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2013-07-28 -Land of the Free

Never Too Old: The Story of Captain Samuel Whittemore

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Posted by BrerRabbit/Bigfoot 2013-07-28 07:35|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 Another interesting story from that day near Menotomy:
A little after 1:30 in the afternoon on April 19, 1775, several hardy residents of Menotomy who were not fit to serve in the militia captured British wagons full of supplies and reinforcements at this intersection.
The story of the wagons capture began earlier that morning, when British Lord Hugh Percy began marching about 1,000 men and two artillery pieces over Boston Neck through Roxbury with the goal of relieving the beleaguered Lt. Col. Francis Smith and his column returning from Concord. Percys reinforcements had been delayed passing through Cambridge at the place of a bridge that had been disassembled by the colonists. Although the British soldiers quickly reassembled the bridge so that infantry could easily cross, it was not strong enough to hold the heavy supply wagons that followed behind the troops. As a result, the convoy of supplies became separated from the main force.
A message was sent to Menotomy to inform the militia and minutemen of the wagon train and its situation. A group numbering twelve - later known as the old men of Menotomy who were up in years and unfit for military duty, met at Coopers Tavern to form a plan for capturing the wagons. They chose David Lamson, a courageous man supposedly of African and Indian descent to lead them in their attack on the convoy. The band hid behind a stonewall to wait for the convoys arrival. As it passed, Lamson and his men jumped up, leveled their muskets and ordered the British troops (one officer; thirteen soldiers) to surrender. When they refused to comply and instead hurried their horses to gallop away, Lamson and his men fired, killing a few horses and wounding some of the soldiers.
Frightened, the British soldiers abandoned their wagons and a number ran to Spy Pond, throwing their weapons in the water so that the colonial militia could not capture and use them and to hopefully avoid being fired upon again as they were unarmed. These soldiers walked around the pond until they met an old woman, Mother Batherick, who was digging dandelion greens so the story goes. They surrendered to her, begging for safety. Mother Batherick led them to the house of Captain Ephraim Frost, saying to her prisoners, If you ever get back, you tell King George that an old woman took six of his Grenadiers prisoner. The men were treated well and returned to British military control.
Later, English critics of the war would remark, If one old Yankee woman can take six Grenadiers prisoner, how many soldiers will it take to conquer the colonies in America?

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2013-07-28 11:23|| 2013-07-28 11:23|| Front Page Top

#2 Photo of Samuel Whittemore historic marker here.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2013-07-28 11:35|| 2013-07-28 11:35|| Front Page Top

#3 Very nice story, A9418

Posted by badanov 2013-07-28 11:49|| http://www.chriscovert.net 2013-07-28 11:49|| Front Page Top

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