Battle Of Lexington And Concord - 1708 Words

â€Å"Throw down your arms! Ye villains, ye rebels† (1775, 04/19: Battles of Lexington and Concord. (2007, June 26). The militiamen, who were greatly outnumbered, were ordered to leave when a shot rang out. No one really knows who fired first, but the British, hearing the shot, fired upon the small group of militia, killing eight and wounding 10 (1775, 04/19: Battles of Lexington and Concord. (2007, June 26). When the smoke cleared the British began their march to Concord to search for weapons. They planned to burn any weapons they found and march the 18 miles back to Boston. As the British troops marched, they heard the alarms sounding and they knew the colonist were aware they were coming. Once in Concord they found very little and†¦show more content†¦He ordered his men to take up â€Å"street firing† positions. He was preparing his men to attack the oncoming rebels. The Redcoats set up their street firing positions from behind the bridge perpendicular to the river. Captain Laurie was inexperienced and called the wrong tactical maneuver for the situation. The street firing tactic was appropriate for sending a large volume of fire into a narrow alley between the buildings of a city, but not for an open path behind a bridge. Confusion ensued as the Redcoats started retreating over the bridge in an attempt to form up in the street-firing position. Redcoat Lieuten ant (LT) William Sutherland, who was in the rear of the formation, knew that maneuver was not adequate for the situation and ordered flankers to be sent out. LT Sutherland was from a different company and only four soldiers obeyed him. The remainder of the troops, despite the confusion, followed the orders of the superior officer. (1775, 04/19: Battles of Lexington and Concord. (2007, June 26). Once the Redcoats were set up to the best of their ability, the militiamen continued to move forward. As the militiamen closed in the British fired the first volley, Private Abner Hosmer and Captain Isaac Davis were at the head of the march and were killed instantly. That volley was the start of the Revolutionary War and is now known as the â€Å"Shot Heard around the World†. The militiamen