April 20, 1775: The Redcoat Army Retreated to Charlestown

On April 19, 1775, 700  British regulars, led by Lt. Col. Francis Smith and marine Maj. John Pitcairn, invaded the countryside intending to confiscate rebel artillery hidden in Concord. On the way, they had killed eight Lexington militiamen and wounded many others. Following a skirmish with 400 rebels at the north bridge in Concord, the regulars were decimated in the six miles back to Lexington. They were relieved to find 1,200 reinforcements in Lexington, led by Brig.-General Lord Percy. That redcoat force of nearly 2,000 men were mauled repeatedly by more than 3,000 rebel militiamen from every town and hamlet. In a heavy evening rain, Lord Percy’s force found refuge across the Charlestown Neck and Bunker Hill. The following excerpt from my fifth novel Uprising: Let It Begin Here depicts the debriefing they provided to General Thomas Gage and Admiral Graves the next day, April 20, 1775.

“Once again, I feel God was protecting us. We made it into Charlestown, and you know the rest of the story. Whoever considers these men a common mob will find himself much mistaken. They have men who know how to fight. With woods and hills, this country is perfect for their brand of attack.”

“We heard about the destruction of the bridge. The wagons of ammunition we dispatched had to turn back,” said Kemble.

            Gage scanned Percy’s report. “Are these casualty numbers absolutely correct?”

            Percy glanced at Smith and nodded. “Yes, sir. You should note the large number of officers wounded. They took great pains to target officers. Sadly, our crimson uniforms are a better quality; hence, they are less faded and brighter.”

            The general shook his head. “Seventeen officers, one killed, fifteen wounded, and one missing. In total, you have 272 casualties, with sixty-five dead, 180 wounded, and twenty-seven missing. I dread reporting this to the Crown. It will, however, justify our need for reinforcements.”

            As the others filed out, Graves and Kemble remained with Gage, reading the reports more intently. After a few moments, Gage looked up from his reading in surprise. “Did I miss or forget something?”

            Graves stepped to the sideboard. “Perhaps I should advise you of certain precautions the Royal Navy has taken today.”

            “Precautions? What precautions?”

            “To enforce your closure of the town, I’ve dispatched my longboats to circle the town. I guarantee no one will enter or leave Boston without permission.”

            Gage shrugged. “That makes sense, Admiral. The army thanks you.”

            “Furthermore,” Graves added with a smile, “I have issued orders that women and children are banned from leaving Boston until further notice. This guarantees those rebel bastards won’t fire on the town, lest they injure their own.”

            Gage’s eyes grew wide as he rose to his feet. “You did what?”

            The admiral held up his hand. “You don’t have to thank me because I saved the best for last. It’s those printers from the Boston Gazette, Ben

Edes and John Gill.”