Cherokee Rose Chapter, NSDAR

04/19/2026

APRIL 19, 1775, DAWN

American Revolution Opening Day



The British were not expecting a fight in Lexington, they simply wanted to seize military supplies, destroy colonial weapons and arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock whom they believed were in Lexington at the time. Delayed by a lack of boats, 700 regulars began a slow, noisy march after midnight on the 18 April 1775 for 3-4 hours encountering patriot alarms along the way. It was raining. Roads were muddy. The troops wearing their distinctive coats and heavy gear arrived in Lexington around 5:00 a.m. There they met 70-80 local militiamen. A “shot” fired, leading to a 15-20 minute chaotic fight that killed eight colonists before them British continued to Concord.

Mystery. Who fired that shot? The Regulars claimed militiamen fired. The militiamen claimed the Regulars fired. Someone said a nervous man on the Green fired. Another said it was a spectator sitting behind a stone wall near Buckman Tavern did. Regardless, that shot became the known as the opening engagement of the American Revolutionary War, galvanizing colonial resistance.

The colonists on the Green scrambled. The British marched on to Concord. Another shot! This one was ordered. The Concord battle lasted all day both sides doing a running battle for 16 miles. By 6:00 that night, the British had retreated to Charlestown.



Our rebels shocked the British leaving them dismayed by the events. Colonial resistance was unexpected. It was disorderly and an act of rebellion. It was not even a “legitimate” fight. Early reports were dismissed as propaganda but truth was heavy casualties were suffered by the British during their retreat to Boston (273 total). This forced them to recognize the serious, armed defiance of the colonists.



Our pin commemorates this battle. It is eleventh in our “limited edition” series and can be worn on and off the official ribbon. Get yours today while they are still available.

04/19/2026

Today in US History: 19 April 1775 - The Shot Heard 'Round The World

William Dawes, Dr. Samuel Prescott had completed their mission of warning the towns the British were coming on the 18th.
Paul Revere and others were captured that night by British troops. The dawn of April 19th, Revere heard gun shots back towards Lexington, and then bells ringing. Revere told his captures an alarm was spreading throughout the country, so the soldiers, eager now to return to their units, let the prisoners go. Revere made his was back to Lexington, on foot, where he once again met up with Dawes. There the two men received a new mission, to save a trunk of papers left behind by Adams and Hancock and prevent it from falling into the hands of the British. And in the process of accomplishing this new mission, the two men witnessed the opening battle of the American Revolution

Those shots he heard came from Lexington Green.
Eight militiamen were killed, including Ensign Robert Munroe, their third in command. The British suffered only one casualty. The militia were outnumbered and fell back, and the regulars proceeded on to Concord, where they broke apart into companies to search for the supplies. At the North Bridge in Concord, the earlier warned 400 militiamen engaged 100 regulars from three companies of the King's troops at about 11:00 am, resulting in casualties on both sides. The outnumbered regulars fell back from the bridge and rejoined the main body of British forces in Concord.

The ride of Revere, Dawes, and Prescott triggered a flexible system of "alarm and muster" that had been carefully developed months before. In addition to other express riders delivering messages, bells, drums, alarm guns, bonfires and a trumpet were used for rapid communication from town to town, notifying the rebels in dozens of eastern Massachusetts villages that they should muster their militias because over 500 regulars were leaving Boston. This system was so effective that people in towns 25 miles from Boston were aware of the army's movements while they were still unloading boats in Cambridge. These early warnings played a crucial role in assembling a sufficient number of colonial militia to inflict heavy damage on the British regulars later in the day.

The combined force of about 1,700 British began the march back to Boston under heavy fire in a tactical withdrawal as more militiamen continued to arrive from neighboring towns. The British eventually reached the safety of Charlestown. The militias then blockaded the narrow land accesses to Charlestown and Boston, starting the Siege of Boston.

The day after the battle, John Adams left his home in Braintree to ride along the battlefields. He became convinced that "the Die was cast, the Rubicon crossed."
Thomas Paine in Philadelphia had previously thought of the argument between the colonies and the Home Country as "a kind of law-suit", but after news of the battle reached him, he "rejected the hardened, sullen-tempered Pharaoh of England forever."
George Washington received the news at Mount Vernon and wrote to a friend, "the once-happy and peaceful plains of America are either to be drenched in blood or inhabited by slaves. Sad alternative! But can a virtuous man hesitate in his choice?"

A group of hunters on the frontier named their campsite Lexington when they heard news of the battle in June. It eventually became the city of Lexington, Kentucky.

02/14/2026

Cherokee Rose Chapter Member Billie Jane Shotts Davis passed away February 12, at age 96.

She served the State Society as Heartland District Director in the Ward Administration, State Librarian in the Scoper Administration and State Curator in the Nettles Administration. As State Librarian, she was instrumental in moving the the Genealogy Library to Rosalie. She also served Cherokee Rose as Regent and Registrar since 1998.

01/25/2026

At the January chapter meeting, Jacqui Patten presented an interesting program on Marian Anderson. She played an album about Anderson from a “See it Now” program complete with a vintage look record player.

01/14/2026

FRANKLIN GRAHAM

If you think our nation is in trouble now, just wait… As our streets boil over with hate, anger, crime, drugs, and just sheer hopelessness, is there something we can do? You bet there is.

I would like to call for a time of prayer and repentance this Wednesday, January 14, at 12:00 noon.

As a nation, our sins are so great. We have increasingly turned our backs on God and His commands, embracing godless secularism. We need to ask His forgiveness and seek His face.

Pray for our leaders, and pray that God would bring calm to our streets.

There are many who would like to stir things up—there are even those who would like to destroy this great country. Pray that these efforts would be thwarted and their plans would be brought into confusion.

Ask God to use His Church to be His instruments of peace in this time of great uncertainty.

Remember, this Wednesday at noon, please stop and pray. Millions of people remembering our sins and asking for forgiveness, repenting, and seeking His face will make a difference.

Let’s humble ourselves. Let’s give God the glory for this great nation and thank Him for His hand of blessing, protection, and mercy.

01/08/2026

Please continue to remember the family of Celeste Rhymes, long-time member and Chapter Chaplain. Celeste passed away December 16, 2025.

11/17/2025

Condolences are shared with our member, Amy Prestridge Brunt and the extended family, at the passing of her father, Edmund E “Buddy” Prestridge. 🙏🏻✝️

09/18/2025

09/17/2025

Ringing the FBC church bell in Hazlehurst for Constitution Week.