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Back to AMERICAN REVELATION Main Page So what really happened at the Battle of Lexington and the Battle of Bunker Hill?For "The American Revelation," we combined a couple characters and made a few minor assumptions. For instance, we don't know for sure that Caesar Bason was at Lexington, but since he lived nearby, it's likely he could have been called to the battle. Except for minor points like this, we remained historically accurate, including some well-documented facts. Here are a few: Battle of Lexington Crispus Attucks--a mulatto (half African-American, half Native-American)--was the first person to die in the Revolutionary War. He was shot in the Boston Massacre in 1770. William Diamond was the 16-year-old drummer at the Battle of Lexington. You can see a picture of his drum on this website. Eight men died and ten were wounded at the Battle of Lexington. Isaac Muzzy, a teenager, was one of the fatalities. Among the injured: Prince Estabrooks (or Easterbrooks)--an African-American slave who fought in the battle. It's not known if he at the Battle of Lexington, but records show he fought in every other major battle of the Revolutionary War. After the war, he received his freedom. African-Americans and whites fought side by side in the Revolutionary War--the most integrated army until modern times. Battle of Bunker Hill All night long, American troops dug a dirt fort under cover of darkness. They were supposed to be relieved in the morning by fresh troops. But the British started firing on the fort before the new troops arrived. And so, the tired men who had dug all night now became the defenders. Early in the morning, the British fired cannonballs into the fort. One man was killed, and the troops were thrown into panic. Colonel William Prescott climbed up high on a ridge and encouraged his men to fight on. Historical documents show more than 60 African-Americans fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Among them, Caesar Bason, Peter Salem, and Salem Poor (referred to as "Mystery Man" in the show). All told, around 5000 African-Americans fought for the American side in the Revolutionary War. About the same number fought for the British, who promised them conditional freedom. In the battle, Peter Salem shot British Major John Pitcairn. And Salem Poor shot British Lieutenant Colonel James Abercromby. The troops ran out of ammunition and started throwing rocks, nails, and anything they could findãincluding the tools they used to dig the fortãto fight off the British advance. As the British stormed the fort, Caesar Bason was shot in the leg. After his injury, Captain Aaron Smith and Caesarãa white captain and an African-American soldierãjoined together in fighting off the British and defending the retreat of the Americans. After stray gunfire disabled Captain Smith¼s musket, the captain tried to carry his injured soldier to safety. But Caesar was too big for him. Caesar asked the captain to leave him behind. "Give åem one for Caesar," he said. It¼s not clear what happened to Caesar next. Some accounts say he died in the trenches. Others say he was taken prisoner by the British. Either way, it¼s most probable that he died, since gun shot wounds to the leg were almost always fatal during this time. African-American Salem Poor (referred to as "Mystery Man" in the show) was later commended by 14 white officers for his bravery in the Battle of Bunker Hill. This is the document Whit refers to at the end. |
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