Between one and two in the morning¹ Lincoln² and Concord were alarmed by Samuel Prescott.³ The Lincoln militia gathered at the brook by Flint’s pond, near the house of Zachary Smith.⁴ In Concord the bell rang. They were informed that 800 regulars were coming. Several posts were dispatched that confirmed it.⁵
Concord militia companies gathered at the court house about 3 in the morning and were ordered to go into the court house to draw ammunition. After they had drawn ammunition, were paraded near the meeting house. About thirty per cent of the militia had joined the minute men companies or were sent to guard the cannon that was carried into the woods. The whole of the militia and minute men of Concord was not less than 200. About 4 in the morning the companies of Concord were joined by two companies from Lincoln, the militia commanded by Capt. Abijah⁶ Pierce and the minute men by Capt. William Smith.⁷ James Barrett, colonel of the regiment of militia, was informed of the approach of regular troops at daybreak.⁸
Acton company of minute men was alarmed about daybreak.9 It was formed in November 1774.¹⁰ Turned out to drill and exercise twice a week from the November preceding. The company consisted of about forty,¹¹ about half the company.¹² The company was raised by voluntary enlistment. The town paid them eight pence for every half day. John Hayward was lieutenant and John Heald ensign. At daybreak they went to Capt. Davis’ house.¹³ He was a gunsmith.¹⁴ His family were sick. He had four children, some of whom had the canker rash and the others were unwell.¹⁵ Some of the minute men were putting flour on their hair.¹⁶ Capt. Davis appeared to be heavy hearted. One of the men used some light language and was reproved by Capt. Davis. The Acton minute men company set out for Concord when the sun was something more than an hour high. Other members of the company,¹⁷ as many as forty,¹⁸ joined them on the road and the remainder in the course of the forenoon, most of them before the fight. They marched to Concord by the Strawberry Hill Road. When they arrived near Col. Barrett’s, left that road and went across the fields in nearly a straight course to the widow Brown’s tavern. There took the back or east road to the high ground.¹⁹
