I was at Lexington today, where the first shot was fired on April 19th 1775. Present there under Colonel Francis Smith was a force of 800 men consisting of the light and grenadier companies of the Royal Marines, 4th (King's Own), 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers), 10th (Lincolns), 18th (Royal Irish), 23rd (Royal Welch Fusiliers), 43rd (1st Ox & Bucks LI), 38th (1st South Staffordshires), 47th (1st Loyals), 52nd (2nd Ox & Bucks LI), and 59th (2nd East Lancashires). These troops were joined later in the day by a 1,000 strong brigade under Colonel Lord Percy consisting of the line companies of the RM, 4th, 23rd, and 47th, together with a Royal Artillery detachment. Total British casualties during the fight at Concord and the long and bitter retreat to Boston were about 300, nearly 17% of the total force engaged and about three times the total Patriot losses. (The Americans fought most of the battle under the cover of stone walls, trees, and houses, while the British were in column along a long, winding road.) Percy undoubtedly saved Smith from being wiped out and he did very well to get the column back to Boston, but the operation was a disaster all the same.
Actually, I believe the Canadian leaders who formed the confederation in 1867 did get pretty sloshed together. Which shows that even then Canadians knew how to do things right.
Yeah I know, wrong war, wrong dude, but somewhat appropo I say. Today is July 4th, America's Independence Day. Also on July 4th (1863) General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia slipped away from Gettysburg and headed back south into Virginia to continue the war for another two long years. A few months later, Abram Lincoln himself showed up at Gettysburg and gave his now famous address. Makes sense? I thought it did.
Yeah that had to be a tough march back to Boston. The American militia adopted the Indian style of fighting early on. Asymmetric Warfare is what they call it now.
Damn right! Our own 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion was held at Montgomery's Tavern in Toronto. More beer than blood was spilled there.