Sitting directly in the British path to Concord, Lexington’s militia mustered on the town Common (now Lexington Green) following Paul Revere’s midnight alarm. After hours of waiting, many retired to a nearby tavern until word came at dawn that the British Regulars were finally coming.
Outnumbered and under instructions not to fire first, the 70 militia men began to withdraw when a shot rang out. Regulars opened fire in response, killing eight colonists before marching on to Concord.
