British View
To the best of my recollection about 4 o’clock in the morning being the 19th of April, the five front companies were ordered to load, which they did.” It was at Lexington when we saw one of their companies drawn up in regular order. Major Pitcairn of the Marines second in command called them to disperse, but their not seeming willing, he desired us to mind our places which we did when they gave us a fire, they run off to get behind a wall. We had one man wounded in our company in the leg, his name was Johnson. Also, Major Pitcairn’s horse was shot in the flank; we returned their salute, and before we proceeded on our march from Lexington, I believe we killed and wounded either 7 or 8 men.” (1)
(1) Ensign Jeremy Lister, youngest of the British officers at Lexington, in a personal narrative written in 1782 (Archives, Washington D.C..)
American View
“We Nathaniel Mulliken, Philip Russell, (Followed by the names of 32 other men present on Lexington Green on April 19, 1775)…All of lawful age, and inhabitants of Lexington, in the County of Middlesex…do testify and declare, that on the nineteenth of April instant, about one or two o’clock in the morning, being informed that a body of regulars were marching from Boston towards Concord. We were alarmed and having met at the place of our company’s parade (Lexington Green), were dismissed by our Captain, John Parker, for the present, with orders to be ready to attend at the beat of the drum. We further testify and declare that about five o’clock in the morning, hearing our drum beat, we proceeded towards the parade, and soon found that a large body of troops were marching towards us, some of our company were coming to the parade, and others had reached it, at which time, the company began to disperse, whilst our backs were turned on the troops, we were fired on by them, and a number of our men were instantly killed and wounded, not a gun was fired by any person in our company on the regulars to our knowledge before they fired on us, and continued firing until we had all made our escape. Lexington, April 25, 1775.”(2)
(2) Sworn by 34 minutemen on April 25 before three Justices of the Peace. (Archives, Washington D.C.)