This Last 4th - A 250th Year Visit To See Where Freedom Was First Born
- Josh David Tator
- Jul 27
- 14 min read
By Josh David Tator
Published July 27, 2025, 9:44 P.M. ET
Traveling To Celebrate
This past 4th of July weekend, I was traveling way up and out in the middle of Moosehead Lake Maine… I had a friend from Upstate New York call and invite me to a family barbeque for the weekend.
After traveling about halfway there he called and canceled on me… At what first felt like a major disappointment, ending up leading me down a path and into a weekend that I can never forget...
Setting the Stage for Reflection
I pulled off at the first exit. My big beautiful American flag strapped and flapping in the summer highway breeze. I was dressed in my best, all of my 1776 gear. When I pulled over and looked up at the sign, it said Welcome to E. Lexington / Concord.
Somehow and without planning it - I ended up walking through and into what will forever be remembered as one of the most surreal weekends of my life…
Walking in Their Footsteps
I started off in Lexington, where I walked alone in Buckman’s Tavern, the very same earth and wood that witnessed those very first shots fired that April 19th morning in 1775. The morning our Minute Men from the fields and farms all came alive… The same ground that Paul Revere would so famously ride…
Waiting for war
I sat alone in that old creaky wooden tavern overlooking that historic Lexington Green, in total silence, envisioning what must have been going through the minds of these young men that early spring morning when their country first called…
To sit in Buckman’s Tavern, 250 years later, right in the exact spot where " The Shot Heard Round The World " would ultimately first be fired. To imagine the gripping fear, the sweat soaked anxiety, a real a true fear of the unknown, with a collection of hearts all pounding - as sons sat dressed next to their fathers, uncles, and brothers... Waiting for war.
I stood in that very doorway, where these incredible young boys, brothers and men stepped out and into our history books. That very first march, stepping boldly out from their hometown tavern and onto a hallowed green that for two and a half centuries rightfully remains to be memorialized, learned from, and seen.
Uncovering the Threads of History
Upon making it out the front doorway to the tavern I noticed holes in the old wooden door. These were from the very first shots fired at America…
Still on display, 250 years after that fateful day in Lexington, you can go visit The Former Headquarters of Our First Ever in War and put your hands in the exact place where the famous " Shot Heard Round The World " actually occurred.
A Truly Surreal Experience
authentic Revolutionary War artifacts
Incredible to sit right in the exact place where that took place
I found and wound up sitting on the very same wooden staircase where a panicked Paul Revere rushed to pack up all of Our Founding Documents. Rough drafts of the Declaration of Independence, our U.S. Constitution, documents being actively put together in that Lexington Tavern by Founding Fathers John Hancock and Samuel Adams.
Paul Revere, under British fire didn’t just alert the town on his famed midnight ride, he saved those Founding Documents AND got both John Hancock and Samuel Adams down those same wooden stairs, out the door, and through the backwoods to safety.
The Fire Within
After coming out of Buckman's Tavern, walking in the same exact soils that felt the rushed panic of that April Morning, I found myself standing alone, staring out over that Lexington Green where our incredibly brave “ Minute Men “ first fell in what must have been a real and true horrifying hell.
Their homes right in sight. Their wives and children watching from the windows, in horror, as their husband or father fought for their lives…
A 250 Year Old Flame
That first fight, the igniting of a 250 year old spark. A flame. A torch that still survives.
As I stood in silence, hearing only the flapping of a giant flag ordered to never be lowered, I was overcome with realization. To read about something is one thing. To see and feel where something so monumental occurred is entirely different.
It's so important for our current and future generations to know, these were young farmers. Yes they've been immortalized, turned into statues and stone, however they had lives as real as your own.
These young farmers stepped onto that Lexington Green and went to war with The Greatest Military Empire on Earth.
Standing there, I read a personal story of a young soldier who was wounded, bloody and desperately crawling back through the fog, smoke, screams... Just to get to his doorstep for one final kiss. A final farewell to his young wife. His children. His fields. His farms. His dreams. Leaving behind his young yet to be fully lived, life.
