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Not wanting to engage, the British forces retreated to the North Bridge. Upon seeing smoke rising from Concord, the American cavalry troops moved closer to the village, concerned the British were going to burn it. The gathering American militias, who had been warned of the redcoats arrival, traveled from the west and congregated on the other side of the North Bridge about one mile from the village. The Battle of Concord took place almost immediately after the Battle of Lexington, hence why they are often collapsed into "Lexington-Concord." After the British regulars won a brief skirmish at Lexington, they continued marching on toward Concord to capture materiel. The Lexington and Corcord Flag at the Battle of Concord What's more, historians agree that Page was present for the Battle of Concord. So it makes sense that when Nathaniel Page left his home in Bedford on April 19, 1775, after being warned of British troops en route, that he would have brought the flag of his militia with him and that it would have flown during the fight that occurred that morning. Nathaniel, much like the other men in his family, was also responsible for the local battle flag. Town of Bedford and Billerica records indicate that in addition to his father, Page's uncle and grandfather were also listed as Cornetts for local Massachusetts Bay militias. John Page was the Cornett of the Troop of Horse, a cavalry officer who held the responsibility of bearing the militia's flag. The flag's Latin motto VINCE AUT MORIRE ("Conquer or Die") is strikingly similar to the motto of several Scottish and Irish clans, and the "Victory or Death" battle cry popular among the revolutionaries.Īlthough its role in the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War is not completely certain, there is evidence to believe the flag was flown at the Battle of Concord through the diaries of Minuteman Nathaniel Page who participated in the battle.Ĭornet Nathaniel Page claimed the flag was given to his father in 1737. Its armored arm and sword harken back to the heraldic symbolism of the Massachusetts cavalry, which in turn dates back to the 1660s.
![dlive paint the town red dlive paint the town red](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZOCGpQOTZxA/maxresdefault.jpg)
While the square shape evokes cavalry of old, the red color of the Bedford Flag makes it undeniably a cavalry flag. It looks very much like something carried into battle by medieval knights, so historians can be forgiven for looking so far back to find an origin for this flag. Previously, historians thought the flag dated as far back as the 1660s, but this was later proven false, as the color "Prussian blue" did not exist until 1704. Bedford Flag History: Vince Aut Morire - The Forgotten History of The Conquer or Die Flag Written by Sam Jacobs Date: 04-24-2021ĭating back to the early 18th century, the Bedford Flag is America's oldest historically attested flag.