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Letters of a British Soldier
Provides New Information On Paul Revere's Ride
By Jeremy O. |
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April 6, 1775
To My Beloved Mother and Father,
I am writing to you to tell you how I am doing here in the
Colonies. Soon after I left I became a Captain in the British Army
because of my hard work. I look really sharp in my uniform. It is a
bright red coat with a white x across my chest. I have these
shiny badges that go on my shoulder, and I carry a big musket. I also
have a sword to give signals with my orders to the other British
soldiers.
Right now the Patriots in Boston are hiding the gunpowder from us and
they are getting ready to fight. My fellow British Soldiers and I are
in Lexington storing arms and gunpowder. We are trying to get to
Concord to get the gunpowder that the colonists have hidden.
My job is of the utmost importance. It is really hard being a soldier
because I just became a captain. I sometimes forget what signals to
give for the orders. The Colonists are angry at the British soldiers
and at King George because King George is making them pay taxes for
everything they buy. Sometimes I dislike my job because people are
always calling me Redcoat and Lobsterback.
I really miss you mother and father, and tell my wife Elizabeth
and my two sons John and Paul that I love them so much. Tell everyone
back home that I miss them. Write back soon
Your Beloved Son,
Jeremiah.
April 19, 1775
To My Beloved Mother and Father,
It’s been two weeks since I have written to you. I’m doing good
here in the colonies. How are you back home ? They put us to live
with the Loyalists and Patriots, because it was the law that we, the
British soldiers would be given a place to live and eat.
My fellow soldiers and I were eating when some other soldiers came in.
I felt like leaving the house when the other soldiers came in because I
knew it was bad news, and I had to do something. Then we had a meeting.
The meeting was about three men riding from town to town warning others
that regular troops were coming by sea. They were tying to capture the
munitions and provisions that the Colonists were stockpiling.
When I heard that I thought we had to stop them right away. So we made
a plan that we would hide near Concord so when they tried to get
inside we would catch them. The plan was going good but when we
went to ambush the three riders one of them fled, and the other got
away but kept on heading towards Concord.
We caught one of them, his name was Paul Revere. The reason we stopped
Paul Revere was because if the Colonists knew that there were more
British soldiers coming they would get ready to have a war. Then we
released him but without his horse. When I let him go I felt mad
because I could of turned him in and get a little award. I let him go
because if I would of have turn ed him in they would of killed
him. I love you Mother and Father. Write back soon.
Your Beloved Son
Jeremiah
April 24, 1775
To My Beloved Mother and Father,
My job is going well. Today in Boston there was a fight between the
soldiers and some colonists and eight colonists died. I do not really
know who shot first. I was just riding my horse and I heard gun shots.
When I went to see I saw eight colonists dead.
After that I saw one of the soldiers stop what he was doing and came to
see what had happened and I told him “To go back to camp and finish
doing what he was doing.” People say that the colonists shot
first and other people say that the soldiers shot first. I do not know
who shot first but I think it was the colonists who shot first .
After the death of the eight colonists the British soldiers had to
leave Boston. Two soldiers and I did not leave Boston and wanted to
live in America and become a colonist. The reason I want to become a
colonist was because I did not like it when I saw the eight colonists
dead on the ground. I felt sorry for the colonists and knew that they
were only doing what they thought was good for them. So I decided to
stay in Massachusetts.
The soldiers and I then found ourselves sleeping on the streets. I saw
a man walking towards us and the man I saw looked so familiar from some
where but I did not know from where. The man came closer and he called
my name out and I asked him who he was and told him he looked so
familiar. “Do I know you from some where ?” Then the man told me he was
a soldier I use to work with. He took the other two people and I
to shelter and gave us some clean clothes. Then he gave us some food.
He said that we could live with him for as long as we wanted. I’m doing
good so far. I wish I was home right now. I really miss you both. Write
back soon.
Your Beloved Son
Jeremiah
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Historical References:
Collier Christopher & Collier James Lincoln. The American
Revolution 1763 - 1783 New ; Benchmark Books, 1998.
Hakim, Joy. One if by
land two if by sea; Oxford University
Press, 1993.
Stuart, Murray. American
Revolution; D.K. Publishing, 2002.
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Historical Terms
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Lobsterback
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Loyalist
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Musket
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Patriot
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Provisions
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Tax
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About the Historian
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My name is Jeremy and I go to King
Middle School. I like to play basketball, baseball, and football. I
also like to hang with my friends.
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