The 1716 Colonial Inn
As it was getting dark in Lexington, I looked for some sort of lodging.
I came across this old wooden building called “The Colonial Inn. “
I was so tired I barely remember checking in. I just remember climbing up the narrow squeaky wooden staircase and collapsing on the bed. If only I knew, I was sleeping right where two hundred and fifty years of legend would first begin.
The Haunted Halls
" Walking down the hallways of Concord’s Colonial Inn, you may feel a chill going up your spine as the inn is known as a historically haunted hotel. The hotel was built in Concord, MA before the Revolutionary War began and is located just a half-mile away from the North Bridge. The famous bridge was where the “shot heard around the world” took place that started the Revolutionary War in 1775."
" Many guests make reservations for the notoriously haunted hotel room 24 on the second floor. Room 24 was used as an operations room for wounded soldiers back in the 1770s. During the Revolutionary War era, the hotel was actually a home owned by a doctor. Caretakers operated on injured soldiers in room 24 where many did not survive and passed in that very room. There was also a morgue located in room 27 on the first floor where many curious guests dare to spend the night. While you may not find many ghosts of the soldiers, you may discover apparitions of the caretakers still roaming the halls."
It has been said that the producers of " Ghost Hunters " attempted to film an entire episode here, in this very room, got so freaked out - that they packed up and left...
Did I have a paranormal experience sleeping in one of the most haunted rooms in all of America? - Yes. I most certainly did. But that story is for another post.
" The Colonial Inn tops the Historic Hotels of America’s list of Most Haunted Historic Hotels. Television shows such as Ghost Hunters have filmed episodes in the Inn, and professional paranormal investigators and enthusiasts continue to be drawn here by reports of unusual happenings, such as disembodied voices, glimpses of ghostly children roaming the halls, apparitions of Revolutionary War era soldiers, blinking lights, and banging noises in empty rooms. But how did the Inn, the home of these spirits, get here, and what summoned them here? "
A VISIT TO OUR FIRST IN WAR
Upon stepping off the front steps of The Colonial that next morning, almost still slightly in a daze from a restless night spent filled with horrific nightmares, wandering the very same halls and walls where so many were forced to meet their untimely fate, I found myself wandering again... I ended up venturing up and into an old cemetery...
The burial ground belonging to Our First Ever in War...
It was here that I got to read the names...
The brave souls who started the now common phrase and ideology " Home of The Brave. "
Personal witnesses. Defenders. Real lives that leapt into duty. Providers of our Liberty.
And so here, until this day - they so peacefully lay...
Authors Ridge
Somehow, I then found myself both wandering and wondering along a ridgeline that led me to a steep incline called “Authors Ridge. “
This was yet another unplanned, unresearched, incredible discovery, all unfolding organically on this same 4th of July weekend in Lexington & Concord.
"Nestled within the lovely expanse of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts, is a little plot that is full of, as the name suggests, the graves of a staggering number of famous authors."
A Revolution of Writers
Ralph Waldo Emerson - Considered The Greatest American Author of all-time.
Henry David Thoreau - His reflections in his world renowned novel, Walden.
Nathaniel Hawthorne - " A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities. "
Louisa May Alcott - " Let us be elegant or die!"
William Ellery Channing - " To seek elegance rather than luxury. "
Each one of these American Authors embodied not only revolutionary patterns of thought that led to the inspiration of billions throughout the world, they lived and died in the very same small town where Our Freedom was first fought and forged.
The Old Manse belonged to Ralph Emersons Grandfather and stood as a wooden witness to those First Shots fired that April morning when Our American Revolution began.
I found it both incredibly interesting and intriguing to learn of all these Literary Legends coming together, putting together, and publishing some of the nations greatest books, novels, short stories, poems, all while living and looking out the windows of a house that witnessed war.
There used to be a time where the " intellectual elites " shared a common fervor and sentiment for the same " cause " carried by men who were forced into war.
