Hancock: Revere’s Ride

“Listen, my children, and you shall hear, Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five: Hardly a man is now alive, Who remembers that famous day and year.”

These are the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his famous 1860 poem Paul Revere’s Ride, which is where most of popular history’s perception of this famous event and its purpose came from. But it turns out, a huge percentage of the poem is wildly inaccurate, from Revere seeming to ride alone in the poem, to the lanterns at the church being meant to tell Revere what message to send, rather than it being Revere himself who instructed how many lanterns to hang in case he should fail to get across the river and make his famous ride. Most significantly of all in the inaccuracies, however, is where Revere was initially going and why. It turns out, the primary concern before anything else was to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who were lodging in Lexington at the time, that the British soldiers were seemingly coming for them.

As we’ve previously covered in our videos Hancock: Rise of the Merchant Prince, and Hancock: Igniting the Revolution, the oft forgotten Founding Father John Hancock was a lot more prominent in the early going of the American Revolution than just his John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence, as is mostly all that’s remembered of him today. But at this point in the story, the British had seemingly decided enough was enough. And it was time to do something about the so-called “King Hancock” and his partner in crime Samuel Adams- a man who was the walking talking epitome of the over 2000 year old general concept of the pen being mightier than the sword.

On all this, with tensions rising considerably in the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party and the British Parliament’s extremely harsh response in the Intolerable Acts, which both helped further unite the colonies against them, as well forced the people of Massachusetts to form their own independent governing body, Secretary of State William Legge, Earl of Dartmouth instructed General Gage “to arrest the principal actors and abettors in the Provincial Congress whose proceedings appear in every light to be acts of treason and rebellion.”

Unsurprisingly, after attending the Provincial Congress in Concord in April of 1775, John Hancock and Samuel Adams deemed it unsafe to return to Boston, instead deciding to stay at Hancock’s brief childhood home near Concord in Lexington, before they were to head off to Philadelphia to join the Continental Congress.

Also in Concord at the time was a large cache of military supplies the colonists had been accumulating in preparation for a potential armed conflict.

Going back to Boston, at the time members of the Sons of Liberty and others were closely monitoring the British troop activities day and night. Paul Revere would write in a letter in 1798, recounting,

“In the Winter, towards the Spring, we frequently took Turns, two and two, to Watch the Soldiers, By patrolling the Streets all night. The Saturday Night preceding the 19th of April, about 12 oClock at Night, the Boats belonging to the Transports were all launched, & carried under the Sterns of the Men of War….We likewise found that the Grenadiers and light Infantry were all taken off duty. From these movements, we expected something serious was [to] be transacted. On Tuesday evening, the 18th, it was observed that a number of Soldiers were marching towards the bottom of the Common. About 10 o’Clock, Dr. Warren Sent in great haste for me, and begged that I would immediately Set off for Lexington, where Messrs. Hancock & Adams were, and acquaint them of the Movement, and that it was thought they were the objects.”

As for how Dr. Warren seemed to know where the troops were headed, despite the secrecy being employed, this isn’t clear, as Gage claimed he told only his second in command, and one other person, with that person generally thought to be his wife, Margaret Kemble Gage… The thing is, his wife was an American colonist herself, and it’s speculated from all this that she may have been the one to pass on what was afoot to Dr. Warren.

Whatever the case there, observing that something was happening and being apparently tipped off to where the soldiers were going, Dr. Warren had decided that they must be going after Hancock and Adams who were in the target region.

Except, after further discussion, given the number of soldiers seemingly being sent, it was decided that couldn’t be the only reason they were being dispatched, unless Gage was thinking the colonists would rise up to protect Hancock and Adams if they tried to take them. Thus, it was further hypothesized they must also be going after the military stores in Concord.

As for the 41 year old silversmith Paul Revere being the one summoned, besides having run many other messages at times for the Sons of Liberty and other bodies in the cause- including back on December 13, 1774 even being sent all the way to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to warn the colonists there that they thought the RedCoats were coming for their gunpowder stores- Revere had, according to his own account in a letter written to one Jeremy Belknap in 1798, just a few days before been out to meet Hancock and Adams in Lexington, so knew exactly where to find them.

