The Union-News
Springfield, Mass.
Monday, April 16, 2001
Editorial
America's patriots should be remembered today
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurl'd,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard 'round the world.
Since today is a holiday in Massachusetts, teachers won't be
asking children to recite those famous lines.
That's too bad because Ralph Waldo Emerson's oft-quoted
passage about the Battle of Lexington and Concord -- fought on April 19, 1775, 226 years ago -- is worth repeating on
Patriots' Day.
It does seem odd, however, that the whole country isn't
marking the moment the passage celebrates.
After all, Patriots' Day, which is only celebrated in
Massachusetts and Maine, aroused the people in the American colonies to launch the War for Independence that led to the
formation of the United States of America.
Without Patriots' Day there would be no Fourth of July
fireworks.
As a reminder to those vacationing school students -- and
the rest of us -- here's a bit of history. It was about midnight on April 18 that a British force of 800 men set out
from Boston to destroy a cache of arms and munitions the rebel colonists had assembled at Concord. At the same time, Paul
Revere began his famous ride, bringing the news of the advance to the farmers along a 16-mile route.
At dawn, the British reached Lexington, six miles from
Concord, encountered a force of 70 rebels, and exchanged shots with them. Under fire, the British pushed on to Concord,
destroyed some of the rebel stores and retreated back to Boston. At the day's end, the British toll was 273 men killed,
missing or wounded. The American loss was 103. The American battle for independence had begun.
Surely Emerson's "embattled farmers" are worthy of recognition today. Perhaps a trip to Lexington and
Concord might be in order this school vacation.