Celebrate Family History Month with GenealogyBank – ENJOY 75% OFF In celebration of family history month, GenealogyBank has extended their 75% OFF membership savings thru this weekend! Featuring more than 4,400 U.S. newspapers, over 1 billion names from all 50 states, GenealogyBank is the most extensive historical online newspaper archive designed specifically for family history research. By providing access to rare and hard-to-find newspapers from 1690 to the present day, GenealogyBank gives researchers the opportunity to discover unique, long-forgotten information about their American ancestors. In addition to over 705 million articles—each of which can be printed and preserved for your family heritage — GenealogyBank also offers over 32 million modern obituaries, more than 87 million death records, over 253,000 reports including military lists, pension requests and the largest collection of U.S. serial set documents online.
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“Bloody News – This town has been in a Continental Alarm since Mid-day ….. the attack began at Lexington (about 12 miles from Boston) by the regular troops, the 18th Infantry before sunrise…From thence they proceeded to Concord where they made a general attack…” Stirring news – as gripping as a bulletin on TV. Thanks to GenealogyBank we can read the same newspapers our ancestors read and feel the impact of the news as they lived it. No other site has the depth of coverage found on GenealogyBank. Sign-up now. April 19, 1775 – Attack on Lexington & Concord The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, “If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light, One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm.”
Then he said “Good-night!” and with muffled oar Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, Just as the moon rose over the bay, Where swinging wide at her moorings lay The Somerset, British man-of-war; A phantom ship, with each mast and spar Across the moon like a prison bar, And a huge black hulk, that was magnified By its own reflection in the tide.
Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street Wanders and watches, with eager ears, Till in the silence around him he hears The muster of men at the barrack door, The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet, And the measured tread of the grenadiers, Marching down to their boats on the shore.
Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church, By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, To the belfry chamber overhead, And startled the pigeons from their perch On the somber rafters, that round him made Masses and moving shapes of shade,– By the trembling ladder, steep and tall, To the highest window in the wall, Where he paused to listen and look down A moment on the roofs of the town And the moonlight flowing over all.
Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead, In their night encampment on the hill, Wrapped in silence so deep and still That he could hear, like a sentinel’s tread, The watchful night-wind, as it went Creeping along from tent to tent, And seeming to whisper, “All is well!” A moment only he feels the spell Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread Of the lonely belfry and the dead; For suddenly all his thoughts are bent On a shadowy something far away, Where the river widens to meet the bay,– A line of black that bends and floats On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.
Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride, Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere. Now he patted his horse’s side, Now he gazed at the landscape far and near, Then, impetuous, stamped the earth, And turned and tightened his saddle girth; But mostly he watched with eager search The belfry tower of the Old North Church, As it rose above the graves on the hill, Lonely and spectral and somber and still. And lo! as he looks, on the belfry’s height A glimmer, and then a gleam of light! He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns, But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight A second lamp in the belfry burns.
A hurry of hoofs in a village street, A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet; That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light, The fate of a nation was riding that night; And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight, Kindled the land into flame with its heat. He has left the village and mounted the steep, And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep, Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides; And under the alders that skirt its edge, Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge, Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.
It was twelve by the village clock When he crossed the bridge into Medford town. He heard the crowing of the cock, And the barking of the farmer’s dog, And felt the damp of the river fog, That rises after the sun goes down.
It was one by the village clock, When he galloped into Lexington. He saw the gilded weathercock Swim in the moonlight as he passed, And the meeting-house windows, black and bare, Gaze at him with a spectral glare, As if they already stood aghast At the bloody work they would look upon.
It was two by the village clock, When he came to the bridge in Concord town. He heard the bleating of the flock, And the twitter of birds among the trees, And felt the breath of the morning breeze Blowing over the meadow brown. And one was safe and asleep in his bed Who at the bridge would be first to fall, Who that day would be lying dead, Pierced by a British musket ball.
You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load.
