The Revolutionary War’s first battle—reported firsthand
On April 24, 1775, John Robins gave this account of the battle of Lexington, Massachusetts. Robins supports his commander’s account reporting that the militia began dispersing when they were fired upon by a thousand of the King’s troops being led by three mounted officers. Robins was wounded in the action.
Along with several other depositions from the battle, this was delivered to the Massachusetts Assembly and later forwarded to the Continental Congress, providing the American perception of the battle. While they all reveal differences in their accounts, they uniformly maintain the consensus as stated by Captain John Parker, that the British “fired upon and killed eight of our party, without receiving any Provocation therefor from us.”
Amputation being performed in a hospital tent, Gettysburg, July 1863.
The last day of the Battle of Gettysburg was July 3, 1863.
