This was the brief skirmish that marked the first military clash in the American Revolution. It took place on April 19, 1775, between some 70 colonial minutemen commanded by Capt. John Parker (1729-75), and about 800 British soldiers marching on Concord, Mass., under the command of Lt. Col. Francis Smith (1720?-1791). The American militia, warned of the British approach by the patriot Paul Revere and others, had assembled to halt the British. Inspired by the words of Capt. Parker: "Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here," the Americans refused to disperse when ordered to do so by the commander of the British advance units. The British opened fire, which the Americans returned. Eight Americans were killed before the minutemen retreated. The Battle of Concord ensued
This "PHOSTINT" postcard was produced by the Detroit Publishing Company
and is from a collection of postcards assembled decades ago,
most of the cards are circa 1910, and never offered for sale before.
This postcard is now in the possession of the Lexington Historical Society
and is named
Drum beaten at the Battle of Lexington by William DIMOND-1775
The face of the postcard has this picture
The Long Roll carried out on this drum by William DIMOND, was the first overt act of The Revolution.
William Dimond was born on July 20, 1758 in Boston. He later moved to North Cambridge where he lived with a family that ran a tavern and William worked there. During Williams time at the tavern he met a British soldier who would hang out there. The British soldier taught William how to play the drum. He taught him different rudiments including the call to arms. When William was 14 years old, a man from Lexington named Abija Child took William to work on his farm. Possibly William lived with him. Abija was a man who often brought young men from out of town to work on his farm. A 14 year old Micah Hagar from Lincoln was another boy that went to work for Mr. Child. Not much is known about Williams parents and family. There was a lady named Percilla Diamon , a school teacher in Lexington in the 1760s, it is not known if she was a relation. When William Dimond moved to Lexington he joined Captain Parkers Company as the drummer. The company bought him a drum which is now on display at the Hancock/Clark house.
William was 16 years old on the morning of April 19. Just after Thaddeus Bowmen arrived on his horse to alert Captain Parker that the Red Coats were just a mile down the road, he gave William the order to sound to arms. William came running out from behind the Buckman Tavern and started the long roll on his drum which alerted the men to muster on the green. William stood with 16 year old fifer Jonathan Harrington, while they waited for the Red Coats. It is assumed that at 16 years old, William Dimond would run off the green when the Red Coats advanced towards the Minute Men. Around noon time the same day, William Dimond and Jonathan Harrington marched off the green with Captain Parkers men towards Concord playing White Cockade. William Dimond went off to war and grew up in the army. At the end of the war he returned to Lexington where he married Rebecca Simonds on March 6, 1783. Together they had six children. Rebecca, William, Mary, John, Elizabeth, and Lydia who all married and had families of their own. Sometime in the 1790s William moved his family to Peterboro NH. All of their children were born in Lexington except for Lydia who was born in Peterboro. On July 29, 1828, at the age of 70, William Dimond passed away in Peterboro, NH.
The present day Minute Men who re-enact events of the past