Significantly with this previous jaunt, it was thought at the time that at some point the British troops would be coming for the stores in Concord, so on Revere’s return from this trip, he helped come up with the now famous lantern scheme. He writes, “I returned at Night thro Charlestown; there I agreed with a Col. Conant, & some other Gentle men, in Charleston, that if the British went out by Water, we would shew two Lanthorns in the North Church Steeple; & if by Land, one, as a Signal; for we were apprehensive it would be difficult to Cross the Charles River, or git over Boston neck.”

Speaking of these two paths. Revere was to make the dangerous crossing of the Charles River, which required him to sneak past the HMS Somerset at anchor there, with crossings at that hour banned. As a backup, another man, one William Dawes, was to take the Boston neck route in his own ride for the same purpose. And, just in case both men failed, as noted, a further alert was given by Robert Newman at Boston’s Old North Church, using the lantern signal “one if by land, two if by sea” that the British soldiers were coming via the Charles River.

As for Revere, after being given this information from Dr. Warren, he first stopped by his house to get his riding boots and coat, and then met with some friends to row him across the river, slipping past the Sommerset. Once safely in Charlestown, he informed local Sons of Liberty members there what was happening, then acquired a horse from a merchant by the name of John Larkin. He was also warned that some ten British officers were previously seen departing along the road.

Information in hand, he began his famous ride towards Lexington.

Unfortunately along the way he did indeed encounter the British patrols. Of his first encounter there, he writes, “After I had passed Charlestown Neck, & got nearly opposite where Mark was hung in chains, I saw two men on Horse back under a Tree. When I got near them, I discovered they were British officers. One tryed to git a head of Me, & the other to take me. I turned my Horse very quick, & Galloped towards Charlestown neck, and then pushed for the Medford Road. The one who chased me, endeavoring to Cut me off, got into a Clay pond, near where the new Tavern is now built. I got clear of him, and went thro Medford, over the Bridge, & up to Menotomy.”

Along the way he alerted dozens of others, some of whom, in turn, were dispatched to spread the word of the British troop movements.

In the end, Revere successfully avoided capture and arrived at Hancock’s home in Lexington around midnight. Upon approaching it, one Sergeant Monroe who was guarding the house requested Revere not make so much noise, to which Revere reportedly replied, “Noise? You’ll have noise enough before long. The regulars are coming out!”

Of course, once the news of the troop movements and the apparent large number being sent was revealed, Hancock and Adams concurred that such a large force would not have been dispatched only to arrest them, and thus they must be targeting Concord and the militia stores there.

And, in fact, from surviving records, despite what the colonists’ thought here, it would appear General Gage had decided to ignore the order to arrest Hancock and Adams at this point. Or, at least, there is no written record this was included in Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith’s orders. Smith had simply been given charge of about 1,000 soldiers and was instructed to leave in the night in hopes of catching the colonists off guard and avoid any bloodshed in their mission, and that the whole thing was to be done, to quote, “with utmost expedition and secrecy” and that they were to go “to Concord, where you will seize and destroy… all Military stores…. But you will take care that the soldiers do not plunder the inhabitants or hurt private property.”

However, given the secrecy and the many spies about, it’s possible the order to arrest the men wasn’t written in case it would get leaked and would thus alert them to run. And further, the soldiers were seemingly authorized to arrest any leaders of the opposition they encountered over the course of their duties, and so, regardless, as the house Hancock and Adams were staying at was along the road on the way, it wasn’t exactly a good place to be.

On the flipside, if they had no intention of arresting Hancock and Adams yet, it’s speculated Gage may have feared the colonists’ reactions afterwards if he should do such a thing to two of their most popular leaders. Thus, rather than help quell the budding rebellion by getting rid of the two most prominent leaders, it might just cause it to go the other way and explode in his face.