So through the night rode Paul Revere; And so through the night went his cry of alarm To every Middlesex village and farm, A cry of defiance, and not of fear, A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, And a word that shall echo for evermore! For, borne on the night-wind of the Past, Through all our history, to the last, In the hour of darkness and peril and need, The people will waken and listen to hear The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed, And the midnight message of Paul Revere
GenealogyBank has added more than 306 million newspaper articles! One year ago we had 174 million articles. Today we have 480 million newspaper articles – in 4,300 newspapers — in all GenealogyBank has over 566 million books, documents and records on the entire site!!
We have more than doubled in size in one year!!
If you haven’t searched GenealogyBank in awhile – it is time to sign-up and discover your ancestors. Do it now! We make it easy – you can even search all of GenealogyBank for free. Do it now. GenealogyBank has more obituaries, more of what you’re searching for. GenealogyBank is the best old newspaper site on the planet. Period! Here is a partial list of the titles – more is being added every day! Alaska. Anchorage. Anchorage Gazette*. 1992-12-01 to 1993-01-01 Arkansas. Arkansas Post. Arkansas Gazette. 1821-09-01 to 1900-07-12 Jonesboro, AR. Jonesboro Evening Sun. 1905-01-05 to 1922-12-29 California. Los Angeles. Los Angeles Tribune. 1959-01-02 to 1959-05-15 Colorado. Colorado Springs. Gazette-Telegraph. 1914-01-05 to 1921-04-23 Connecticut. Bridgeport. Spirit of the Times*. 1830-10-06 to 1832-09-26 Danbury, CT. Republican Journal*. 1793-07-01 to 1800-01-06 Danielson, CT. Windham County Transcript. 1876-09-21 CT Litchfield, CT. Sun*. 1835-04-25 to 1839-04-13 Middletown, CT. Constitution. 1856-01-01 to 1856-12-03 Middletown, CT. Middlesex Gazette*. 1829-01-07 to 1830-12-29 Mystic, CT. Mystic Journal*. 1863-01-03 to 1867-03-02 New Haven. Black Coalition Weekly*. 1972-03-06 to 1972-09-14 New London, CT. New London Daily Chronicle. 1848-04-26 to 1848-10-12 New London, CT. New London Democrat. 1847-04-24 Norwich, CT. Norwich Republican. 1828-12-02 to 1830-06-19 Stamford, CT. Stamford Sentinel*. 1832-03-13 to 1835-03-16 DC. Washington. Daily National Intelligencer. 1842-01-03 to 1869-06-23 Delaware. Georgetown, CT. Sussex Countian. 2009-10-02 to Current Smyrna, DE. Smyrna-Clayton Sun-Times. 2009-10-02 to Current Florida. Boca Grande. Boca Beacon, The. 2009-10-02 to Current Chiefland, FL. Chiefland Citizen. 2009-10-02 to Current Georgia. Jonesboro. Clayton News Daily. 2009-10-02 to Current McDonough. Henry Daily Herald. 2009-10-02 to Current Tifton, GA. Tifton Gazette. 2009-10-02 to Current Idaho. Idaho City. Idaho Register. 1907-11-22 to 1915-03-09 ID. Twin Falls, ID. Twin Falls News. 1918-05-24 to 1921-10-20 Illinois. Centralia. Centralia Sentinel. 1863-09-03 to 1863-11-12 Chicago, IL. Second Ward News*. 1935-12-14 to 1938-04-02 Chicago, IL. Spokesman*. 1933-01-07 to 1933-03-18 Chicago, IL. Vorbote. 1875-07-17 to 1876-12-23 Dixon, IL. Sauk Valley Newspapers. 2009-10-02 to Current Macomb, IL. Macomb Eagle. 2009-10-02 to Current Macomb, IL. Macomb Journal. 