Leaving Longfellow Behind

The media has had some fun the last few days deriding Sarah Palin for a perceived gaffe, not knowing her history, when she stated that Paul Revere warned the British we were waiting.

What a silly woman. Everyone knows Revere warned the Americans the British were coming.

Perhaps they should read and research their history a little more, instead of relying on Henry W's account.

First and foremost the British were given secret orders to capture and destroy the military supplies at Concord. And to arrest those brigands Sam Adams (the spirit and soul) and John Hancock (the bankroll). Clap them in irons and all that.

On the night he and his fellow riders (yes, you don't hear much about that, either. There were 3 of them. Revere, William Dawes and Dr Samuel Prescott. And their primary mission was to warn Adams and Hancock to skeedaddle) raised the alarm they were arrested by the British. Prescott and Dawes managed to escape almost immediately. Revere was further detained and told his captors that 500 militia were waiting for them. Waiting to resist them. Waiting to protect their arms. He repeated the entire story under threat of summary execution when they placed a pistol to his head and threatened to "blow his brains out" if he didn't answer all their questions.

Poppycock you say?

Revere's own words:

I was about one hundred Rod a head, when I saw two men,
in nearly the same situation as those officer were, near
Charlestown. I called for the Doctor & Daws to come up; -
were two & we would have them in an Instant I was
surrounded by four; - they had placed themselves in a Straight
Road, that inclined each way; they had taken down a pair of
Barrs on the North side of the Road, & two of them were under
a tree in the pasture. The Docter being foremost, he came up;
and we tryed to git past them; but they being armed with pis-
tols & swords, they forced us in to the pasture; -the Docter jum-
ped his Horse over a low Stone wall, and got to Concord.

I observed a Wood at a Small distance, & made for that.
When I got there, out Started Six officers, on Horse back,
and orderd me to dismount;-one of them, who appeared
to have the command, examined me, where I came from,
& what my Name Was? I told him. it was Revere, he as-
ked if it was Paul? I told him yes He asked me if
I was an express? I answered in the afirmative. He
demanded what time I left Boston? I told him; and
aded, that their troops had catched aground in passing the River,
and that There would be five hundred Americans there
in a short time, for I had alarmed the Country all the way up.
He imediately rode towards those who stoppd us,
when all five of them came down upon a full gallop;
one of them, whom I afterwards found to be Major
Mitchel, of the 5th Regiment, Clapped his pistol to my head, called me by name,
& told me he was going to ask me some questions, & if I
did not give him true answers, he would blow my
brains out. He then asked me similar questions to those
above. He then orderd me to mount my Horse, after
searching me for arms. He then orderd them to advance,
& to lead me in front.

(you can read the entire Revere letter here)

Eventually, they relieved Revere of his horse for their own use, released him and he made his way on foot back to Lexington.

So it may or may not have been a gaffe, although I doubt it. She has the weight of history behind her. She may not have the facts quite right, but she has them more correct than people like Chris Wallace. I knew this story, why didn't the pundits?

Perhaps instead of telling Sarah Palin she doesn't know her history, Americans should first learn it themselves. Instead of relying on popular accounts and poetry.

Because the actions of Revere and his compatriots that night were far more heroic than most people know.