April 18, 1775: Paul Revere, and William Dawes ride throughout the night to warn the Boston countryside of the impending British invasion



On April 7, 1775, patriot colonial leader, Joseph Warren sent Paul Revere to warn the Massachusetts legislature of a possible British invasion. The British had indeed dispatched troops under General Thomas Gage to seize colonial munitions. On the night of April 18, British ships landed at Cambridge; their intention was not only to capture colonial munitions held in Concord but also Patriot leaders, Samuel Adams and John Hancock hiding in Lexington. Meanwhile, Warren asked Revere and William Dawes to ride out to Lexington and warn Adams and Hancock. As they prepared for their ride, Warren instructed Robert Newman, sexton of the North Church in Boston to alert the city’s residents. He told him to put a lantern in the steeple if the British arrived on land, and two if they approached by sea. Throughout the night, Revere, Dawes and countless other riders rode throughout Massachusetts to warn the colonists. Near Lincoln around 1 A.M., Revere and Dawes were captured by a British patrol. They forced Revere to tell them about their nocturnal activities. The soldiers confiscated his horse and sent a rider to warn the approaching British column of the colonists’ knowledge of their arrival. They sent Revere on his way. He walked to Lexington, to the home of Reverend Jonas Clarke, into the arms of the incognito Patriot leaders.

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