MA, USA
Major John Buttrick
1731–1791 · Militia Officer · Farmer · Leader
1731–1791
Militia Officer · Farmer · Leader
John Buttrick was a prosperous Concord farmer and experienced militia officer who found himself in command at the most consequential moment of April 19, 1775. When provincial militia gathered on Punkatasset Hill saw smoke rising from Concord center, they believed—incorrectly—that the British were burning the town.
Buttrick led the advance toward North Bridge. As the militia approached, British soldiers fired. Americans fell. According to multiple accounts, Buttrick then shouted words to the effect of "Fire, fellow soldiers! For God's sake, fire!" The American volley that followed drove the British back.
Whether Buttrick actually gave a formal order or simply expressed what everyone was thinking remains debated. What matters is that at this moment, colonial resistance transformed from passive to active. Men who had been told not to fire unless fired upon were now firing back.
Buttrick survived the war and continued to serve his community. He died in 1791, having witnessed the birth of a nation he helped create at the bridge that morning.
In Concord
- Apr 1775Concord Militia Musters at Wright Tavern(Militia Officer)
After Dr. Samuel Prescott arrived with the alarm around 1:30 AM, the Concord militia began assembling at Wright Tavern in the town center. Colonel James Barrett took overall command, with Major John Buttrick as his second. Amos Barrett later recalled the confusion and determination of those early morning hours—men arriving in the dark, some still pulling on coats, muskets in hand. By dawn, about 250 militia and minutemen had gathered. Barrett made the critical decision to withdraw to a ridge north of town rather than meet the British column head-on. This tactical retreat allowed time for more militia companies to arrive and positioned the Americans above North Bridge.
- Apr 1775Battle of North Bridge(Commander)
The engagement at North Bridge marked the first successful American armed resistance to British regulars. Approximately 400 colonial militia, having gathered on Punkatasset Hill overlooking the bridge, advanced when they saw smoke rising from the town center—they believed the British were burning Concord. As the militia approached, British light infantry companies at the bridge fired warning shots, then volleys. Two Americans fell dead, including Captain Isaac Davis of Acton. Major John Buttrick of Concord reportedly shouted "Fire, fellow soldiers! For God's sake, fire!" The provincials discharged a volley that killed three British soldiers and wounded nine others. The British retreated in disorder. For the first time, colonial militia had stood, fired, and driven back the King's troops. The psychological impact was immense: the "invincible" regulars could be beaten. The dead British soldiers were buried near the bridge. A famous epitaph, attributed to Concord poet Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandfather, reads: "They came three thousand miles and died / To keep the past upon its throne."
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