~ The Old Sachem ~

A British encounter before Lexington and Concord

By Bill Stewart

You probably know all about the revolutionary battles of Lexington and Concord where the British soldiers confronted patriots after tramping north from Boston. That happened on April 19, 1775.

But there was an earlier confrontation in Salem named “Leslie’s Retreat.” This is a long overdue story of the encounter between British forces and the people of Salem. The British had information that townspeople had cannons stored in the armory in Salem, and the British wanted to seize them.

On February 26, 1775, British troops, led by Colonel Alexander Leslie, went from Boston north to Salem to remove the cannons that the British believed to be in Salem in possession of the militia. The British forces sailed to Marblehead then marched to Salem. An inflamed citizenry was determined to stop the search. The colonists flooded the streets to prevent the troops from reaching the armory. Residents, including militia members, blocked British troops from accessing North Bridge to confiscate cannons which it knew that the militia had.

The colonists raised the drawbridge that would block the British from advancing. A tense situation occurred, but a peaceful agreement was reached with Colonel Leslie and the British troops retreated without firing a shot. Patriots’ Captain John Felt, Colonel Timothy Pickering and Reverend Thomas Barnard convinced the British of the battle that would ensue if the British were to continue. Ultimately, the people of Salem convinced the Colonel that the price to pay to retrieve the cannons was too much to complete.

This is considered by many historians to be the first armed resistance by patriots against the British forces.

Charles Moses Endicott a Salem retired sea captain and historian, wrote in 1856 about the failed raid – “Account of Leslie’s Retreat at the North Bridge in Salem” – which stated “here … we claim the first blow was struck in the war of independence, by open resistance to both the civil and military power of the mother country; comparatively bloodless, it is true, but not the less firm and decided.”

To mark the 250th anniversary of Leslie’s Retreat, the city of Salem hosted a slate of commemorative events that included a reenactment and a National Park Service exhibition. Mayor Dominick Pangallo stated, “The events of February 26, 1775, are of enormous historical significance for Salem and our nation. They reflect the resilience and strength of this community and of the colonists more broadly.”

For the Battles of Lexington and Concord, militia left their homes from the North Shore and north and west of Concord to confront the British, who arrived in Concord to remove weapons of the patriots. They were not successful in Salem, Lexington, Concord and all areas of the colonies. Thus started the revolution to become the nation of America.

  (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column – sometimes about sports. He also opines on current or historical events or famous people.)