An excerpt from One April in Boston by Ben L. Edwards, published by Spyglass Books, 2000.

Revere heads toward the waterfront, where a boat had been hidden for him beneath the wharf. On the way, he seeks out two friends, Joshua Bentley and Thomas Richardson, both experienced boatmen. They will row Revere across the Charles River.

Meanwhile, back at Christ Church, Sexton Robert Newman, now inside, gathers two square metal lanterns from the entry hall closet where he had hidden them. Outside the church, John Pulling and Thomas Barnard stand guard. The sexton, with flint, steel, and a tinder box to light the lanterns in his pocket, begins the long climb up into the church steeple. At the second landing, a ray of light shining through the round window in front of the church illuminates his path, if only for a moment. The climb continues up 154 stairs, to a series of ladders that Robert Newman must navigate in pitch darkness. He climbs past the bells once rung by a 15-year-old Paul Revere and reaches the high glass windows in the steeple of the church. Here, he unfastens the lanterns from the leather strap that he had hung around his neck and prepares them for lighting. The time is just past 10:30 p.m.

With flint and steel in hand, he creates a spark and then fans a small flame in his tinder box. First he lights the candle in one lantern, and then, the candle in the second. Finally, with a look of determination, he pushes up the wooden window frame and holds two lanterns aloft in the northwest window of Christ Church, facing Charlestown. The flames flicker, and then burn brightly. The signal has been sent.

Only Newman can determine how long to display the lanterns. Once he senses the time is right, he blows out the candles, closes the window, and carefully makes his way back down to the floor of the church. Hearing noises in the street and fearing that Pulling and Barnard may have been forced to leave their posts, he decides it may not be safe to leave through the front door. Bending below the level of the high box pews, he makes his way down the aisle and enters the last pew near the altar. Here, he raises the window just in front of him and climbs out, lowering himself to the ground. He cautiously makes his way back home and climbs through a rear window to join his wife Rebecca in their bed. In a matter of moments, the exhausted sexton is asleep.

A few blocks away, at the Edwards home on Back Street, 10-year-old Ben Edwards is also fast asleep. When he awakes in about eight hours, the Boston he has known so well will be forever altered. The signal lanterns of Sexton Robert Newman have sparked this change to come, but for now, Ben can continue to rest. The night of April 18-19, 1775, is still young.

Chapter 7

Back at the waterfront, a major obstacle appears directly in the path of Paul Revere's safe passage by rowboat to Charlestown. The British warship HMS Somerset is anchored in the Charles River to prevent nighttime traffic between Boston and Charlestown. The full moon is unusually low on the horizon as Joshua Bentley, Thomas Richardson, and Paul Revere prepare for their journey. The position of the moon is to their advantage and should allow the small wooden rowboat to hide, at least partially, in the shadows. The sound of their oars scraping against the boat as they row, however, is another matter. Revere fears it is sure to give them away unless something can be done to muffle the noise.

Both of Revere's friends agree, and one of them dashes off in search of a solution. A few minutes later, he is back with what appears to be a woman's woolen undergarment. There is no time to ask where he found it. The men tear the garment in two, wrap both halves around the oar handles near the locks, and tie them off securely. A moment later, the men push off from the shore.

Bentley and Richardson carefully row Revere downstream, to the eastward side of the HMS Somerset. Even though they try to keep a safe distance from the ship, they still worry about being spotted. With every stroke, this concern grows larger. The men do not talk, they dare not risk it, but their eye contact speaks volumes. They pass by the position of the mighty ship, expecting that at any moment a distant voice will cry out from on board, and their mission will be discovered. By this time, Robert Newman had sent the signal, and Paul Revere is anxious to discover if the message had been received in Charlestown. The men row on, beyond the HMS Somerset, and to their great relief, remain undetected. Soon, they reach their landing point near the Charlestown Battery.

Once ashore, Revere walks into town and meets with local members of the Sons of Liberty who had been expecting him. He informs Colonel William Conant about the events in Boston and learns that the signal from the steeple of Christ Church was seen. Richard Devens, a member of the Committee of Safety, tells Revere that British patrols were spotted earlier in the evening and warns him to watch out for them. Paul Revere borrows a very good horse from Deacon John Larkin and sets out toward Lexington. The time is 11 p.m.

Just an hour before, the King's troops were beginning to gather for their march. General Thomas Gage had ordered this expedition, and 900 of his Regulars had marched to an isolated stretch of beach at the foot of Boston Common, on the edge of Back Bay. As Revere rides off toward Lexington, these troops, under the command of Colonel Francis Smith, are being transported by rowboat across Back Bay to a beach on Lechmere Point in Cambridge. Colonel Smith's troops are composed of Grenadiers and light infantry. Twenty one companies are represented. At 11 p.m., only half of his troops have landed in Cambridge and the boats are returning for the balance of his men.

By 11:15 p.m., Paul Revere has traveled across Charlestown Neck on the Larkin family horse. Now he approaches a crossroads. To his right, the road meanders along the Mystic River toward Medford. To his left, the road leads to Cambridge. Revere chooses the left road, which is the fastest route to Lexington. As he crosses Charlestown Common and heads toward Cambridge, he spots two British officers on horseback near a tree in a narrow part of the road. As one of the figures moves in his direction, Revere turns his horse sharply and, at a full gallop, makes for the Mystic Road. The officer gives chase, but after about 300 yards, Revere's horse proves faster. The officer's mount becomes stuck in a clay pond and Paul Revere escapes the patrol.

