Patriot's Day 2026 and the Acton Minutemen
This blog post will be a little different from they others. Yesterday was Patriots Day, an annual Massachusetts State holiday to honor those who fought for the Massachusetts colony against the British in the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775.
First - a memory. When our family moved to Acton, we picked a house that we could afford during a single crazy week. We didn't notice that down the street and around the corner, about a mile from our house, is a historical marker for the homestead of Isaac Davis. It didn't take long for us to learn who Isaac Davis was.
Isaac Davis was a blacksmith and gunsmith. He was also the captain of the Acton Minutemen, the local militia. Ever since the British Parliament revoked the Provincial Charter of Massachusetts in 1775, towns all over the area began training their local militia companies. In Acton, the local militia was trained and ready. Isaac Davis even fitted their guns with bayonets, not common among Minutemen.
Most everyone has heard of the ride of Paul Revere, but he and fellow rider William Dawes were captured by the British just outside of Lexington. A third rider, the twenty-four year old doctor Samuel Prescott escaped and alerted Concord and Acton.
Once the alarm was received, the Acton Militiamen assembled at Isaac Davis' house and marched to Concord. In addition to the militiamen, the local schoolmaster James Hayward brought his father's gun and joined the march. He was exempted from militia service because of a childhood injury to his foot, but he joined the march anyway. By 9:00am, there were over 400 Minutemen gathered at Col. James Barrett's farm in Concord, including the Concord and Acton Minutemen. The assembled companies marched to the bluffs overlooking the North Bridge in Concord. They saw smoke rising from the direction of downtown Concord and assumed the British were attacking the town. Col. Barrett asked Isaac Davis if the Acton Minutemen were willing to lead. His answer has been quoted as "I haven't a man who is afraid to go". Local lore says they were chosen to lead because they were the only Minutemen who had bayonets.
So the Acton Minutemen lead the charge down the hill toward the North Bridge. The British troops fired a few warning shots, then opened fire with a full volley. Isaac Davis was shot through the heart and died instantly. Abner Hosmer, the drummer for the Acton Minutemen, was also killed in the first volley.
Major John Buttrick rushed to the front of the Minutemen and ordered them to open fire. Sixteen British troops were killed in the first volley, and they retreated in the direction of Boston. The Minutemen chased them and several skirmishes occurred.
After the initial skirmish and chase, James Hayward stopped at a well in front of a house near the Concord/Lexington border to get a drink. As he did, a British soldier came out of the house, and the two men shot each other, both fatally.
So at the end of the day, Acton lost three men - Isaac Davis, Abner Hosmer, and James Hayward. Many years later, in 1851, the Town of Acton honored them with a monument on the green in front of the Town Hall.
This is a genealogy blog, so here's the genealogy part. The Bradley family tree includes many, many of the original settlers of Concord, and Acton was settled by many people who were born in Concord. Therefore, it is not surprising how many people in this event are connected to Dave. Captain Isaac Davis is Dave's second cousin seven times removed. Joseph Hayward and Abner Hosmer are Dave's first cousins seven times removed. Lieut. John Hayward of the Acton Minutemen is also Dave's first cousin seven times removed.
Dr. Samuel Prescott is also Dave's first cousin seven times removed. Concord Minuteman Humphrey Barrett Jr. is Dave's eighth great-grandfather. Major John Buttrick of Concord is Dave's second cousin seven times removed. Col. James Barrett is his first cousin eight times removed. He is also related to Acton Minutemen Simon Hunt, Benjamin Hayward, and Ephraim Billings.
Side note - Ken Burns' series on the Revolutionary War includes a depiction of the events recounted above. It is highly recommended!
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