Hagist on “British Soldiers in Concord,” 6 Feb.

On Saturday, 6 February, the Friends of Minute Man Park will host the group’s annual winter lecture online, featuring Don N. Hagist speaking on “The British Soldiers who Came to Concord.”

The event description says:

Some 700 red-coated soldiers marched from Boston to Concord on April 19, 1775. Who were the men in those uniforms? This talk will describe the ages, places of birth, background, and eventual fate of the British sergeants, corporals, drummers, fifers, and private soldiers who fought in the opening conflict of the Revolutionary War. Meet some of the individuals who enlisted in the British army and came to America to insure peace, only to find themselves thrust into war.

Don Hagist will no doubt be sharing the research from his latest book, These Distinguished Corps: British Grenadier and Light Infantry Battalions in the American Revolution. (Follow that link to order an autographed copy from Books on the Square in Providence.) All the soldiers who reached Concord were from those elite “flank companies.”

Don is the editor of the Journal of the American Revolution and author of several previous books on the British army during the Revolutionary War, including Noble Volunteers: The British Soldiers who Fought the American Revolution (2020), British Soldiers, American War: Voices of the American Revolution (2012), and A British Soldier’s Story: Roger Lamb’s Narrative of the American Revolution (2004). He’s also written about the Continental side, as in The Revolution’s Last Men: The Soldiers Behind the Photographs (2015).

This program is free for anyone who registers in advance. It will start at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday.