This is the day you’ve been waiting for!

Okay. Maybe not you. But this is the day I’ve been waiting for!

On this day in the year 1775 the battles of Lexington and Concord were fought.

[Also, in the year 1809, the Siege of Ratisbon (Napoleonic Wars)]

Truth be told, things were already in play before the 19th, but you knew that.

Daily Readings 4/19

• Emerson’s “Concord Hymn”
• Browning’s “Incident of the French Camp” [the siege]

The “Concord Hymn” is below the fold. I’d like to recommend a Daily Reading of my own today. “The Memorandum on Events of April 18, 1775” by Paul Revere. It’s short. Here’s a snippet:

He [Prescot] took to the left, I to the right, towards a Wood, at the bottom of the Pasture intending, when I gained that, to jump my Horse & run afoot; just as I reached it, out started six officers, siesed my bridle, put their pistols to my Breast, ordered me to dismount, which I did. One of them, who appeared to have the command there, and much of a Gentleman, asked me where I came from; I told him, he asked what time I left it; I told him, he seemed surprised, said Sr, may I crave your name. I answered my name is Revere, what said he, Paul Revere; I answered yes; the others abused me much; but he told me not to be afraid, no one should hurt me. I told him they would miss their Aim. He said they should not, they were only wait for some Deserters they expected down the Road. I told him I knew better, I knew what they were after; that I had alarmed the country all the way up, that their Boats were catch’d aground, and I should have 500 men there soon; one of them said they had 1500 coming; he seemed surprised and road off into the road, and informed them who took me, they came down immeditly on a full gallop, one of them (whom I since learned, was Major Mitchel of the 5th Regt) clapd his Pistol to my head, and said he was going to me some questions, if I did not tell the truth, he would blow my brains out. I told him I esteemed myself a man of truth, the he had stopped me on the highway, & made me a prisoner, I knew not by what right; I would tell him the truth; I was not afraid. 

Paul Revere’s story is absolutely fascinating– all of their stories are fascinating. Paul Revere’s Ride by David Hackett Fischer (1994) is an outstanding book, especially if you like history and historiography– and who doesn’t? Here’s the blurb from Audible:

I first became aware of Paul Revere’s Ride when reading “Using Metadata to Find Paul Revere” which if you like numbers and statistics and meta-analysis and stuff like that– and who doesn’t?– is a real hoot. Here is how it begins:

London, 1772.

I have been asked by my superiors to give a brief demonstration of the surprising effectiveness of even the simplest techniques of the new-fangled Social Networke Analysis in the pursuit of those who would seek to undermine the liberty enjoyed by His Majesty’s subjects. This is in connection with the discussion of the role of “metadata” in certain recent events and the assurances of various respectable parties that the government was merely “sifting through this so-called metadata” and that the “information acquired does not include the content of any communications”. I will show how we can use this “metadata” to find key persons involved in terrorist groups operating within the Colonies at the present time. I shall also endeavour to show how these methods work in what might be called a relational manner.

The analysis in this report is based on information gathered by our field agent Mr David Hackett Fischer and published in an Appendix to his lengthy report to the government. As you may be aware, Mr Fischer is an expert and respected field Agent with a broad and deep knowledge of the colonies. I, on the other hand, have made my way from Ireland with just a little quantitative training—I placed several hundred rungs below the Senior Wrangler during my time at Cambridge—and I am presently employed as a junior analytical scribe at ye olde National Security Administration. Sorry, I mean the Royal Security Administration. And I should emphasize again that I know nothing of current affairs in the colonies. However, our current Eighteenth Century beta of PRISM has been used to collect and analyze information on more than two hundred and sixty persons (of varying degrees of suspicion) belonging variously to seven different organizations in the Boston area.

Rest assured that we only collected metadata on these people, and no actual conversations were recorded or meetings transcribed. All I know is whether someone was a member of an organization or not. Surely this is but a small encroachment on the freedom of the Crown’s subjects. 

Using Metadata to find Paul Revere

Please to note that Longfellow’s poem is riddled with errors. Emerson’s poem is below the fold. “And fired the shot heard round the world.”

Concord Hymn, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Sung at the Completion of the Battle Monument, July 4, 1837.

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
   Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
   And fired the shot heard round the world.
The foe long since in silence slept;
   Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
   Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.
On this green bank, by this soft stream,
   We set today a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
   When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare
   To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
   The shaft we raise to them and thee.