Whatever the case, after receiving the warning, Hancock and Adams dispatched Revere and Dawes, who had arrived about a half hour after Revere, to Concord to warn the militia there to move the military stores in case that was the intended target of the Red Coats as they thought. Revere and Dawes were also soon joined by fellow Sons of Liberty member Doctor Samuel Prescott along the way. As to why Prescott was out and about at that hour, he apparently was, to quote, “returning from a lady friend’s house at the awkward hour of 1 a.m.”

Thanks to this little alleged midnight hookup and subsequent, I guess we’ll call it “ride of shame”, the good doctor gets to be remembered by us all today.

Good for you Dr. Prescott.

As for why Prescott decided to journey with Revere and Dawes despite the risk, he simply felt because he was well known in the region people would, to quote Revere, “give more credit to what we said.”

However, Revere reports, “We had got nearly half way. Mr Daws & the Doctor stopped to alarm the people of a House: I was about one hundred Rod ahead, when I saw two men, in nearly the same situation as those officers were, near Charlestown…. in an Instant I was surrounded by four; – they had placed themselves in a Straight Road, that inclined each way; they had taken down a pair of Barrs on the North side of the Road, & two of them were under a tree in the pasture. The Docter being foremost, he came up; and we tryed to git past them; but they being armed with pistols & swords, they forced us in to the pasture; -the Docter jumped his Horse over a low Stone wall…”

Dr. Prescott ultimately successfully not only escaped in this way, but managed to make it to Concord to warn those there.

As for Revere, he states, “I observed a Wood at a Small distance, & made for that. When I got there, out Started Six officers, on Horse back, and orderd me to dismount;-one of them, who appeared to have the command, examined me, where I came from, & what my Name Was? I told him. it was Revere, he asked if it was Paul? I told him yes. He asked me if I was an express? I answered in the affirmative. He demanded what time I left Boston? I told him; and added, that their troops had catched aground in passing the River, and that There would be five hundred Americans there in a short time, for I had alarmed the Country all the way up.”

In an earlier deposition to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, Revere also noted in this part the soldier quipped back to Revere’s remark that 500 militia would be there, that “they had 1500 coming.”

Revere then states one Major Mitchel hit him over the head with his pistol and threatened to blow his brains out if he didn’t tell the truth, to which Rever replied, “I esteemed my self a Man

of truth, that he had stopped me on the high way, & made me a prisoner, I knew not by what right; I would tell him the truth; I was not afraid; He then asked me, the same questions that the other did, and many more, but was more particular; I gave him much the same Answers.”

Revere was then joined with other prisoners caught that night spreading the word and they all headed off to Lexington. Along the way, Revere states, “They very often insulted me calling me Rebel &c. &c. after we had got about a mile, I was given to the Serjant to lead, he was Ordered to take out his pistol… and if I run, to execute the Majors Sentence; When we got within about half a Mile of the Meeting house, we heard a gun fired; the Major asked me what it was for, I told him to alarm the country…”

Soon after the gunfire, bells began to ring, with one of the other captives then reportedly yelling at the soldiers holding them, “The bell’s ringing! The town’s alarmed, and you’re all dead men!”

At this point, rather than continue on, the soldiers felt they should instead with all haste go and warn their commanders… and perhaps were not exactly enthusiastic about continuing without an army at their backs. Either way, they let their captives go, though took Revere’s horse, before rushing off.

Revere then simply went back to the house where Adams and Hancock were and then helped them pack up and depart. After traveling with the company to Woburn where Hancock and Adams would ultimately stay, he then returned to Lexington to see what was transpiring.

During his activities there, he reports hearing the first shots of the war. Stating, “When we had got about 100 Yards from the meeting-House the British Troops appeard on both Sides of the Meeting-House. In their Front was an Officer on Horse back. They made a Short Halt; when I saw, & heard, a Gun fired, which appeared to be a Pistol. Then I could distinguish two Guns, & then a Continual roar of Musquetry.”

