The Battle of Concord
By Phin Upham
Concord was an important position for the militiamen during the American Revolutionary War. The area held the American military supplies, but the stockpile was well hidden. When Lexington suffered a sudden outbreak of violence, for reasons of some historical debate, the militiamen of the town gathered to fight in preparation.
They were unsure of whether reinforcements were coming, but they decided to stay and defend the town from the oncoming British incursion. The British were marching from Lexington where they were met by a column of militiamen. A skirmish broke out and the two sides inflicted some casualties until the militia retreated to a nearby ridge overlooking the town.
The Americans retreated to the woods, where they watched how the British were moving and what they were doing.
The British were searching the town for the supplies, and they secured the only bridge into town to cut the rebels off from returning to defend their cache. However, the British knew that the militiamen numbered nearly 400, and they were concerned the odds were not in their favor.
The British managed to uncover three massive 24-ton cannons that would be effective at breaching walls. Fighting broke out at the North Bridge, as five full companies of minutemen descended on the British. Thanks to a tactical mistake on the British side, the militiamen had them pinned. The terrified survivors fled to a grenadier division nearby.
The colonists had won their first major victory against the British, a crucial boost of morale in a sustained conflict.
About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or LinkedIn page.