What led up to the battles of Lexington and Concord?
The soldiers arrived at Concord at 7 AM. During the night the colonists had hidden most of their stores and ammunition. What they had not been able to hide, the British set about destroying. Then they met the minutemen of the Old North Bridge over the Concord River and fired upon them. The Americans fired back, and the war had begun. In this skirmish the British numbered about 200 and the Americans 400. The Americans poured over the bridge. The British began a retreat to Boston at about noon. Meanwhile, the farmers, from behind rocks, fences, and building, picked off the British soldiers. At Lexington the fleeing redcoats met another detachment of 1500 soldiers sent out by General Gage. Thus strengthened, the British returned to Boston, having suffered 274 killed and wounded and 25 missing. The American loss was 88 killed and wounded.
