Today is Patriots’ Day. A state holiday observed in Massachusetts and Maine commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, which took place on April 19, 1775. That night the British Army set out from Boston to capture rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington as well as to destroy the Americans store of weapons and ammunition in Concord. The colonists were warned however, by riders including Paul Revere, that the British Army was approaching. Samuel Adams and John Hancock escaped, and the local militia was able to hide much of their ammunition and weapons. Although these events have been well documented, there are also a few lesser known stories about the dogs belonging to these patriots that have surfaced over time. Although they cannot be verified, I’d like to share with you the legends about Samuel Adams and Paul Revere’s dogs.
According to a descendant writing almost 100 years after the battle in 1865, Samuel Adams owned a Newfoundland, named Queue. According to the author, “Queue was noted for his antipathy to British uniforms; and he bore on his shaggy hide the scars of wounds received from soldiers, and even officers, who repelled his attacks by cutting and shooting at him. But the dog seemed to bear a charmed life.” Although there are no contemporary accounts of this dog, we do know that Samuel’s second cousin, fellow patriot and eventual President, John Adams was very fond of dogs. In fact his two dogs Juno and Satan were the first dogs to live at the White House.
There is a also a legend that Paul Revere was aided by his faithful dog. As Esther Forbes explained in Paul Revere and The World He Lived In (1942), in Paul Revere’s rush to set off on his famous ride, he forgot his spurs. Now here is where accounts differ. Forbes gave credit to Revere’s wife, Rachel, for noticing he forgot the much needed spurs for that important horse ride. According to her, Rachel Revere attached them to the dog’s collar and sent the dog to find his owner. However there is also a version from Revere’s grandchildren that said when he was about to be ferried across the Charles River he forgot his spurs, and tied a note to his dog’s collar. The dog then ran home, got the spurs and returned. Both stories are in agreement that this dog avoided detection by the British sentries and the hundreds of soldiers marching through town, and navigated the streets of Boston undetected to get the spurs to Revere.
Ok, I admit both of these legends seem far fetched to me. However, I’m sure although they have not made it to the pages of history, that dogs were witnesses to the historic events at Battles of Lexington and Concord.
