About 700 British regulars marched from Boston toward Concord during the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
On April 18, 1775, General Thomas Gage ordered Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith to lead the expedition. Its objective was to reach Concord and destroy colonial military supplies believed to be stored there. The troops moved at night, hoping to preserve secrecy and catch the colonists unprepared.
Patriot intelligence networks learned of the British movement, and riders including Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott helped spread the warning. Colonial militia began assembling before the expedition reached Concord. At Lexington, the British encountered local militiamen; at Concord’s Old North Bridge, colonial forces later confronted British troops directly.
The expedition did not achieve its objective. Most of the supplies had already been moved, and the British column faced increasing resistance during its retreat to Boston. The day’s fighting marked the opening of the Revolutionary War, although the Declaration of Independence would not be adopted until the following year.