2009-10-02 to 2009-10-03 Macomb, IL. Voice, The. 2009-10-08 to Current Marion, IL. Marion Daily Republican, The. 2009-10-02 to Current Quincy, IL. Quincy Whig. 1868-07-25 to 1876-11-29 Indiana. Boonville, Newburgh, IN. Boonville Standard & Newburgh-Chandler Register. 2009-10-14 to Current Indianapolis, IN. Indiana Democrat. 1830-08-14 to 1841-06-09 Terre Haute, IN. Wabash Courier. 1837-05-25 to 1850-08-24 Iowa. Hamburg. Hamburg Reporter. 2009-10-02 to Current Osceola, IA. Osceola Sentinel-Tribune. 2009-10-02 to Current Kansas. Girard. Girard City Press, The. 2009-10-02 to Current KS. Kansas City. Plaindealer*. 1932-05-20 to 1958-11-07 KS. Topeka. Plaindealer. 1899-01-06 to 1912-06-28 KS. Wichita. Negro Star. 1920-05-07 to 1950-12-29 Louisiana. Covington. St. Tammany News. 2009-10-02 to Current LA. New Orleans. Times-Picayune. 1893-06-25 to 1893-06-25 Massachusetts. Boston. Boston Daily Advertiser*. 1860-01-03 to 1900-12-31 MA. Boston. Boston Journal. 1893-05-02 to 1893-08-31 MA. Gloucester. Gloucester Telegraph. 1834-02-05 to 1847-12-29 MA. Salem. Salem Observer. 1830-09-18 MA. Springfield. Springfield Republican*. 1923-12-30 to 1946-09-26 MA. Stoughton. Stoughton Sentinel. 1865-08-19 to 1876-07-29 MA. Taunton. Taunton Daily Gazette. 2009-10-02 to Current Maryland. Baltimore. Baltimore Bulletin. 1875-01-02 to 1875-07-31 MD. Baltimore. Maryland Journal. 1773-08-20 to 1795-02-14 MD. Bel Air. Southern Aegis. 1857-07-11 to 1857-12-26 MD. Cumberland. Phoenix Civilian. 1837-04-01 to 1840-01-04 MD. Easton. Maryland Herald. 1794-07-01 to 1797-05-30 MD. Frederick. Reservoir and Public Reflector*. 1828-09-23 to 1829-07-28 Michigan. Grand Rapids. Afro-American Gazette*. 1991-01-01 to 1995-08-07 MI. Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids Press. 1915-11-22 MI. Jackson. Jackson Citizen Patriot. 1903-10-20 to 1922-12-31 MI. Jackson. Jackson Citizen*. 1837-01-23 to 1918-12-22 Missouri. Kansas City. Kansas City Times. 1886-05-07 to 1893-11-12 MS. Vicksburg. Daily Commercial. 1879-10-09 to 1882-07-10 Montana. Helena. Independent Record. 2009-10-02 to Current North Carolina. Burgaw. Pender Post, The. 2009-10-08 to Current NC. Fuquay-Varina. Fuquay-Varina Independent. 2009-10-02 to Current NC. Garner. Garner News. 2009-10-02 to Current NC. Laurinburg. Laurinburg Exchange, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NC. Lousiburg. Franklin Times, The. 2009-10-03 to Current NC. Lumberton. Robesonian, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NC. Mt. Airy. Mt. Airy News, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NC. New Bern. Newbern Sentinel*. 1824-01-24 to 1825-12-31 NC. Sylva. Sylva Herald & Ruralite, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NC. Walnut Cove. Stokes News, The. 2009-10-02 to Current North Dakota. Grand Forks. Evening Times*. 1906-01-03 to 1914-03-28 ND. Williston. Williston Daily Herald. 2009-10-02 to Current Nebraska. Broken Bow. Custer County Chief. 2009-10-02 to Current New Hampshire. Dover. New Hampshire Republican*. 1825-10-04 to 1829-10-30 New Jersey. Edgewater. Edgewater View. 2009-10-02 to Current NJ. Newton. AIM Sussex County. 2009-10-02 to Current NJ. Ramsey. Ramsey Suburban News. 2009-10-02 to Current NJ. Ridgewood. Ridgewood News, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NJ. Rockaway. AIM Jefferson. 