In the aforementioned deposition to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1775 a couple decades before the preceding account, Revere tells more or less the exact same story, but would also state, for whatever it’s worth, it was the British soldiers who fired first, as he claims when he was passing through the militia ranks directly before the shots were fired, “I heard the commanding officer speake to his men to this purpose, ‘Lett the troops pass by, and don’t molest them, with out [They] begin first.’ I had to go a cross [the] Road… When the… Troops appeared in sight, behind the Meeting House; they made a short halt. When one gun was fired, I heard the report, turned my head, and saw the smoke in front of the Troops, they immediately gave a great shout, ran a few paces, and then the whole fired…”

In the end, the entire ride was extremely effective, with the “alarm and muster” system the colonists had developed for just such an occasion working like a charm, via the riders, bells, drums, bonfires, and alarm guns being fired, making it so that the militias upwards of 25 miles away were already aware a large force was on its way while the British regulars were still being unloaded in Cambridge.

Because of all this, the colonists were able to remove most of the supplies before the British arrived, and while the redcoats did successfully destroy the remainder, from the first shots on, they met with resistance both during those activities and their entire march back to Boston, with minutemen hiding along the road and firing among them. This all resulted in 273 British soldier casualties to 93 American.

Going back to Hancock and Adams’ flight, Hancock’s initial response was allegedly to grab a musket and attempt to join the Patriot militia. But Samuel Adams supposedly convinced him his duty to the cause was not to fight beside the men with a gun, but to join the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and fight in that way there.

Noteworthy while Hancock and Adams were to flee, he left his fiance, Dolly, and his Aunt Lydia behind in Lexington, though instructed Dolly that she was not to return to Boston as it was too dangerous a place to be. To which Dolly reportedly retorted, “Recollect Mr. Hancock, that I am not under your control yet. I shall go to my father tomorrow.”

As noted, Adams and Hancock then set off about five miles away to Woburn, where they spent a few days before departing for Philadelphia. Along the way to Philadelphia, they were reportedly cheered at several points, with Hancock’s reputation given recent events through the roof in the colonies.

Hancock and Adams would only get even more popular among the patriots given that in the aftermath of the initial shots of the war, General Gage issued a statement to the masses, writing, “I do hereby in his Majesty’s name, offer and promise, his most gracious pardon to all persons who shall forthwith lay down their arms, and return to the duties of peaceable subjects, excepting only…, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, whose offences are of too flagitious a nature to admit of any other consideration than that of condign punishment.”

Naturally, among the patriot masses, offenses too flagitious a nature of any other consideration was a very good thing.

Of the journey to Philadelphia and arrival, Hancock would write his fiance on May 7, 1775,

“My Dear Dolly,

I arrived well… After having rode so fast and so many miles you may well think I was much fatigued, but no sooner had I got into the room of the house we were visited by a great number of gentlemen of the first character in the city who took up the evening…. We are to have a large guard in several boats and a number of the city gentlemen will attend us over. I can’t think they will dare attack us. … My poor face and eyes are in a most shocking situation, burnt up and much swell’d and a little painful. I don’t know how to manage with it…. Pray let me hear from you every post. God Bless you my Dear girl, and believe me most sincerely, Yours most affectionately John Hancock”

In the aftermath of this arrival, the then President of the Congress, Peyton Randolph, resigned and John Adams nominated John Hancock to become the new President of Congress, with approval quickly unanimously following on May 24, 1775. This was a role Hancock was remarkably well suited for given his vast experience with business, finance, and negotiations.

On this note, Hancock was dealing with two primary groups internally, one who wanted to work towards delaying measure against the British and to reach a suitable reconciliation where the colonists’ could rejoin the British empire with their freedoms and rights restored. And on the other, the hardcore revolutionaries like Samuel and John Adams, who were, perhaps not quite so publicly yet, still more and more of the mindset that independence from Britain was inevitable.

Functioning as a mediator between the two groups, Benjamin Harrison would observe of Hancock, “Our President is…. Noble… and Generous to a very great Degree.”

Of course, they were rebelling and had countless militia groups now openly opposing the British regulars that needed a commander to unify efforts. This was allegedly the real role in the conflict that Hancock wanted, though it should be noted that despite widespread claims of this, the only hard documented evidence of it was in something John Adams wrote in 1801, alluding to Hancock being disappointed he wasn’t chosen to lead the army. With Adams writing, “But when I came to describe Washington for the commander I never remarked a more sudden and striking change of countenance. Mortification and resentment were expressed as forcibly as his face could exhibit them. Mr. Samuel Adams seconded the motion, and that did not soften the President’s physiognomy at all.”

As to why John Adams went with nominating Virginian George Washington on June 15, 1775, it was generally felt that if they didn’t appoint a Virginian, the southern colonies may not support the cause, and the 43 year old Washington was deemed the most qualified from Virginia who was still young enough to likely be able to survive the conflict if it went on for many years. As for his experience, Washington had previously served as a major in the Virginia militia during the French and Indian War, among other military exploits. His selection was also helped by the fact that Washington’s general demeanor and look reportedly inspired confidence in those around him. As fellow founding father Benjamin Rush would write, “He has so much martial dignity in his deportment that you distinguish him to be a general and a soldier from among ten thousand people.”

However, Washington’s response to the appointment was not exactly enthusiastic, stating “I am truly sensible of the high honor done me in this appointment, yet I feel great distress from a consciousness that my abilities and military experience may not be equal to the extensive and important trust.”

While some might think this was just Washington being publicly humble as was expected at the time when nominated for prominent positions like this, Washington mirrored this sentiment in private letters in a seemingly very genuine way, often lamenting he did not feel qualified for what they were asking him to do. Most strikingly, Patrick Henry would claim that after Washington was voted into the position, he was discussing it with Washington when the newly appointed General’s eyes filled with tears and he lamented, “Remember Mr. Henry, what I now tell you: from the day I enter upon the command of the American armies, I date my fall, and the ruin of my reputation.”

Nevertheless, he accepted the role, with one of his own rules to live by being, to quote him, “When my country demands sacrifice, personal ease must always be a secondary consideration.”

Naturally feeling unqualified, however, one of his first acts was to purchase every book he could find on leading and managing armies.

Going back to Hancock and his alleged desire for Washington’s role, it’s sometimes claimed that Hancock harbored extreme dislike for Washington in the aftermath, but all evidence is to the contrary, and Hancock even named his only son John George Washington Hancock. So… ya.

On top of that, when Washington would later march into Boston, Washington wrote to Hancock telling him of the state of Hancock’s estate there, and that “I have a particular pleasure in being able to inform you sire that your house has received no damage worth mentioning. Your furniture is in tolerable order, and the family pictures are all left entire and untouched.”

In reply, Hancock invited Washington to live in the house for as long as he wished while there, and that “I assure you, sire I will do all in my power to render your stay agreeable, and my house shall be entirely at your disposal.”

That said, Hancock did appear to want some sort of military position, as he requested to serve under Washington, writing to him on July 10, 1775, “I must beg the favor that you will research some berth for me, in such department as you may judge most proper; for I am determined to act under you, if it be to take a firelock and join the ranks as volunteer.”

His request was politely declined, however, with Hancock’s prodigious business and management skills far more suited to his current role in Congress than as a soldier.

In any event, speaking of Hancock’s son, during a recess of Congress in August of 1775, Hancock made good use of the break and married Dorothy “Dolly” Quincy on the 28th of that month in Connecticut.

As a brief aside, not long before this, none other than Aaron Burr would reportedly come calling on Dolly, with Burr being a nephew of Dolly and Hancock’s Aunt’s host at the time, and apparently Burr did turn Dolly’s head a bit, but the family plans for Hancock and Dolly to wed remained intact. This may, however, have been why Dolly hadn’t been writing to Hancock much, and only short letters when she did, with Hancock lamenting on June 10, 1775,

“My Dear Dolly: I am almost prevailed on to think that my letters to my aunt and you are not read, for I cannot obtain a reply. I have asked a million questions and not an answer to one. I begged you to let me know what things my aunt wanted and you, and many other matters I wanted to know, but not one word in answer…I beg, my dear dolly, you will write me often and long letters, I will forgive the past if you will mend in future… pray write me. I will attend to all your commands. Adieu my dear girl, and believe me to be with great esteem and affection, yours without reserve John Hancock.”

