"Countenancing, Aiding, and Assisting Them in the Robberies and Murders Then Committed" - A Theory on the Arms and Equipment of the Loyalist Guides of April 19, 1775

The April 19, 1775 events involved many participants, including militia and minute men, British soldiers, civilians caught in the storm of war, the clergy, children, and yes ... loyalist guides.

Last week, Neil Sorenson of the loyalist reenactment organization King’s Rangers contacted the Nerds to discuss the role of “Tory Pilots” on April 19, 1775. Specifically, Neil wanted to know what equipment loyalist guides carried as they marched with Smith Column to Concord or Percy’s relief force dispatched to Lexington. He also wanted to know if the guides were armed with firelocks or other weapons during the mission.

The Nerds have written several blog posts and published two research articles on the role of loyalist guides during the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The most commonly accessed research article, published by the Journal of the American Revolution, can be viewed here.

When Lt. Colonel Smith and his troops marched to Concord, the expedition had approximately six guides, including Daniel Bliss, Daniel Leonard, and William Warden. The guides were interspersed amongst the column and were responsible for guiding the troops to Concord and identifying any persons of interest they encountered en route to their destination. In addition to leading the column to Concord, the guides were responsible for assisting search parties in locating military stores. “The troops renewed their march to Concord, where, when they arrived, they divided into parties and went directly to several places where the province stores were deposited. Each party was supposed to have a Tory pilot.”

Colonel Percy’s relief column is believed to have eight loyalist guides accompanying it as it marched from Boston to Lexington. These guides included George Leonard, Abijah Willard, and John Emerson. Of the eight, at least half were mounted. Emerson was tasked with delivering “despatches from the British headquarters in Boston to Earl Percy, then covering the retreat of the troops from Concord.” Willard, a veteran of the Siege of Louisbourg and French and Indian War, was positioned before the column to identify any “ambush laid for the troops.”

Not all of the guides returned from their mission. Two, Samuel Murray and John Bowen, were captured by provincial forces.

Photo Credit: Jonathan R. Beckerman

So, with that background, let’s dive into Niel’s questions. First, were the guides armed? The answer is yes, but to what extent do we know? We have not encountered any hard evidence besides a newspaper account from May 3, 1775, suggesting that at least one of the guides was armed with a firelock. According to the Massachusetts Spy, “A young man, unarmed, who was taken prisoner by the enemy, and made to assist in carrying off their wounded, says, that he saw a barber who lives in Boston, thought to be one Warden, with the troops . . . he likewise saw the said barber fire twice upon our people.”

A pair of period accounts also implies some guides may have been armed.

When loyalist guide Walter Barrell volunteered to assist Percy’s relief column, he noted, “when the Lexington affair of the Rebells firing on His Majesty’s troops occurred, he voluntarily associated with a number of friends to Government who offered their services to General Gage in any capacity to oppose the rebels.” The Nerds suspect Barrell’s use of the term “in any capacity” included the proposition of offering armed resistance against the Massachusetts minute and militia companies that engaged the retiring column that day.

Similarly, a Massachusetts Provincial Congress resolution implies that the guides actively participated in the fight against minute and militia companies along the Bay Road. Specifically, on June 16, 1775, the Congress proposed to pardon all enemies who surrendered, except General Gage, Admiral Graves, “and all the natives of America, not belonging to the navy or army, who went out with the regular troops on the nineteenth of April last, and were countenancing, aiding, and assisting them in the robberies and murders then committed.” That phrase implies that many guides were armed and firing at their opponents during the retreat back toward Boston.

Unfortunately, without more evidence, the Nerds can only speculate that some, but likely not all, of the “Tory Pilots” were armed that day.

 

If they were armed, what equipment were they carrying? 

 

In addition to personally owned muskets and fowlers, the Nerds theorize that the guides who were armed likely only carried shot pouches and powder horns as there is no evidence that these individuals were supplied with King’s arms, cartridge boxes, bayonets, and belting when they departed Boston for the Middlesex County countryside.

We suspect mounted guides, if armed, were only equipped with a sidearm in the form of a sword or cutlass. We highly doubt they carried any other weapon as their role, particularly in the afternoon of April 19th, was highly mobile - scouting ahead of the retreating column and maintaining open lines of communication with Boston. It seems improbable that these guides had the time, let alone the inclination, to halt, dismount, fire a musket, reload, remount their horse and continue with their assigned tasks.

What about packs and blankets? The Nerds suspect that unlike their minute and militia counterparts, the guides fielded without packs or blankets. 

 

Why? It comes down to an operational mindset.

When Massachusetts provincial forces mobilized on April 18, 1775, they were responding to what they believed were acts of war and marched for what they believed would be an extended campaign. As a result, Massachusetts men fielded with full campaign gear, including packs and blankets.

By comparison, Gage’s forces saw themselves, at least on paper, as a rapid strike force whose mission was to march to Concord, destroy identified rebel supplies, and quickly return to Boston. Percy’s relief force had similar operational parameters.

As a result, British soldiers who saw action on April 19, 1775, were not burdened by packs, blankets, and other equipment that typically would have been carried or worn on a long-term campaign.

The same operational principles apply to the guides. It makes no sense that Smith and Percy’s guides were heavily equipped for a short-term military operation, especially considering their assigned duties on April 19th. Thus, if the loyalist guides carried any provisions, they likely utilized market wallets or similar bags.