2009-10-02 to Current NJ. Salem. Today’s Sunbeam. 2009-10-02 to Current NJ. Trenton. Trenton Evening Times. 1909-10-311921-10-07; 1972-12-30 to 1993-03-15 NJ. Trenton. New Jersey State Gazette*. 1792-09-19 to 1799-12-31 NJ. West Milford. AIM West Milford. 2009-10-02 to Current New York. Albany. Sojourner-Herald*. 1995-04-01 to 1998-11-01 NY. Albany. Temperance Recorder*. 1833-05-07 to 1833-11-05 NY. Corning. Leader, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NY. Goshen. Orange County Gazette*. 1815-05-02 NY. Herkimer. Evening Telegram, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NY. Hornell. Evening Tribune, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NY. Kingston. Ulster Gazette. 1803-12-17 to 1821-05-30 NY. Kingston. Rising Sun*. 1793-12-28 to 1798-01-13 NY. Little Falls. Evening Times, The. 2009-10-02 to Current NY. New York. Morning Telegraph. 1870-01-02 NY. New York. New York Herald. 1875-04-20 to 1898-12-31 NY. New York. New York Herald-Tribune. 1856-01-01 to 1876-12-30 NY. New York. New Yorker Volkszeitung. 1889-05-05 to 1898-08-18 NY. New York. Weekly Visitor*. 1818-05-02 to 1823-10-25 NY. Norwich. Evening Sun, The. 2009-10-03 to Current NY. Poughkeepsie. Political Barometer*. 1802-06-08 to 1809-12-27 NY. Poughkeepsie. Ulster Republican*. 1836-01-06 to 1836-11-18 NY. Rochester. Frederick Douglass’ Paper*. 1852-06-24 to 1859-07-22 NY. Rondout. Rondout Freeman*. 1845-07-19 to 1847-09-18 NY. Wellsville. Wellsville Daily Reporter. 2009-10-02 to Current Ohio. Chillicothe. Scioto Gazette*. 1808-01-04 to 1821-02-15 OH. Cincinnati. Cincinnati Daily Enquirer. 1866-01-02 to 1866-06-30 OH. Cincinnati. Cincinnati Volksfreund. 1864-10-18 OH. Cincinnati. Cincinnati Chronicle and Literary Gazette*. 1827-02-17 to 1829-10-24 OH. Cincinnati. Cincinnati Times-Star*. 1871-07-01 to 1875-06-30 OH. McArthur. Vinton County Courier. 2009-10-02 to Current OH. Portsmouth. Community Common, The. 2009-10-02 to Current OH. Sandusky. Sandusky Register. 1851-11-27 to 1856-05-26 OH. St. Clairsville. Ohio Federalist*. 1817-12-11 OH. Steubenville. Steubenville Herald*. 1825-02-26 to 1825-03-05 OH. Wooster. Wooster Republican. 1858-01-07 to 1862-10-23 Look for the rest of the list in the days ahead! It’s a great day for genealogy! Sign up for GenealogyBank now and see what you’ll find about your family! Wow!
Chicago Genealogy Resources. Bookmark and save this page – so you may easily refer to it often. Your handy guide to the sources you will actually use to build your family tree.
GenealogyBank is adding over 280 fully-searchable African American newspapers with coverage from 1827 to 1999. GenealogyBank released the first 50+ newspapers this month.
“This is an exciting new addition to GenealogyBank – we are pleased to make these resources available -opening up family history information just not found anywhere else.”
GenealogyBank announces that it is adding 10 more newspapers from 9 states. These newspapers will be added by the end of this month.
We will also be expanding the coverage of 15 newspapers that are already represented in GenealogyBank. It’s a great day for genealogy! And …. the month is still not over…. we have even more newspapers that we will be announcing in the days ahead. Sign up now and see what you’ll find about your family!
