In the afternoon on April 19, 1775 the Menotomy Minutemen fought British soldiers as they marched back to Boston after their defeat at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. Thirteen towns had sent militia, now fighting along both sides of the road the Redcoats would take back to Boston. Commander of British forces Lord Hugh Percy put out strong flanking parties to his main forces so the militia was sandwiched in between.
Percy gave orders to clear every dwelling to eliminate snipers. Houses along the way were ransacked, plundered, and set afire by the retreating British. Shown here is the battle at Jason Russell’s house in Menotomy (now Arlington), where British soldiers attacked and colonial militiamen fought to protect the home and the people in it. Eleven militiamen were killed by the British at Russell house, as were two British soldiers.
Each year, the towns of Arlington, Lexington, Concord, and Lincoln work with a dedicated corps of reenactors to recreate these events and honor the patriots who fought for liberty and equality.