MA, USA
Jonas Parker
Militiaman · Farmer
Militiaman · Farmer
Jonas Parker, related to militia captain John Parker, was among the Lexington men who stood on the Green that April morning. The details of his death suggest particular bravery or particular misfortune—or both.
According to accounts, Jonas was wounded early in the brief engagement. Rather than flee, he reportedly remained on his knees, attempting to reload his musket. Before he could fire again, he was run through with a bayonet.
His death exemplifies the awful reality of that morning: these were not trained soldiers but farmers and tradesmen facing professional infantry. Eight died in minutes. Jonas Parker's body was among those later gathered by grieving neighbors.
The Lexington Green memorials include his name, but little else is known about his life before that fatal morning.
In Lexington
- Apr 1775Captain Parker Musters the Militia(Militiaman)
After receiving warning of the British approach, Captain John Parker ordered the Lexington militia bell rung to summon the town's minutemen and militia to the Green. The men assembled in the cold darkness, some having run from their homes, others emerging from Buckman Tavern where they had been waiting. Parker, 45 years old and suffering from tuberculosis that would kill him within five months, faced a terrible decision. His men were vastly outnumbered. Retreat would be prudent; standing would be principled. According to tradition, Parker told his men: "Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." The authenticity of these exact words is debated, but they capture the defiant spirit of men who chose to stand.
- Apr 1775Battle of Lexington(Militiaman)
The first military engagement of the American Revolution. Approximately 77 Lexington militiamen, led by Captain John Parker, assembled on Lexington Green before dawn to face the approaching British column of about 700 soldiers under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith and Major John Pitcairn. As the British formed up and demanded the militia disperse, a shot was fired—by whom remains unknown. In the ensuing chaos, the British fired volleys into the militia. Eight Americans were killed (Jonas Parker, Samuel Hadley, Jonathan Harrington, Robert Munroe, Isaac Muzzey, Caleb Harrington, John Brown, and Asahel Porter) and ten wounded. Only one British soldier was injured. The brief, lopsided engagement lasted perhaps ten minutes, but its consequences were revolutionary.
- Apr 1775Lexington Depositions Collected(Militiaman)
In the days following the battle, Patriots in Lexington collected sworn depositions from militia members and eyewitnesses. These statements, gathered under the direction of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, were intended to establish that the British had fired first. The depositions—from men like Nathaniel Mulliken, John Parker, and others—became critical propaganda tools. Copies were rushed to England aboard the schooner Quero, arriving before the British military's official account. These eyewitness testimonies remain among the most important primary sources for understanding what happened on Lexington Green. The effort demonstrated that the Patriots understood the battle for public opinion was as important as the battle itself.