This April 19th will be 250 years since the militia opened fire on gun confiscators

[Suck My Glock]

April 19th, at the North Bridge, which crosses the Concord River, is where the authorities were traversing on their way back from raiding Lexington and Concord of their armories and confiscating the guns when local non-conformist extremists ambushed them.

The shot heard 'round the world.

For those of you, like me, who were kids in 1976 during the bicentennial, you likely remember fondly how the whole nation seemed to be unified in celebration of our 200 year anniversary of independence. I was 7 at the time, but it made a mark on me and remains perhaps my favorite year so far on this planet.

I'd like to think that SOMEBODY is planning some sort of match or range event for us 2nd Amendment fundamentalist types to celebrate our cultural heritage of shooting government thugs.

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired [the?] shot heard round the world

The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept;
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set today a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare,
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

Ralph Waldo Emmerson

[smithers599]

Last Monday, I was with my hiking club in the mountains around Prescott. When we stopped for lunch, we read Longfellow's poem, and we sang Emerson's Concord Hymn. Yes, it was written to be sung, to the tune of the 100th Psalm.



I've got a shoot coming up next week. What ideas do you have for an appropriate contest? (Sadly, we will be on a pistol-only range, max distance 15 yards.) Targets with pictures of British Redcoats? Teabags at 10 yards?

[Suck My Glock]

Tidbits of note -

Paul Revere was but one of several alarm riders the night of April 19. William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Preston (and others) were involved.

Revere did not shout "The British Are Coming!" At that point they all were British. The call was "The Regulars (British troops) Are Out!"

From the time that the local Militias received the powder alarm for Concord (starting at midnight) they responded to the path that the British column of 800 troops was taking to return to Boston from Concord. The shots fired at Merriams Corner (North Bridge) started the shooting phase of the Rev War. The Militias responding to engage the British column garnered 15,000 Militiamen by day's end, all strictly by word of mouth.

After the battle the British Governor in Boston complained to the American Colonists that they didn't fight properly as the casualty rate amongst officers and NCOs was multiple times greater than enlisted casualties indicating that Officers and NCOs were targeted by the Colonists. GOOD JOB NEWLY MINTED AMERICANS!

[smithers599]

A moment of remembrance, if you please.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Ma ... l_19,_1775

[AH-64D]

You can only hope enough of us hold that kind of heart today.