Buckman's Dilemma

 Buckman Tavern (today) in Lexington, MA

American Revolutionary Participants

On 19 April 1775, an alarm went out across the colonial countryside west of Boston, MA. Paul Revere in cooperation with the Sons of Liberty had instituted an alarm system to alert like-minded freedom advocates of any move by the British Regulars to confiscate weapons or defense supplies, such as gun powder.  April 19th wasn't the first alarm, but it became the flashpoint for the future military and political confrontations between the American colonist and the British Empire that we are celebrating in this 250th Anniversary season.  

One man, John Buckman, found himself in an unenviable circumstance on that fateful day in Lexington. The minutemen had been assembled by Captain Parker early (about 2:00 AM) only to be told to standdown but stay close. Of course, if you need to stay near, you assembled at the town Tavern near the Green where you would be expected to assemble. In fact, Elijah Sanderson, reported that he fell asleep by the fire in the Tavern.

The region of Lexington at the time of the American Revolution was, like so many other places, a community of relatives.  John's brother-in-law, Francis Brown, was the Sergeant of Captain Parker's minutemen. Francis' first cousin, Solomon Brown, had been on an adventure with Elijah Sanderson and Jonathan Loring where they had witnessed Paul Revere captured by the British Regulars.

Can you imagine, then, emotions of John Buckman, when the British Regulars showed up in Lexington and the minutemen were quickly assembled...but not all, as Solomon remained behind in the tavern? Based upon the testimony a plausible reconstruction of the events that day in John's Tavern was a follows:

View of Lexington Green from Buckman Tavern (today)

Solomon, watched from the Tavern as the minutemen were hastily gathering to form a defense opposite the advancing regulars. With his gun at the ready he either witnessed the smoke from first shot or fired the first shot from the back door of the tavern. A British musket retorts inflicting damage on the door. John, concerned now about his livelihood or his distant relations ushers Solomon to the opposite door where Solomon jumps over a wall is shot at again and possibly returns fire.

The events that followed convinced the British government authorities that the American colonists were ungovernable rebels and serious action must follow - in August of 1775 (250 years agon next month), King George of England issued the Proclamation of Rebellion.