Battle of Lexington and Concord
At dawn on April 19, some 700 British troops arrived in Lexington and came upon 77 militiamen gathered on the town green. The heavily outnumbered militiamen had just been ordered by their commander to disperse when a shot rang out. To this day, no one knows which side fired first. Several British volleys were subsequently unleashed before order could be restored. When the smoke cleared, eight militiamen lay dead and nine were wounded, while only one Redcoat was injured.
The British then continued into Concord to search for arms, not realizing that the vast majority had already been relocated. They decided to burn what little they found, and the fire got slightly out of control. Hundreds of militiamen occupying the high ground outside of Concord incorrectly thought the whole town would be torched. The militiamen hustled to Concord’s North Bridge, which was being defended by a contingent of British soldiers. The British fired first but fell back when the colonists returned the volley. This was the “shot heard ‘round the world” later immortalized by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson.
After searching Concord for about four hours, the British prepared to return to Boston, located 18 miles away. By that time, almost 2,000 militiamen—known as minutemen for their ability to be ready on a moment’s notice—had descended to the area, and more were constantly arriving. At first, the militiamen simply followed the British column. Fighting started again soon after, however, with the militiamen firing at the British from behind trees, stone walls, houses and sheds. Before long, British troops were abandoning weapons, clothing and equipment in order to retreat faster. When the British column reached Lexington, it ran into an entire brigade of fresh Redcoats that had answered a call for reinforcements. . The British, for their part, tried to keep the colonists at bay with flanking parties and canon fire. In the evening a contingent of newly arrived minutemen from Salem and Marblehead, Massachusetts, purportedly had a chance to cut off the Redcoats and perhaps finish them off. Instead, their commander ordered them not to attack, and the British were able to reach the safety of Charlestown Neck, where they had naval support.
The British then continued into Concord to search for arms, not realizing that the vast majority had already been relocated. They decided to burn what little they found, and the fire got slightly out of control. Hundreds of militiamen occupying the high ground outside of Concord incorrectly thought the whole town would be torched. The militiamen hustled to Concord’s North Bridge, which was being defended by a contingent of British soldiers. The British fired first but fell back when the colonists returned the volley. This was the “shot heard ‘round the world” later immortalized by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson.
After searching Concord for about four hours, the British prepared to return to Boston, located 18 miles away. By that time, almost 2,000 militiamen—known as minutemen for their ability to be ready on a moment’s notice—had descended to the area, and more were constantly arriving. At first, the militiamen simply followed the British column. Fighting started again soon after, however, with the militiamen firing at the British from behind trees, stone walls, houses and sheds. Before long, British troops were abandoning weapons, clothing and equipment in order to retreat faster. When the British column reached Lexington, it ran into an entire brigade of fresh Redcoats that had answered a call for reinforcements. . The British, for their part, tried to keep the colonists at bay with flanking parties and canon fire. In the evening a contingent of newly arrived minutemen from Salem and Marblehead, Massachusetts, purportedly had a chance to cut off the Redcoats and perhaps finish them off. Instead, their commander ordered them not to attack, and the British were able to reach the safety of Charlestown Neck, where they had naval support.
Mass- Concentrate combat power at the decisive place and time
Objective- Direct every military operation towards a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective
Offensive -Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative
Surprise -Strike the enemy at a time, at a place, or in a manner for which he is unprepared
Economy of force -Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts
Maneuver- Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power
Unity of command- For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander
Security- Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage
Simplicity -Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise orders to ensure thorough understanding
Objective- Direct every military operation towards a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective
Offensive -Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative
Surprise -Strike the enemy at a time, at a place, or in a manner for which he is unprepared
Economy of force -Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts
Maneuver- Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power
Unity of command- For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander
Security- Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage
Simplicity -Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise orders to ensure thorough understanding