Minute Men and Militia Men 1775

 

   To give some idea what the British Army in Boston faced on April 19, 1775  consider that nearly 19,000 Militia and Minute Men (according to the Lexington Alarm list document)  turned out and took the field throughout Massachusetts.  Of that number between 3500 and 4000 actually got into the fight at one time or another and not all at the same time. Who were these guys?  

  The militia was a part time army in colonial Massachusetts responsible for the colony’s defense. Every town was expected to maintain at least one company commanded by a captain. Regiments were formed by region and county comprising of several companies. In times of war, the militia served as the immediate defense, or as available soldiers to be drafted for extended service.

  According to the law, nearly all men between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to serve, keep arms and train. There were exceptions for certain profession.  Each town was required to hold 6 training days each per year.  Those suggested were  two days in April, one day in May and June, and two days in October. Regimental training days, called a “muster” were only held less frequently.  Those who failed to appear when required were fined. 

  In the fall of 1774 following the "Intolerable Acts" the Massachusetts Provincial Congress (meeting in defiance of the Royal Governor) assumed control of the Province’s Militia forces. After holding new elections of company and battalion level officers to purge loyalist leaning officers each town's  militia was reorganised.   It was suggested that towns were to recruit volunteers and “form them into Companies of fifty Privates at the least, who shall equip and hold themselves in Readiness to march at the shortest Notice...” Because they were expected to be ready quickly, “at a minute’s warning...” they became known as “minute men.”  These new  minute man companies were to be trained two days each week and were also paid for training days, on average 1 shilling for each half day.  Minute men also sometimes received arms and equipment from the town. They tended to be better equipped than the militia. Many towns purchased cartridge pouches or boxes for their minute man companies, and sometimes bayonets.  Those who did not volunteer were still enrolled in the town Militia.  In addition those too old or too young or infirmed were enrolled in the Alarm company;  the very last line if defense. As an example of how this worked the town of Concord had two Minute Companies, one Militia company and one Alarm company.  

  On April 19 as Lt. Colonel Smith's  forces were searching the town for supplies the following Regiments were either observing him or marching towards the town.  Other formations also were marching towards the scene and some individuals from them took part in the battle.   But all of these units took part in the actual fighting that day.  

By the North Bridge:

Colonel James Barrett's Middlesex Militia Regiment.

Ten companies of militia from the towns of Concord, Bedford, Lincoln, Acton, East Sudbury and Framingham. 

Colonel Abijah Pierce's Middlesex Minute Man Regiment.

Ten companies of  Minute Men from the towns of Concord, Bedford, Lincoln, Acton, East Sudbury and Framingham.

North of Concord:

Colonel William Prescott's Middlesex Regiment.

Ten companies of  Militia and seven companies of Minute Men from the towns of  Ashby, Townsend, Pepperell, Shirley, Groton, Westford, Littleton Carlise and Stowe.

South of Concord:

Colonel David Greens Middlesex Militia Regiment.

Thirteen companies of militia from the towns of Dunstable, Dracut, Chelmsford, Tewkesbury, Billerica, Wilmington, Woburn, Reading and Stoneham.

Colonel Ebenezer Bridge's Middlesex Minute Man Regiment.

Nine companies of Minute Men from the towns of Dunstable, Dracut, Chelmsford, Tewkesbury, Billerica, Wilmington, Woburn, Reading and Stoneham.

East of Concord:

Colonel Thomas Gardner's Middlesex Regiment.

Mixed companies of Militia and Minute Men from the towns of Lexington, Menotomy, Cambridge, Watertown, Medford, Waltham, Weston, Newton and Charlestown.

Bibliography:

Anderson, F. (1984). A People's Army: Massachusetts Soldiers & Society In the Seven Years' War. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina.

Galvin, John.  The Minute Men: A Compact History of the Defenders of the American Colonies 1645-1775.Hawthorne Press, 1967.

Gross, R. (1976). The Minute Men and Their World. New York: Hill and Wang.

Hambrick-Stowe, Charles E. and Smerlas, Donna D. (1976). Massachusetts Militia Companies and Officers in the Lexington Alarm. Boston MA: The New England Historic Genealogical Society.

Massachusetts Provincial Congress. (1838). The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775: And of the Committee of Safety, with an Appendix, Containing the Proceedings of the County Convenitons - narratives of the Events of the Nineteenth of April 1775. Boston MA: Dutton and Wentworth, Printers to the State.

Welch, J. (2013). Laws, Orders, and Resolutions Concerning the Militia of Massachusetts Bay 1693 - 1775.

Zelner, Kyle F.. A Rabble in Arms: Massachusetts Towns and Militiamen During King Philip’s War. United States, NYU Press, 2009.