Two eye witness accounts: Lexington Green 19 April 1775

 

It is always interesting to compare eye witness accounts of the same event.  Two people can see or experience the same event but come away from it with totally different interpretations.  Here is the case of British officer William Sutherland (38th Regiment) and Lexington Militia Man William Todd.  Both interacted on Lexington Green but came away with totally different interpretations of the same event.  

It. William Sutherland was mounted on a captured horse and when the firing broke out on Lexington Green the horse bolted for home taking Sutherland on a wild ride before he could stop it and return:

When we came up to the Main body who were drawn up in the plain opposite to the Church when several Officers called out, throw down your Arms & you shall come by no harm, or words to that effecth Which they refusing to do, instantaneously the Gentlemen (British officers) who were on horseback rode in amongst them at which time I heared Major [John] Pitcairns voice call out "Soldiers dont fire keep your ranks and form & surround them," instantly some of the Villains were got over the hedge, fired at us, & it was then & not before that the Soldiers fired which sett my horse agoing who gallopped with me 600 yards or more down a road to the right amongst the middle of them, at last I turned him and in returning a vast number who were in a wood at the right of the Grenadiers fired at me, but the distance was so great that I only heared the Whissing of the Balls, but saw a great number of people in this Wood, in  consequence of their discovering them being there our Grenadiers who were then on our flank and close to them gave them a very smart fire.

On the other hand here is a Lexington Militia man, William Tidd who thought he was being chased by a mounted British officer and ran for his life;

about five o’clock of said morning, intelligence was received that the British were within a short distance; and, on the beat to arms, I immediately repaired to where our company were fast assembling; that when about sixty or seventy of them had taken post, the British had arrived within sight, and were advancing on a quick march towards us, when I distinctly heard one of their officers say, “Lay down your arms and disperse, ye rebels!” They then fired upon us. I then retreated up the north road, and was pursued about thirty rods by an officer on horseback calling out to me, “Damn you, stop, or you are a dead man!” – I found I could not escape him, unless I left the road. Therefore I sprang over a pair of bars, made a stand and discharged my gun at him; upon which he immediately turned to the main body, which shortly after took up their march for Concord. 

William Tidd.