…Man, when even the literal President of Congress and one of the wealthiest, most popular, and charismatic men in all of America gets ghosted by his own fiance… Ouch…

In any event, they would indeed get married anyway despite the ghosting and would the following year have a daughter, who ultimately died as a baby because the past was the worst and you could pretty much just always expect half your kids to die before adulthood up until shockingly recently in history. On that note, they also had their aforementioned son, born two years later, John George Washington Hancock… who would also die, this time at ten years old when he fell while ice skating and hit his head.

Going back to his Presidency, from here Hancock was in his element, and this was seemingly partially why he was chosen for the role, with his primary tasks including mediating, coordinating committees, negotiation, drumming up and distributing funds to finance all the military efforts, convincing colonial officials to send more troops and supplies to join Washington, and otherwise just administering everything, which was a skill he was extremely proficient at from his years of running the House of Hancock.

Speaking of the business side of it all, to give a taste of the difficulties, at the time Massachusetts, for example, was about £11 million in debt, while its citizens were also already being taxed among the highest of any of the colonies. Yet Hancock and Congress somehow needed to raise many millions more, with Washington writing to him at one point in the early going he needed at least a quarter of a million pounds per month to sustain his fledgling army, along with an awful lot of equipment and the like that were in short supply.

Again, while for much of the philosophical and political intrigues side of things, others like John Adams, James Madison, and Ben Franklin and their incredible intellects and knowledge of political science were needed, and for the military side Washington was the best man for the job they had available, for this side of it? The Merchant King John Hancock could not have been better suited for the role he was given coordinating and mediating everything, as well as figuring out how to pay for it all and source the equipment and other resources they needed. In a nutshell, they needed a great businessman and financier, and so they used the one they had. Naturally, to help out in all this, Hancock further brought on board one of his top managers at the House of Hancock, William Palfrey.

As a taste of one small effort that resulted in big things here, it would later be noted in Lives of American Merchants published in October of 1793, “To [Hancock], among others, we owe our independence, our liberty, our prosperity, and our national greatness, and the high rank we hold among the nations of the earth. We are indebted to him for the aid which in our revolutionary struggle was derived from the arms and influence of France; for it was his generosity that furnished the means, when our country was utterly destitute of money or credit, to fit out the alliance frigate to carry colonel laurens, our first accredited diplomatic agent, to the court of the french king, through whose influence and exertions during our darkest period of our revolutionary history, the cooperation of france was secure, and her assistance extended to help us break the chains of that political slavery with which we were bound.”

Of course, the British weren’t going to take any of this sitting down. But General Gage did not have enough manpower to put down the rebellion. He wrote of the state of things to the Secretary of War, “These people show a spirit and conduct against us they never showed against the French…. They are now spirited up by a rage and enthusiasm as great as ever people were possessed of and you must proceed in earnest or give the business up. A small body acting in one spot will not avail, you must have large armies making diversions on different sides, to divide their force. The loss we have sustained is greater than we can bear. Small armies cannot afford such losses, especially when the advantage gained tends to do little more than the gaining of a post.”

And so it was that the British dispatched a massive army led by Admiral Richard Howe and General William Howe to subdue the rebels with any force they deemed necessary.

Hancock would write to the various state legislatures after the arrival of the enemy forces, “Our affairs are hastening fast to a crisis, and the approaching campaign will, in all probability, determine forever the fate of America…. The militia of the United Colonies…. are called upon to say whether they will live slaves or die free men… On your exertions… the salvation of America now…. depends.”

We’ll continue this tale in the next video in this series: Hancock: We Hold These Truths to Be Self Evident.