Introduction: America 250 Celebration – Melissa Davenport Berry writes more about the lives and service of Revolutionary War patriots. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

Illustration credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html

Elijah Sanderson

Today I continue with my series “Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War,” focusing on the deposition of cabinetmaker Elijah Sanderson (1751-1825), who served in Captain John Parker’s militia of Minutemen at the Battle of Lexington on 19 April 1775.

In his deposition published in the Hancock Gazette, Sanderson mentions he, along with Solomon Brown and Jonathan Loring, were held for questioning by nine British soldiers at Brook’s Village. The most pressing query was the location of John Hancock and Samuel Adams.

In 1775 a cluster of colonial homes from the Brooks family lined the Bay Road along the broad rise of land referred to as the Brooks Hill.

In this detail from Sanderson’s deposition, he describes the British capturing Paul Revere during his famous warning ride, and the escape of another rider, Samuel Prescott, who continued on to Concord.

Sanderson declares:

“While we were under detention, they took two other prisoners, one Allen, a one handed pedlar, and Col. Paul Revere; also, they attempted to stop a man on horseback, who we immediately after understood was Dr. Prescott’s son [Dr. Samuel Prescott, son of Dr. Abel Prescott and Abigail (Brigham) Prescott]. He was well mounted, and, after turning from the road into the field toward us, he put spurs to his horse and escaped. Several of the officers pursued him, but could not overtake him.”

Below are two photos of the Paul Revere Capture Monument, which marks the location where, about 1:30 in the morning of 19 April 1775, Revere was apprehended by British officers. Fellow rider William Dawes escaped and returned to Lexington, while Dr. Samuel Prescott completed their mission by riding on to Concord to spread the alarm.

The monument’s inscription also notes the capture of Sanderson, Brown, and Loring.

Sanderson declares:

“After they had taken Revere they brought him within half a rod of me, and I heard him speak up with energy to them, ‘Gentlemen, you’ve missed your aim!’ One said, rather [harshly], ‘What of our aim?’ Revere replied, ‘I came out of Boston an hour after your troops had come out of Boston, and landed at Lechmere’s Point, and if I had not known people had been sent out to give information to the country, and time enough to get fifty miles, I would have ventured one shot from you before I would have suffered you to have stopped me.’”

Here is another passage from Elijah’s deposition, describing the British troops – after they had received reinforcements – taking revenge on the minutemen and militia’s resistance at Lexington and Concord by burning several homes and other buildings.

Sanderson declares:

“In the afternoon I saw the reinforcement come up under Lord Percy. I then had no musket and retired to Estabrook’s Hill, whence I saw the reinforcement meet the troops retreating from Concord. When they met they halted some time. After this, they set fire to Deacon Loring’s barn; then to his house; then to widow Mulliken’ s house; then to the shop of Nathaniel Mulliken, a watch and clock maker; and to the house and shop of Joshua Bond. All these were near the place where the reinforcements took refreshments. They hove fire into several other buildings. It was extinguished after their retreat.”

Here is a portrait of Lieutenant-General Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, born Hugh Smithson (1742-1817) a British Army officer who participated in the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Below is a stereograph taken of Arlington High School in 1875 at the site of Lord Percy’s cannon, used to protect retreating British troops, Battle of Lexington, 1775.

Lexington Revolutionary Monument

Erected on 4 July 1799, the Lexington Battle Monument is the oldest war memorial in the United States.

Jonas Clarke, minister to Lexington from 1752 to 1805, composed the monument’s inscription honoring the eight men who died on Lexington Green. The inscription reads:

Sacred to Liberty & the Rights of mankind!!!
The Freedom & Independence of America,
Sealed & defended with the blood of her sons.
This Monument is erected
By the inhabitants of Lexington,
Under the patronage & at the expence [sic] of
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
To the memory of their Fellow Citizens,
Ensign Robert Munroe, Mess. Jonas Parker,
Samuel Hadley, Jonathan Harrington Jun.
Isaac Muzzy, Caleb Harrington and John Brown
Of Lexington & Asahel Porter of Woburn,
Who fell on this field, the first Victims to the
Sword of British Tyranny & Oppression,
On the morning of the ever memorable
Nineteenth of April, An. Dom. 1775.
The Die was cast!!!
The Blood of these Martyrs,
In the cause of God & their Country,
Was the Cement of the Union of these States, then
Colonies; & gave the spring to the spirit, firmness
And resolution of their Fellow Citizens.
They rose as one man to revenge their brethren’s
Blood and at the point of the sword to assert &
Defend their native Rights.
They nobly dar’d to be free!!
The contest was long, bloody & affecting
Righteous Heaven approved the solemn appeal;
Victory crowned their arms; and
The Peace, Liberty & Independence of the United
States of America, was their glorious Reward.
Built in the year 1799.

Here is a newsclip from the Boston Advertiser about a “Celebration at Lexington.”

This article reports:

Celebration at Lexington – The celebration in memory of those who fell in the battle of the 19th of April, 1775, will take place today at Lexington. An oration is to be delivered by Hon. Edward Everett.

The ceremony began at 3 A.M., the time when British troops fired on the Militia Company at Lexington. Eight guns were fired for eight men who “fell as martyrs in the cause of Civil Liberty.”

At sunrise a salute of thirteen guns was fired in honor of the thirteen colonies.

Following this, a procession led to the monument to deposit “in a tomb prepared for the purpose the Sarcophagus containing the remains, with customary military honors.”

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Note on the header image: “The Spirit of ’76,” by Archibald Willard. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Related Articles:

• Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War (part 1)
• Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War (part 2)
• ‘Patriot to Passenger’: Revolutionary War Vet to Mayflower Passenger (part 1)
• ‘Patriot to Passenger’: Revolutionary War Vet to Mayflower Passenger (part 2)
• ‘Patriot to Passenger’: Revolutionary War Vet to Mayflower Passenger (part 3)
• Unsung Revolutionary War Heroes: The Corps of Artificers (part 1)
• Unsung Revolutionary War Heroes: The Corps of Artificers (part 2)