On this day 250 years ago in Alexandria, Virginia, George Washington drilled the Fairfax Militia.
Source: “[Diary entry: 15 April 1775],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-03-02-0005-0008-0015. [Original source: The Diaries of George Washington, vol. 3, 1 January 1771–5 November 1781, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1978, p. 321.] accessed at https://founders.archives.gov/?q=%2215%20April%201775%22&s=1111311111&sa=&r=1&sr=
On this day 250 years ago in Penobscot Bay, then in Massachusetts but now Maine, the armed 120-ton 6-gun topsail schooner HMS Diana with thirty men, and the schooner HMS Neptune with a contingent of the 64th Regiment of Foot, anchored off Fort Pownall. Lt. Thomas Graves, nephew to Vice Adm. Samuel Graves, commanded the British expedition and rowed ashore to present a letter from General Gage to the Massachusetts militia colonel commanding the fort. Gage had ordered the Massachusetts militia to turn over all cannon and ammunition in the fort to Lt. Graves. The militia colonel had only seven men under his command within the fort and recognized that he was badly outnumbered by the British, so he chose not to put up a fight. The British seized eight 6-pound cannon, six cohorns, and two small mortars with their carriages, beds, and other equipment, 308 6-pound shot, 176 4-pound shot, six rammers with sponges, seven worms, seven ladles, thirteen boxes of grape shot, fifteen boxes of canister shot, five boxes of charged cohorn shells, and forty-five small arms from Fort Pownal, loaded them on the schooners and sailed back to Boston.
Source:
On this day 250 years ago in Cambridge, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress adopted a resolution declaring May 11, 1775 as a day of prayer for
the union of the American colonies in defence of their rights, for which, hitherto, we desire to thank Almighty God, may be preserved and confirmed ; that the Provincial, and especially the Continental Congress, may be directed to such measures as God will countenance : that the people of Great Britain and their rulers may have their eyes open to discern the things that shall make for the peace of the nation and all its connections : and that America may soon behold a gracious interposition of Heaven, for the redress of her many grievances, the restoration of all her invaded liberties, and their security to the latest generations.
The Provincial Congress then adjourned to reconvene on May 10 but made arrangements to call a special session in the event that “important unforeseen events may take place, from whence it may be absolutely necessary that this Congress should meet sooner than the day abovesaid, notwithstanding the adjournment.” Most of the members returned home, but John Hancock and Samuel Adams do not return to Boston, and instead go to the home of Hancock’s relative in Lexington.
Sources: Journals of each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts at 144-46 accessed at https://archive.org/details/journalsofeachprma00mass/page/146/mode/2up?view=theater; Raphael, The First American Revolution at 194-95; Fischer, Paul Revere’s Ride at 87
On this day in Boston 250 years ago, General Gage ordered 700 light infantrymen and grenadiers from the elite flank companies to prepare for a mission. Although Gage did not alert anyone as to their destination, all the soldiers, and all the people of Boston surmised they would be marching to Concord.
Sources: https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/american-revolutionary-war-timeline-1775-january-june/; Fischer, Paul Revere’s Ride at 88
And on this day in London, Lord Dartmouth wrote orders to General Gage
that all cannon, small arms, and other military stores of every kind, that may be either in any magazine, or secreted for the purpose of aiding the rebellion, should also be seized and secreted; and that the persons of such as, according to the opinion of His Majesty’ s Attorney and Solicitor General, have committed themselves in acts of treason and rebellion, should be arrested and imprisoned.
Little did Dartmouth know that Gage had already issued his own orders to do the same.
Source: https://digital.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/niu-amarch%3A85329
On This Day In The Revolution 