The new route means that Revere's trip to Lexington will now cover 12 miles. Just ahead, he crosses a small bridge over the Mystic River and enters the village of Medford. Here he awakes the captain of the Minutemen and delivers the news of the Regulars' movements. Paul Revere continues his ride over a dark, rutted, dirt road that takes him back across the river and into the town of Menotomy. From here, he continues to awake almost every house along his path with a knock at the door and a brief message of warning. Next, Paul Revere, a 40-year-old Boston silversmith, turns onto the Great Road and rides on through the night toward Lexington.

Around midnight, Colonel Smith's troops are all safely across Back Bay and gathered at Lechmere Point in Cambridge. When their boats came ashore in the shallow bay, the men had walked through water that was almost waist high. On a chilly evening, this was both unexpected and unwelcome. As his men begin to get their bearings, Colonel Smith realizes that they have landed in swamp and marsh land. The closest property to them is called Phipp's Farm. The muddy footing is terrible, the wet men are freezing, and Colonel Smith now orders them to wait here for a ship that will bring them two days' provisions of food for their expedition.

At midnight, Paul Revere, having escaped from one British patrol and carried the warning to nearly every darkened farmhouse on his route, has now reached his objective: Lexington. He rides past the town's meeting house on Lexington Common and approaches Buckman Tavern. A short distance beyond, Revere reaches the parsonage of Reverend Jonas Clarke. Reverend Clarke and members of his family are asleep inside, as are his guests, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Dorothy Quincy (Hancock's fiancee), and Lydia Hancock (his aunt).

The house is guarded by Sergeant William Munroe and other members of the Lexington militia. As Revere's horse approaches and his voice rings out, Sergeant Munroe cautions him to be quiet. The family has gone to bed and does not wish to be disturbed.

An irritated Revere replies, "Noise! You'll have noise enough before long! The Regulars are coming out!"

Hearing the commotion, Reverend Clarke opens his bedroom window and sticks his head outside. A moment later, John Hancock, recognizing Revere's voice, asks him to come inside. Revere asks about the other messenger rider sent by Dr. Joseph Warren and learns that William Dawes has not yet arrived. He informs Adams and Hancock of the British march and expresses concern for their safety.

At 12:30 a.m., William Dawes arrives at the parsonage. He had made his way successfully past the British guards on Boston Neck. His route, entirely by land, was four miles longer than Revere's. Inside the Clarke house, Dawes and Revere "refresh" themselves and decide to continue on to Concord, which is six miles away. On the road to Concord, Paul Revere and William Dawes are overtaken by a lone rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott of Concord. The Doctor, who had been courting a young woman in Lexington, was on his way home for the evening. Once informed of the important news, he decides to join the men and help spread the alarm.

At 1 a.m., a British patrol stops the men. Dawes and Prescott escape, but Revere is captured. After the officers learn the name of the well-known messenger rider, Major Edward Mitchell of the 5th Regiment of Foot holds a pistol to Revere's head and questions him. He learns that Revere has alarmed the country all the way from Boston. The patrol takes Revere and four other prisoners they had captured earlier, back toward Lexington.

Soon, shots ring out in the distance. The officers become frightened and decide to release four of their prisoners. As they approach the Lexington Meeting House, more shots can be heard. The officers release Revere as well. At 2 a.m., Paul Revere is set free, but his horse is taken by one of the British officers. He makes his way across a burying ground and a pasture and finally back to the Clarke house. He is surprised to discover that Samuel Adams and John Hancock are still there. After much discussion, Adams and Hancock decide to flee to Woburn, and Revere travels with them. After their arrival, John Hancock becomes concerned about some papers he left in his trunk at Buckman Tavern. Revere and Hancock's clerk, John Lowell, offer to retrieve the trunk.

By 2 a.m., Colonel Smith's British Regulars finally receive their provisions and begin their march. They reach Menotomy at 3 a.m. Here, Colonel Smith gives his men a brief rest. The delay in Cambridge has cost valuable time, and dawn is not far off. The Colonel becomes concerned that there might be more trouble than he has expected. He decides to send a message back to Lord Percy, calling for his 800 reinforcements. Next, Colonel Smith calls for his second in command, Major John Pitcairn of the Marines. He orders Pitcairn to take six companies ahead to Concord at the quickest possible pace. Their route will take them through the town of Lexington.

By 4:30 a.m., Paul Revere and John Lowell are back in Lexington at Buckman Tavern to retrieve John Hancock's trunk. Major Pitcairn and his six companies are fast approaching. John Parker, Captain of the Lexington militia, calls out to his 19-year-old drummer, William Diamond, "Billy, beat the call to arms!" Members of the militia heed the call and race out of Buckman Tavern and the surrounding buildings. They form ranks near Captain Parker on Lexington Common. Tension fills the air as this small band of farmers stand their ground and prepare to face hundreds of soldiers from the world's most powerful army.