William Dawes

(1745-1799)

We've all heard about Paul Revere's midnight ride to warn the colonists that the British Army was approaching, but had you heard Revere wasn't the only rider?  On the night of April 18, 1775, William Dawes took a land route heading toward Lexington, getting out of Boston just before the city was sealed off.  His warning spread throughout the towns, making it possible for a militia to be organized by the next morning. It is unknown, however, if Dawes had any part in the battle that followed.  During the war, he served as quartermaster.  And a cool fun fact, he died in Marlborough, MA!