Perhaps someday soon we can somehow return to our former shared enamor for America.
The Concord Hymn and the Emerson Family
The Reverend William Emerson, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s grandfather, fought in the Battle of Concord and wrote down his eyewitness account of the fight at the North Bridge.
The Battle of Concord was memorialized in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem, “The Concord Hymn.” The line “shot heard ‘round the world” comes from the first stanza of the poem.
THE OLD NORTH BRIDGE - 250 years later
" 4th of July Weekend Finale "
All roads of my last 4th of July weekend ended up leading me to a place in which it all began. A place where Our First in War never backed up. Never ran.
It is often said that this is where " The Shot Heard Round The World " happened, however having been to Lexington to Concord, reading and seeing every sight and sign... Walking the very same dirt road through the dark woods where Paul Revere rode...
The Shot Heard Round The World
The First shots happened in Lexington, however, Our First Battle as newfound Americans took place right here.
Right on this soil, under this very same sun. This is where Our First Battle was fought and won.
The British, coming in from nearby Boston were aiming to raid the surrounding farms, homes, even The Tavern where I had been staying all weekend.
They were following orders to " snuff out " Our little American rebellion.
This foreign enemy, this tyrant from a distance shore came after our ammunition. Our ability to defend ourselves. The singular object differentiating a slave to a King to that of a Free Nation under God. A Real King.
The Greatest Military Empire in the world taking on a small colonial farm town. They had no idea what they'd be getting themselves into that frosty spring morning.
The Birth of The American Spirit
They came in expecting an easy victory, however, against all odds, a well determined group of Massachusetts farmers, protected the homeland for The Very First time - sending The Empire and The Crown running in retreat.
Battle of Concord Casualties & Statistics
When the British opened fire at the North Bridge, Isaac Davis and Private Abner Hosmer from Acton were killed instantly.
The total estimated casualties at the Battle of Concord were around 465 killed, wounded, or missing.
The Americans suffered around 95 casualties.
The British suffered around 370 casualties.
Alone on The Bridge
As my weekend came to a close and the crowds all loaded up and headed home, I found myself standing alone on The Bridge.
Running my hands over the frayed sun split wooden planks, looking between the black stream running below and the picturesque meadow extending out and into the horizon of a summers setting sun - I really tried to put myself in a scene that has been taught for two and a half centuries to every school child alive...
" There was something so symbolic about it all " - I thought to myself as I slowly paced from one side of this bridge to the other.
You had these two totally different worlds, sets of ideas and ideals... An Empire storming the farms and fields. All the years of " talking Revolution " in the taverns, churches, and homes was about to be put to it's very first test. The British Empire expected to fold us, like they did the rest. They unknowingly sparked and lit a fire, forced to face our bravest and bold.
The American Spirit Born
As I paced The Bridge, I gazed over at what still remains to this day. A testament to the events of that spring day, when an enemy came by orders from an empire and King.
The British still remain buried in the very soil in which they came to claim. Their bones and stones are all that remain.
" The American Spirit was born right here. Right on these banks. "
I thought to myself as I stopped for a minute to take it all in. Understanding fully, I was standing right where it all would begin.
Barret's Farm, Field, and stream
I had just read the personal account of that day, as told by farmer James Barret, whose field and farm stood in between The British Empire and their desired target. Our ammunition.
This brave farmer and his young son stood shoulder to shoulder, with their community behind them, slowly marching through this field in front of me to take on The Greatest Military Empire in The World...
I went and walked in what would have been their exact footsteps.
" Eyewitnesses remembered that Colonel Barrett wore a leather miller’s apron over his worn clothing and carried a naval cutlass as he led the assembled farmers, innkeepers and tradesmen. He kept order and told the militiamen not to fire unless the British shot first."
Treading Lightly
Upon doing this, I came across this sign...
The sun was setting fast as I hurried, scurried, and did everything to make the moment last.
Back on The Bridge I stood alone ( or so I thought,) watching that early July summer sun finally set.
