Ebenezer

From behind a tree he watched as the Redcoats retreated. All around him, shots were fired and he watched as the British soldiers tightened their ranks as their comrades fell.

Ebenezer Shanks was excited and afraid at the same time. He had been awakened by the ringing of the church bell. Strange, he thought as he lay there, it isn’t Sunday so why is it ringing. He remembered his father telling him about fighting Indians and the bell being rung to warn people. But that was long ago. There hadn’t been any Indian uprisings in years.

Coming down from the loft, he watched his father take down his musket from the wall pegs, grab his powder horn and bag, don his hat, kiss his mother and rush out the door. “What’s happening? Where is father going?” he asked.

“The British are coming. The militia has been called out. The Reverend knocked on their door and said they were rallying on the green,” his mother answered.

He raced to the door only to be collared by his mother.

“Where do you think you are going?”

“I want to go! I want to see what happens!”

“You are not leaving this house! Now sit down and eat your breakfast! That is an order!”

Ebenezer knew he had to obey his mother. If he didn’t a trip to the woodshed would be his fate. He had felt his father’s belt before. He didn’t want to feel it again.

He knew that powder and shot had been stored here in Lexington. He also knew that they had been warned that a raid was coming and the ammunition had been moved.

Finishing his breakfast, he went up to the loft and found a crack, in the clapboard siding, where he could see the green. In the distance, he could hear the rat-a-tat-tat of the British drums and the high-pitched notes of the fifes. In a couple of minutes, the British arrived. They entered the green and filed into a rank facing the militia.

What happened next would always be a mystery. A shot was fired and it started. To this day no one knows who fired the shot, but fired it was.

Ebenezer struggled to see what was happening. The firing and smoke made it hard to see. As the smoke cleared he could see the crumpled forms of the militia lying on the ground. With a relief, he saw his father still standing. The British commander ordered a charge and the militia scattered. The Redcoats fell into rank and file and marched out of the village towards Concord.

He watched his mother and the other ladies rush to the green to see if they could help. Blankets were thrown over 8 dead men. He could hear the screams of anguish as the deceased family members descended on their loved ones.

The rest of the militia took off after the Redcoats.

He came down from the loft, snuck out the door, and followed them. Ebenezer figured it justified a trip to the woodshed. This was too exciting to miss.

Staying out of sight, he followed using the tree line for concealment. He had no trouble keeping up with the militia. He knew they were going to Concord which was less than seven miles away. He watched as men on horseback rode off in every direction. He knew they were spreading the news.

As the militia followed other men joined them. At first, it was a handful. By the time they reached Concord, there were hundreds coming from all directions. Everyone was armed and ready for a fight. Militias from neighboring towns arrived ready for battle. Other boys just like him followed behind.

Ebenezer’s best friend, William, caught up with him.

“Eb, is your dad alright?” asked William.

“He’s all right? Yours?”

“He got shot in the leg. They don’t know if they can save it or not.”

“Did you watch it?”

“I sure did. I hope we give the Redcoats what they deserve.”

“Me too!”

The British entered Concord only to face fierce resistance. The high ground surrounding the town was covered with Minutemen. The Redcoats did a hasty search, burned what little they found, and then beat a hasty retreat. They had a twenty-mile march back to Boston.

What followed became a turkey shoot of massive proportion. Their only escape was the road leading to Boston. The Minutemen took advantage of every tree, wall, bridge, or building that they could find. The firing was non stop and the Redcoats dropped in their tracks.

In frustration, the British would turn around, form ranks, and try to fight back. The minutemen, fighting like Indians, would take cover, offering no targets for the Redcoats to fire at. They would about-face, form a file, and march on. Immediately they would start taking fire. All they could do was get back to Boston as quickly as they could.

Ebenezer followed along, searching until he found his father. He found him crouching behind a stone wall reloading his musket. Ebenezer snuck up behind him and tapped him on the back. Startled, his father turned around.

“Ebenezer! What are you doing here? It’s too dangerous out here!”

“I wanted to see. Father, they aren’t shooting back. Can I come? Please?”

His father studied him for a minute and then answered.

“It’s time you became a man. You are thirteen years old. It is time. Follow me and stay low. Do exactly as I tell you. Understand?”

“Yes, Father, I understand.”

He watched his father shoot an officer off of his horse. He reloaded and handed Ebenezer the musket.

“Can you do it?”

Ebenezer steadied the musket on the top of the wall, took aim, and fired. To both of their amazement, he watched as a Redcoat crumple to the ground. Handing the musket back, he began to cry.

“Go ahead and cry. You just took a man’s life. I’d be disappointed with you if you didn’t. Son, I’m proud of you,” said his father.

He walked beside his father all the way home. He was proud so of his Father.

“Ebenezer, do you understand what happened today?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered.

“Ebenezer, we want to be free. We have to break our ties with the British. This is the beginning of what will probably be a war, a war for our freedom. Son, I’m willing to die for freedom. I don’t want to but I am willing if it means you will live in a free country.”

“I don’t want you to die!”

“I know, son, I know. It’s in the Lord’s hands.”

They returned home to a very concerned wife and mother. She met them at the door with a hug.

“Thank the good Lord you are safe,” she cried.

Then she stared at Ebenezer.

“What were you thinking? You could have been killed! I think a trip to the woodshed is in order!”

He started for the door and was stopped by his Father.

“Not this time. He became a man today. He saw life and death up close. And he also saw what I hope will become our freedom from tyranny. He knows we have to fight for our freedom. In fact, I’m proud of him. He stood beside me in the thick of it. He also killed a man today with my musket. I pray he will be able to tell his children about this day. The day a shot was heard around the world.”

June 25, 2023