Long before the firing started in Lexington, Bedford's Minutemen had been warned by Lexington's Captain Parker, who had sent two young men, Benjamin Tidd and Nathaniel Monroe into Bedford as couriers.

The men rode up to the door of Cornet Page's house, and striking the door shouted "Get up, Nat Page; the Redcoats are out."

The oldest structure in the center of Bedford is the historically significant Fitch Tavern. It was here, while Jeremiah Fitch, a sergeant of the Bedford Militia company, was operating it as a tavern, that twenty-six Bedford Minutemen gathered on the morning of April 19, 1775, following the alarm that the British were on the march from Boston.

It was in the tap room that Mr. Fitch called the Minutemen to gather about the warmth of the fireplace while young Lydia Fitch served up cold cornmeal mush and hot buttered rum. Captain Jonathan Wilson looked into the eyes of his men and spoke the famous words, "It is a cold breakfast, boys, but we'll give the British a hot dinner; we'll have every dog of them before night." The Minutemen then marched on foot to Concord, joining the fifty men of the Bedford Militia en route.

Bedford Minutemen had no losses at Concord Bridge as Nathaniel Page proudly carried the Bedford Flag becoming the first flag to be taken into an American battle. Wearily the British retreated toward Boston confronting the Bedford Minutemen that were among the first to engage them in the most severe fighting of the day. It was at Merriam's Corner in Concord that the Bedford companies had their first casualties. Job Lane was severely wounded and Captain of the Bedford Minuteman Company Jonathan Wilson was mortally wounded. Captain Wilson was carried into the Merriam's house, where he later died. It was with sad hearts that the Bedford men carried back the body of their brave Captain.

Grief that day could not keep the Bedford Minutemen from their sworn duty to their fellow Minutemen; before the day was over they would again assemble for the long march to Cambridge and the continuing battles.

Source of Above:

Bedford Minuteman Company

http://www.bedfordminutemancompany.org

Back View of Flag

THE BEDFORD FLAG

"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them...."

"...The one thing that is absolute is that the Second Amendment guarantees a personal and individual right to keep and bear arms, and prohibits government from disarming the people...."