"If they mean to have a war, let it begin here."

This morning Lincoln and I took the kids to the Battle of Lexington re-enactment. Or, to be more precise, I should say that I dragged Lincoln and the kids out of bed at 4:45 a.m. to attend the Battle of Lexington re-enactment. I was, however, nice enough to get us a hotel room in Lexington the night before so that I didn't have to drag them out of bed at 4:00 a.m. See, aren't I considerate?

Anyhoo.....

After a very rough night of Jake tossing and turning and talking in his sleep and waking us all up constantly, I hopped out of bed when the alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. and quickly got everyone up. We layered up the kids (and ourselves) in warm clothes since it was only about forty degrees out. Luckily I had mentioned to my boss that we were going to the re-enactment today because he has been there before and suggested we take a ladder. I thought he was crazy at first but luckily I listened to him and had Lincoln toss his ladder in the back of my car. There had to have been at least a thousand people gathered around the Lexington Common this morning. In the area where we were, up on a ladder towards the back, there were probably 20 rows of people in front of us. Kids were up in trees, ladders were everywhere, one family even had a small scaffolding unit, it was crazy.

Right at 5:45 a.m. the Master of Ceremonies gave a little background in regards to the Battle of Lexington and what we were about to see. He explained that a handful of the Minutemen were waiting on the Common and the rest were in Buckman's Tavern. Scouts would ride down the road to see where the British Regulars were and report back and that is where the re-enactment would start. A man on horseback rides to the tavern and tells them the Regulars are a half mile away. The rest of the Minutemen come out of the tavern and the colonists gather on the Common. Paul Revere and another man come running out of Buckman's Tavern carrying a chest full of papers belonging to John Hancock and Sam Adams. The papers, if found by the British, would have been enough to convict Hancock and Adams of treason. The two men run across the Common and hide the trunk. The Minutemen stand there, roughly grouped together in a couple of lines, and you can see some of them sort of start backing away in nervousness and fear as you hear the drums coming towards the Common.

This is what blew me away. I've studied American History for many years and have a college degree to prove it. I've watched documentaries and read books but there is nothing like this to make you really feel history. To watch this little ragtag bunch of people gathered together on a cold New England morning at dawn, and to watch them listening to the drums knowing that what was - at the time - the most powerful army in the entire world marching their way was incredible. What they must have been thinking is too insane to even contemplate!

Our view of the approaching army was blocked by a huge pine tree but you could certainly hear them coming. Once they were all on the Common and lined up it was impressive. The two "armies" - and I use that term lightly in regards to the colonists - were not very far apart and the British Regulars made for an incredibly impressive sight with their bright uniforms and perfect line formations. When, at the call of their General, they all pulled out their bayonets and attached them to their guns, I'll admit it definitely would have made me want to turn and run. Imagine a handful of farmers and townspeople preparing to stare down the King's Army with their hunting rifles and they're just watching this wall of well trained soldiers advancing. I shudder just thinking about it. I've always respected the colonists who fought for our country's freedom but today it meant that much more. These guys didn't know what was going to happen. They didn't know if the rest of the people would continue to fight or if this was a one time deal. They didn't know anything but the fact that they were facing down A FREAKING ARMY with squirrel hunting guns.

Around the edges of the Common, along the crowd, you also see the occasional women and children who were hovering around to watch their menfolk fight. As the British army gathers their men back into formation after the battle, and then march off playing Yankee Doodle Dandy on their fife and drum, the women and children come out to gather the wounded and dead.

Just amazing.

I'm sure this morning didn't have the same impact on Lincoln and the kids as it did on me but I'm so glad that they were willing to share it with me. It truly was an unbelievable experience.