Of course, issuing provisions and supplies to the Loyalist guides on April 18, 1775, is a separate topic that will warrant a future analysis. In short, we have uncovered no evidence that British military authorities issued rations, ammunition, or other supplies to Loyalist guides on April 18-19, 1775.

"Bringing Up Leade From Boston and Running the Bullets" - How Massachusetts Towns Likely Provided Musket Balls for Its Minute and Militia Companies

Minute Man National Historical Park has been abuzz with activities over the past week. These activities center around the rare and significant discovery of five musket balls, a momentous event that history enthusiasts and park visitors are privileged to witness.

According to the New York Post, “Five musket balls were discovered and believed to be fired at British forces by colonial militia members during the North Bridge fight, Jarrad Fuoss, Minute Man park ranger and historic weapons specialist, confirmed to Fox News Digital. The ammunition was found in an area where British soldiers formed up to resist the river crossing, and analysis indicates that each one was fired from the opposite side of the river, not dropped during the process of reloading, according the National Park Service (NPS) … ‘These musket balls can be considered collectively as ‘The Shot Heard Round the World,’ and it is incredible that they have survived this long. It is also a poignant reminder that we are all stewards of this battlefield and are here to preserve and protect our shared history,’ [Jarad] Fuoss said. Fuoss said the musket balls were made of lead, which was very common at the time period, as others could be comprised of different metals.”

The Nerds had an opportunity to view these amazing artifacts on display yesterday at the North Bridge Visitor’s Center. While there, JArad Fuoss and NPS Museum Curator Nikki Walsh explained that the balls range in size from approximately.40 caliber buckshot to almost .75 caliber in size. The balls have markings and deformations consistent with being rammed down a musket barrel and fired.

This discovery is significant because it was made on the eve of the 250th Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

That said, last week, the Nerds received an inquiry about how Massachusetts minute and militia companies acquire ammunition in preparation for war with England. Did they purchase the musket balls “as is,” or were they making them themselves?

As a preliminary matter, both local communities and the Massachusetts Provincial Congress were actively encouraging its soldiers to equip themselves with, among other items, musket balls. Congress ordered, “The improvement of the militia in general in the art military has been therefore thought necessary, and strongly recommended by this Congress. We now think that particular care should be taken by the towns and districts in this colony, that each of the minute men, not already provided therewith, should be immediately equipped with an effective firearm, bayonet, pouch, knapsack, thirty rounds of cartridges and balls” 

Similarly, on December 26, 1774, Roxbury ordered "Militia minutemen [to] hold themselves in readiness at a minutes warning, compleat in arms and ammunition; that is to say a good and sufficient firelock, bayonet, thirty rounds of powder and ball, pouch and knapsack.”

Many (but not all) local communities and the Committee of Supplies successfully stockpiled ammunition for Massachusetts troops.  For example, before Westborough’s minute, the company mobilized in response to the Lexington alarm and accessed the town's ammunition stock, it distributed musket balls and gunpowder to its men based on the caliber of the weapons they carried. A post-Battle of Lexington inspection of Chelmsford’s militia and alarm list companies revealed the men had “3043 Bulletts,” while a Bristol County militia regiment reported it had “pounds powder—244 1/2, Bullets—11934.”

That said, the question posed to the Nerds was whether towns were purchasing bullets “pre-made” or making musket balls themselves. While it is conceivable that representatives from various towns could have bought "pre-made" musket balls, from the limited documentation we have reviewed, the more common practice appears to be that towns would often purchase lead, often in "brick" form, melt it down themselves, and make bullets based on the various calibers of firearms within their community. The town would then either distribute the balls to the respective militia and minute men of their town or store them in the community's ammunition stock.

An example of this practice can be found in Lexington. On November 10, 1774, the town voted to acquire musket balls for its militia company. “Voted. That two half barrells of powdere be addede to the Town stocke. Also Voted that a sufficiency of ball for sd powdere be provided. Votede. That there be a suitable quantity of Flints provided for the Towne if there be found a deficency.”

Shortly after passing this resolution, Lexington charged two residents, Joshua Reed and “Ensign Harrington,” with acquiring lead bricks to make musket balls. The pair traveled to Waltham and Boston and purchased sufficient lead to make musket balls for Captain John Parker’s Company.

According to town records, Ensign Harrington purchased enough lead to make approximately 104 pounds of musket balls. As Lexington town records note, “Granted an ordere to pay Ensign Harrington £2.12.10 in full . . . for 104 lbs. of bullets & . . . for going to Walthame for powdere & to Bostone for leads.”

Similarly, Joshua Reed was also securing ammunition for Parker’s Company. According to town records, Reed was compensated “in full for his bringing up leade from Boston and running the bullets.”

The Nerds suspect the term “running the bullets” refers to melting lead to make musket balls.

As we dug further, we encountered similar accounts from Methuen, Amesbury, and Bradford. In each community, the residents agreed to form committees to purchase lead and cast musket balls. 

We also found a July, 776 Massachusetts legislative order instructing towns within the colony to turn over any spare window lead weights so they could be melted and made into musket balls. The order appeared in the July 12, 1776 edition of the Essex Journal And New Hampshire Packet.

We’ll keep you posted as we continue researching the matter.