[harpygoddess]

Remember the kerfuffle when Sarah Palin mentioned that Revere actually told the British that the Americans were coming and the "intellectuals" on the left, who got their history from the poem, made much of what an idiot she was?

During Paul Revere’s ride he was stopped by British soldiers, which Revere recounts in a 1789 letter maintained by the Massachusetts Historical Society, in his original language:

I observed a Wood at a Small distance, & made for that. When I got there, out Started Six officers, on Horse back, and orderd me to dismount;-one of them, who appeared to have the command, examined me, where I came from, & what my Name Was? I told him. it was Revere, he asked if it was Paul? I told him yes He asked me if I was an express? I answered in the afirmative. He demanded what time I left Boston? I told him; and aded, that their troops had catched aground in passing the River, and that There would be five hundred Americans there in a short time, for I had alarmed the Country all the way up.

[BigEdLB]

I heard Longfellow was Revere’s grandson, hence Paul was featured in the poem.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Yes Samuel Prescott a young doctor who had been “courting” in Lexington. He was a member of the Sons of Liberty and was recruited by Dawes and Revere. They were spotted near Hartwell Tavern and split up. Revere was captured but Prescott escaped on horseback in the woods and doubled back and continued to warn people all the way to Concord that the British were coming. Lord send is more people like these patriots of olde we sorely need them.
Freegards
LEX

[jmacusa]

They didn't get near as far as did sixteen year old Sybil Luddington did. That young lass rode forty miles through the Connecticut night to warn the patriots the British were coming.

[caddie]

I heard that the Dawes who rode with Paul Revere was the great-great-grandfather of Charles Dawes, who was an interesting historical person just as his great grandfather was.

Charles Dawes accomplished the unlikely "trifecta" of:

Serving as VPOTUS under Coolidge, plus;

winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925 for his work in the Locarno Pact treaty negotiations ensuring the peace following the end of WW1; PLUS;

he wrote a song in 1912 (Melody in A Major) that later made #1 on the Billboard 100 (and also topped the charts in the UK) as a hit sung by Tommy Edwards in 1958 (It's All in the Game).

[NonValueAdded]

[to the author] Are you kidding me??? Revere’s “warning” to the British was arguably the first PsyOp of the war, taking advantage of the Minutemen clearing their flintlocks prior to entering Buckman’s tavern to lift a pint or two. “sorry, major, your element of surprise is lost and it is time to beat feet to Boston before you repeat Leslie’s Retreat.” Revere earned every word of that poem.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I apologize. I’m “on the road” (currently in Georgetown, KY) on the way back to Wisconsin from our grandson’s Eagle court of Honnor, and I’ve just now seen this fine article which should interest members of the Founding Father/Revolutionary War ping list.

So, a belated ping, ping, ping.

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this ping list.

[gleeaikin]

When I read this comment, I figured that he was giving information that would cause problems for the British. Changes of orders, confusion, not knowing where the danger would be. Many of the heavier weapons were in village armories, not in private hands, and had to be distributed with some advance warning. Young Sybil probably grew to strength as being the oldest of all those children and a big help to mom and dad.

Regarding the poem, Paul Revere was well known as a silversmith and businessman. I had not heard of the others. Also his name fits in well with the popular Iambic Pentameter of poetry and the -vere ends on an up note of optimistic sound. Samuel Prescott does not have a good poetic rhythm, and -scott ends on a pessimistic down note. Just say the two names several times and see which one you could put more easily into a rhyming poem.