04/18/2025
On the evening of April 18, 1775, a Patriot spy reported to Dr. Joseph Warren that British regulars were preparing to march to Lexington to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock, and likely to proceed on to Concord to seize the weapons and ammunition stored there. Upon receiving the report, Warren summoned Paul Revere and instructed him to ride to Lexington to alert the Patriots there.
Revere, a Boston silversmith and member of the Sons of Liberty, had two friends row him quietly across the Charles River. There he borrowed a horse and set off across the countryside, spreading the alarm. When he reached Lexington he found Hancock and gave him the news. Soon after he arrived (a little past midnight), fellow rider William Dawes arrived, having traveled a different and longer route, spreading the alarm along the way. After a brief rest, the two men headed out toward Concord, being met and joined along the way by fellow Son of Liberty Dr. Samuel Prescott.
As the three men were riding toward Concord they were intercepted by a British patrol. Dawes and Prescott were able to escape, but Revere was captured. After being interrogated, he was released, but his horse was confiscated. He then walked back to Lexington, arriving in time to witness the battle there.
Paul Revere began his now famous ride at about 11:00 p.m. on April 18, 1775, two hundred fifty years ago today.