MIDNIGHT RIDERS Following a convoluted series of events, Paul Revere and William Dawes were sent to alet | Lexington and Concord that the British were coming. But it was a virtually forgotten third rider who would complete their mission. Charles J. Caes In the days leading up to April 15,1775, Dr. Joseph War- ren had been receiving reports of unsual movements within the Bristish army as well as increased activity aboard the king’s ships in Boston Harbor. On that Sun- day, Warren, now nearly in complete charge of the radical groups increasingly protesting British rule, including the action-oriented Sons of Liberty, decided that the reported movements were suspicious enough to be brought to the attention of John Hancock and John Adams in Lexington. ‘The man Warren called on to give that warning was none other than Paul Revere, one of the leaders of the Sons. Revere was a popular and often recruited messenger: He was swift, intelligent and dependable. An engraver and silversmith by profession, Revere longed for a mili tary commission but found he could best serve the colo- nies as a courier, printer and gunpowder manufacturer. He would eventually get his chance to command troops, but that opportunity would not present itself until the war was 3 years old. For now, Revere was satisfied to work with the Sons of Liberty, the group of freedom fighters who had banded together a decade earlier in response to British taxation, Since 1765, the Sons had been threatening and harassing British officials, ostracizing or punishing supporters of the king, and coercing merchants to stop buying goods from the mother country. Samuel Adams, who was look. ing for every opportunity to break with England, and other leaders of the revolutionary element were gaining impressive ground, though the true extent of their popu- lar support remained unsure. Colonials were an indepen- dent lot. Revere made haste to Lexington, trying to attracts lit- tle attention as possible. He knew that the British com- mander, General Thomas Gage, had at least one spy among the Sons and that this spy and other Gage men ai- ways kept an eye on his movements, Nevertheless, Re- vere made the 15-mile journey without incident. He duly reported at his destination, “Boats belonging to the trans- 54 ports were all launched and carried under the Sters§ Men of War.” He may also have reported that, thei fore, British troops in Boston had been taken of duties and might be preparing to march the 18 mis Concord, where they could seize or destroy the arms ammunition in the town’s well-known arsenal. “I returned at night through Charlestown, ce j called in a 1798 account given to Dr. Jeremy "FT founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society. 1s: agreed with a Colonel [William] Conant and som” gentleman, that if the British went out by Wil, ‘would shew two lanthorns in the Old North 1 a } ple; and ifby land, one, asa signal; for we were PPT sive it would be difficult to cross the Charles Rive over Boston neck.” a Dr. Warren probably realized thathe would $0 to ask Revere to carry another message from TV might be one that would forever change ae corral lonial history. Warren was well aware the © og tween England and its colonies might S00 Sy blows. He knew that the majority of olor themselves as citizens of England, and 2°07 might support the protests against the ores fl ‘sought the same political and economic a ra ish subjects rather than a complete break erland. Warren also realized that ee outspoken Colonial leaders sought full ind What he didn’t know was whether 0 Pog dent citizens-at-large would give thelr © Sons of Liberty and other ae who take up arms against the British. a Relations bareea England and ad deteriorating rapidly following an ev of curred some 16 months before. On the e¥ 1 ber 16, 1773, about 60 men disguised aor had raided three ships in Boston Hart others from Boston and neighboring 10° the raiders went into the ships’ holds,