Declaring Independence The News of Lexington and Concord in the Virginia Gazette
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- April 19 1775
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The News of Lexington and Concord in the Virginia Gazette
The exchange of gunfire at Lexington and Concord on April 19 was first reported in a supplement of William Pinkney's Virginia Gazette on April 28, 1775. The account begins at the bottom of the first column and reads:
"April 24. An Express arrived at 5 o'clock this evening, by which we have the following interesting advices.
WATERTOWN, New England, Wednesday morning, 10 o'clock.
To all friends of American liberty, be it known, that this morning, before break of day, a brigade consisting of about 1000 or 1200 men, landed at Phipps Farm, at Cambridge and marched to Lexington, where they found a company of our colony militia in arms, upon who they fired without any provocation and killed 6 men, and wounded 4 others. . . ."
Later information showed that 700 British soldiers marched to Lexington, eightAmericans died on the green, and nine were wounded. Both sides denied firing the first shot.