Just as I turned, a woman appeared.
She was cleaning up around the graves of the British soldiers.
Men who were buried right where they lay on that fateful first day.
A Mystical Messenger
Before I knew it, this pale eyed elderly woman and I were exchanging brief and casual greetings, though it felt as if she came as some sort of messenger.
Perhaps from another time, and totally different day. It seemed as though this total stranger, who appeared out of nowhere, had something stored up - something important to say.
She walked out and met me right in the middle of The Bridge.
Her eyes were old. Something about her entire presence felt wise.
What Do You Do and Who Are You
" What do you do and who are you " she asked me.
Who was I?.. That wasn't a question I was used to ever being asked.
I gave her a brief summary, being a direct descendent of The Mayflower. Part Iroquois. A Son of The Revolution. Family that fought for Lincoln in The Civil War. Born April 12th, the same day that war began and as Our Freedom was First announced in Halifax, NC in 1776.
" Well you must be the most American man I've ever met " she said, as I laughed.
I had told her, I wasn't even sure how or why I was here for this weekend.
She asked what I did. I told her I liked to write.
She smiled and said " well, you're in the right place as a writer and as such an American.
We talked briefly of how sad it was to see how divided we were today... The Left bittering hating the Right. Wishing literal death on them. The Right not getting along with The Left. We both pointed out and spoke of how unfortunate it is to see what actually and eventually happens when common ground cannot be established.
All of this was being said, standing at the literal crucible of it all - and on the very weekend of Our 250th fight for it all...
" A Sign. a Symbol. This Bridge. "
Words in which I thought to myself, as this moment unfolded.
In the warm amber glow of that setting sun where Freedom was first won, I felt as though this moment served as both my own personal revelation and perhaps revolution. Also it appeared and was somehow delivered as this unforgettable once in a lifetime " Fourth of July Finale."
So standing here, at what would and will always be remembered as Our Great Divide, just a moment before the sun of that entire weekend tucked down beneath the field in front of us, this woman who seemingly came out of nowhere - looked me so deep and vivid in my eyes, and then turned away, walking to the other end...
Words That Echoed
The words she spoke as she slowly drifted off and into the dusk rang out like a million bells in my mind.
" Keep writing. "
" Keep telling The Truth. "
" Do it. "
" Do it, For The Love of America. "
And with those words she seemed to have suddenly disappeared, and as I looked for her, I caught what felt like a quick smile and puff of a pipe, coming from an elderly gentlemen, rowing silently by, dressed in a top hat, down below in that darkened stream...
A Scene That Seemed Like A Dream
It was in this very moment that I had to truly pinch myself, wondering if I were in some sort of dream...
I wasn't.
It was real.
It was all real...
So now and ever since that day, I will continually sign off and forever say...
Keeping The Torch Lit
In conclusion, my experience at the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution spent seeing up close and personal, Lexington and Concord, served as a powerful reminder of the essence of our country: the shared stories, sacrifices, and undying spirit that define us.
As we crest our incredible and indelible 250th as Free Americans, I urge all people - young, old, liberal, conservative, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, whatever you may be - to visit these historic sites.
Go and walk in the footsteps of our forebears. Put your hands on history. Participate and appreciate the significance of our past.
Let us make this consequential year stand as Our Bridge. Not just to our past but to each other. To transcend bitter indifference, in a collective homage, to all the brave souls who laid the groundwork for our hopeful future.
The spirit of revolution resides in each of us.
May we all take on the responsibility of fostering this legacy and continue the fight for the principles that form the very foundation of the land we call home—the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
" So get out there this year
Go and see
Our great country tis of the
Freedom, sea to shiny sea
Perfectly preserved for you
Perfectly protected for me
A land, a vision, an idea
Enabling everyone
To do
To be
Whatever it is - they truly want to be
Our beautiful and our forever
250 year old
Enchanted and all alluring
Land of The Free."
-For Our 250th Anniversary -
May God Continue To Bless Us.
&
Comments