Lexington and Concord!

After helping the Serven family pull off a successful tour, Cody Winton and I stayed a few extra days with some dear friends of mine in Rhode Island.

On Monday, April 15th, we took a trip up to Lexington and Concord for some American History sight-seeing!  Here are some pictures from that day...

We wanted to be at the Lexington Green early so that we could hear the "shot that was heard round the world".  So we got up at 4 in the morning, in order to to be at Lexington by 6:30 AM.  Sadly, we were just leaving our cars in the parking lot when the shots were fired :(  We missed it by a matter of minutes.  Because of this, our time at the Green was more or less anti-climatic

Early morning on the Lexington Green

One of the original homes; belonging to the Harrington family

What a sad thought, holding your dying husband in your arms

The crowd

Fraternizing with the militia

Marching to rout the British invaders!

Lobsterbacks

This gentleman was very helpful in explaining some of the significant events leading up to the action at Lexington

An impressive church building

The evolution of grandeur

I have never seen so many exclamation marks on a monument before

The monument to the men at Lexington

Where it all began...

Epic statue

The farmer-turned-soldier

The group :)

 In one of the visitor centers, there was this diorama of the skirmish at Lexington.  Since I used to collect miniature soldiers when I was younger, I have always been fascinated by these dioramas!

The British regulars

Panic and confusion

Charging the militia

Historical trivia fact

 Ironically enough, the very city that launched the War for Independence was also the home of the first building to be used as a public school.  Here is the structure that first housed the antithesis to a Christian home mentorship and academic instruction model

All over the place, helpful posters and signs gave directions and additional information on the historical significance of the sites we were standing on

After visiting Lexington Green, we headed over to North Bridge, which was the beginning of the turning of the British fortunes for the day.  Up to that point, everything had been proceeding well for the British.  They had scattered the militia, burned some of the military supplies (the Patriots had already evacuated most of the supplies however), and were about to begin the march home to Boston.  However, at the North Bridge, the detachment of Redcoats who had been left to secure the bridge were attacked by the American militia.  The militia saw the smoke rising from the burning supplies and assumed that the British had fired the town.  Anxious to dislodge the British and save the town, the Americans fired on the British troops who were holding the bridge.  To this day, historians do not know why the British acted the way they did, but providentially, the British troops at the bridge panicked and fled.  The Americans poured over the bridge and began sniping at the British as they moved towards Boston.  The panic continued to spread among the British redcoats as the fire intensified and before long, all semblance of order had disappeared and it was a pell mell rout back to Boston.

Some reenactors

Young patriots on the march!

"We determined to march to the center of the town, for its defense, or die in the attempt!"

Shots have been fired!  The war has begun!

I really liked this statue!

Words that stir the heart and mind

Gathering at North Bridge

Awaiting further orders

Demonstrating a tactical firing drill

At the ready!

Fire!!!

Martial appearance

The narrator...a rather portly fellow

British Grenadiers

 The British Grenadiers were the crack infantry units.  Only the tallest and strongest soldiers could be Grenadiers and their uniform and helmets were all designed to impress.  The Grenadier units would be used to break through enemy lines in pitched battle.

Officer in command

Securing the bridge

Demonstrating the volley by rank maneuver

Reload!

Victorious militia marching over the bridge

The Bedford Militia

A lone Yankee wandered onto the field

 As the British retreated to Boston, they had to secure a place to treat their wounded.  This tavern was seized and converted into a makeshift hospital.

This tavern was converted into a hospital by the British during the battle

Colonial cookingware

A pipe that would have made Bilbo Baggins envious :)

Definitely a Presbyterian picture :)

Describing the Boston Massacre

Larger than life paintings!

A redcoat

 Below is a map of all the militia that responded to the call to action on April 19th, 1775.  I was really amazed at the distances these men marched in order to assist their fellow Americans.  It was said that by the end of the day, 4,000 American militia would have assembled and marched on Boston!

Samuel Adams

In case you were wondering, yes, our group was actually in Boston when the bombs went off at the Marathon.  We were at the Bunker Hill Monument when they were set off, but we never heard or saw a thing.  God was gracious in protecting us and getting us out of Boston without a hitch.

Improvisation :)

Epic poster! I want to try and find it someday and put it up in my home

An exact model of the first monument erected on Bunker Hill

One really neat aspect of the Bunker Hill monument was that you could actually climb the tower and survey the city.  There are 294 steps to the top and let me tell you, it was quite the journey up to the top :)  Most of us started out very confident and cheery, even jumping up two stairs at a time.  That lasted until you hit the 150 mark.  At that point, reality started to sink in and your burning muscles informed you that you weren't as incredible as you thought you were :) 

Keep climbing

 I can guarantee you; the climb was worth it!  The view from the top was absolutely breath-taking!

Boston

Catching our breath at the top

As we rested at the top, we started to get phone calls from concerned parents, asking us if we were all right and requesting that we exit Boston pronto.  As we made our way down, we decided to belt out the Doxology then and there.  It was absolutely incredible; descending down the stone steps and hearing the glorious words of praise resounding through stonework!  It really did sound like we were a church choir singing in a majestic stone cathedral.  If I ever go back to the monument, I'm definitely climbing to the top again and singing as I come back down :)

A map of the area

City life :)

 Yes, we did all start to sing, "Happy Birthday to You!" on the streets of Boston :)  We left the TV though...

A testament to bravery and sacrifice

That concludes my recounting of Monday's activities!  I hope you enjoyed the photos.  If you haven't been to Lexington, Concord, or Bunker Hill, I would strongly recommend you try to make a visit.  It is a rare privilege to stand on the ground where the seeds of liberty and independence were sown and where American blood was first shed in order to form "a more perfect union".

If we don't remember and honor our heritage, we will lose it.  I was thinking about the passage in Joshua 4, which says,

"Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:19-24)

This is why we are to build monuments: to remind us of God's providential hand in our history; so that we may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that we may fear the LORD our God forever!