Published as a courtesy
10A Thursday, April 29, 2021 The CONCORD JOURNAL With news from Lincoln
PERSPECTIVES
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GUEST COMMENTARY
DAR Corner Old Concord Chapter
COURTESY OF DAR OLD CONCORD CHAPTER
Due to the pandemic the Old Concord Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution decided to celebrate Patriots Day by having via zoom the guest speaker, J. L. Bell.
Bell has written the book “The Road to Concord – How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War “. In the past OCC has celebrated Patriots Day by participating in Concord’s Patriots Day Parade.
The patriot involvement with the Royal Military’s brass cannons started on September 7, 1774 when two brass cannons were removed from the royal military’s Charlestown battery by patriots. The brass cannons were more valued than the heavier cast iron cannons making them more maneuverable on a battlefield. Also, cast-iron cannons internally corroded, and when they failed, their shrapnel would spread out like a bomb seriously injuring or killing those nearby. The brass cannons were thus a loss to the royal military.
Following the theft at the Charlestown battery two more brass cannons on September 16, 1774 in the gun house on the Boston Common behind the South Writing School were hidden by patriots. They were temporarily put in a large box under the school master’s desk that wood was kept in. This was done while the royal military nearby were changing their guard and the King’s drums were beating drowning out any noise made moving the cannons. The school and gun house were surrounded by a tall fence hiding the patriots’ movement and the patriots were able to leave the area without being seen with the cannons. Soon after the changing of the guard a lieutenant and a sergeant checked on the gun house and saw that these bass cannons were gone too.
It is believed the four brass cannons finally made it out to Col. James Barrett’s house in Concord. Word got to governor Gage thru informants he sent out to gather information on their where abouts and best routes for retrieving the cannon. An informant(spy) wrote to Governor Gage in poor French where the cannons and other patriot supplies were in Concord. It is still not known who the informant was writing in poor French.
Gage had an expedition out to Concord to retrieve military supplies including the four brass cannons on April 19th, 1775, now known as Patriots Day. The Cannons had been moved and were not found by the Royal military (regulars). This was the actual start of the American Revolution battles
Bell’s book traces a lot of the movement of the four brass cannons thru documentation. The book also goes thru the buildup of arms in Massachusetts and surrounding states.
The Hancock brass cannon is now at the visitor center at Minuteman National Park in Concord and the Adams brass cannon is at the visitor center at the Base of the Bunker Hill tower in Boston.
The Old Concord Chapter NSDAR covers the towns of Concord, Carlisle, Stow, Maynard, Acton, Boxborough, and Littleton We also attract members from other places to be part of the Old Concord Chapter.
For more information on the Old Concord Chapter NSDAR see the Old Concord Chapter website: www.oldconcorddar.org.
10A Thursday, April 29, 2021 The CONCORD JOURNAL With news from Lincoln
PERSPECTIVES
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GUEST COMMENTARY
DAR Corner Old Concord Chapter
COURTESY OF DAR OLD CONCORD CHAPTER
Due to the pandemic the Old Concord Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution decided to celebrate Patriots Day by having via zoom the guest speaker, J. L. Bell.
Bell has written the book “The Road to Concord – How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War “. In the past OCC has celebrated Patriots Day by participating in Concord’s Patriots Day Parade.
The patriot involvement with the Royal Military’s brass cannons started on September 7, 1774 when two brass cannons were removed from the royal military’s Charlestown battery by patriots. The brass cannons were more valued than the heavier cast iron cannons making them more maneuverable on a battlefield. Also, cast-iron cannons internally corroded, and when they failed, their shrapnel would spread out like a bomb seriously injuring or killing those nearby. The brass cannons were thus a loss to the royal military.
Following the theft at the Charlestown battery two more brass cannons on September 16, 1774 in the gun house on the Boston Common behind the South Writing School were hidden by patriots. They were temporarily put in a large box under the school master’s desk that wood was kept in. This was done while the royal military nearby were changing their guard and the King’s drums were beating drowning out any noise made moving the cannons. The school and gun house were surrounded by a tall fence hiding the patriots’ movement and the patriots were able to leave the area without being seen with the cannons. Soon after the changing of the guard a lieutenant and a sergeant checked on the gun house and saw that these bass cannons were gone too.
It is believed the four brass cannons finally made it out to Col. James Barrett’s house in Concord. Word got to governor Gage thru informants he sent out to gather information on their where abouts and best routes for retrieving the cannon. An informant(spy) wrote to Governor Gage in poor French where the cannons and other patriot supplies were in Concord. It is still not known who the informant was writing in poor French.
Gage had an expedition out to Concord to retrieve military supplies including the four brass cannons on April 19th, 1775, now known as Patriots Day. The Cannons had been moved and were not found by the Royal military (regulars). This was the actual start of the American Revolution battles
Bell’s book traces a lot of the movement of the four brass cannons thru documentation. The book also goes thru the buildup of arms in Massachusetts and surrounding states.
The Hancock brass cannon is now at the visitor center at Minuteman National Park in Concord and the Adams brass cannon is at the visitor center at the Base of the Bunker Hill tower in Boston.
The Old Concord Chapter NSDAR covers the towns of Concord, Carlisle, Stow, Maynard, Acton, Boxborough, and Littleton We also attract members from other places to be part of the Old Concord Chapter.
For more information on the Old Concord Chapter NSDAR see the Old Concord Chapter website: www.oldconcorddar.org.