the shots in Lexington everyone is all fired up. Patriots from all over the surrounding farms made their way to Concord when they heard the news. Paul Revere and William Dawes met up with Samuel Prescott along the road. They filled him in on the approaching Redcoats and the three rode together toward Concord. Unfortunately, a British patrol caught them--they took Revere into custody, Dawes flees back to Lexington, and Prescott escapes and manages to warn Concord. That was the end of the road for Revere, he was taken back to Boston by the British. The Patriots in Concord knew that they would be outnumbered, so they withdrew from town across the North Bridge and up the hill. Eventually the British regiment of 400 men makes it to Concord and is split up; with some staying in town, some going on to hunt for the armaments, and 96 men guarding the Old North Bridge. The Patriots were watching the town from the hill and saw smoke...so they went to protect the town. Trouble at the bridge. Shots were fired. Two dead Patriots at the west end of the bridge. Two dead Brits at the east end. Emerson immortalized this battle--"the shot heard 'round the world". The bridge is new, but the monuments and statues are really interesting. We played Pooh sticks to lighten the mood! After our feet were tired, we hoped on our bikes and rode Battle Road, which is from Concord back to Lexington (actually all the way back to Boston I suppose). Most of the deaths occured along Battle Road as the Regulars tried to retreat to Boston and the Patriots, whose numbers were growing rapidly, ambushed them constantly. We checked out such lovely spots as "Miriam's Corner" and "Bloody Angle"!