CT. New Haven Black Coalition Weekly. 1972-03-06 to 1972-09-14 13 issues; 139 pages
IL. Chicago Second Ward News. 1935-12-14 to 1938-04-02 12 issues; 66 pages
IL. Chicago Spokesman. 1933-01-07 to 1933-03-18 10 issues; 86 pages
KS. Kansas City Plaindealer. 1932-05-20 to 1958-11-07 709 issues; 5,761 pages
MA. Springfield Springfield Republican. 1923-12-30 to 1946-09-26 16,861 issues; 293,612 pages
MI. Grand Rapids Afro-American Gazette. 1991-01-01 to 1995-08-07 117 issues. 2,785 pages
NY. Albany Sojourner-Herald. 1995-04-01 to 1998-11-01 27 issues; 463 pages
OR. Portland Oregonian. 1923-01-01 to 1948-12-19 8,543 issues; 277,615 pages
PA. Allentown First World News. 1993-11-01 to 1995-04-01 2 issues; 116 pages GenealogyBank is adding more back issues to these 15 newspapers:
CA. Los Angeles Los Angeles Tribune. 1959-01-02 to 1959-05-15 53 issues; 1,430 pages CT. Middletown Constitution. 1856-01-01 to 1856-12-03 34 issues; 134 pages
IN. Terre Haute Wabash Courier. 1837-05-25 to 1850-08-24 173 issues; 697 pages
KS. Topeka Plaindealer. 1899-01-06 to 1912-06-28 368 issues; 2,153 pages
KS. Wichita Negro Star. 1920-05-07 to 1950-12-29 1,210 issues; 5,116 pages
LA. New Orleans Times-Picayune. 1893-06-25 1 issue; 24 pages
MA. Boston Boston Journal. 1893-05-02 to 1893-08-31 99 issues; 876 pages
AK. Anchorage. Alaska Spotlight. 7/28/1956 to 11/30/1968 AR. Forrest City. Homeland. 6/1/1998 to 7/1/1999 AR. Little Rock. Southern Mediator Journal. 6/22/1962 to 2/25/1966 CA. Los Angeles. Heraldo de Mexico. 5/12/1925 CA. Los Angeles. Inter-Faith Churchman. 4/20/1941 CA. Los Angeles. Los Angeles Tribune. 1/3/1958 to 4/22/1960 CA. Los Angeles. Teller. 3/20/1946 CT. New London. New London Gazette. 1827-01-03 to 1837-12-13 DC. Washington. Black Networking News. 1/1/1989 to 8/1/1990 DC. Washington. National Chronicle. 7/6/1990 to 9/20/1991 DC. Washington. Washington Bee. 1/3/1914 to 9/25/1915 FL. Jacksonville. Florida Tattler. 12/1/1934 to 9/29/1945 GA. Augusta. Augusta Chronicle. 1/1/1982 to 12/31/1996 GA. Savannah. Savannah Tribune. 1875-12-04 to 12/28/1922 IL. Chicago. Bulletin. 9/11/1968 to 12/3/1969 IL. Chicago. Central South Sider. 7/6/1929 IL. Chicago. Chicago Courier. 4/13/1974 to 11/15/1975 IL. Chicago. Chicago Metro News. 11/3/1973 to 12/26/1987 IL. Chicago. Chicago World. 10/29/1925 to 6/15/1935 IL. Chicago. Illinois Sentinel. 11/20/1937 IL. Chicago. Metropolitan Post. 9/10/1938 to 6/3/1939 IL. Chicago. Olivet Baptist Church Herald. 11/29/1936 IN. Indianapolis. Freeman. 1897-06-12 to 1899-02-04 IN. Indianapolis. Indianapolis Ledger. 4/13/1918 to 10/28/1922 KS. Kansas City. Advocate. 1/6/1922 to 4/23/1926 KS. Kansas City. People’s Elevator. 8/19/1937 to 9/19/1940 KS. Kansas City. Wyandotte Echo. 1/3/1936 to 12/24/1937 KS. Peru. Freeman’s Lance. 1891-02-20 to 1891-12-25 KS. Topeka. Plaindealer. 7/5/1912 to 4/29/1921 KS. Wichita. Negro Star. 1/5/1939 to 12/26/1952 LA. Baton Rouge. Community Leader. 6/13/1985 LA. New Orleans. Inside New Orleans. 5/1/1965 LA. New Orleans. Times Picayune. 12/7/1942 to 4/4/1950 LA. New Orleans. Times-Picayune. 1870-04-09 to 1899-02-06 MA. Boston. Boston Journal. 1870-07-01 to 1871-06-30 MI. Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo Gazette. 1876-06-07 to 8/31/1907 MO. St. Louis. St. Louis Clarion. 12/18/1920 to 4/2/1921 MS. Jackson. Mississippi Free Press. 12/16/1961 to 8/1/1964 MS. Jackson. Mississippi Weekly. 5/18/1935 MS. Mound Bayou. Mound Bayou News-Digest. 5/13/1950 NY. Harlem. People’s Community News. 5/10/1970 NY. New York. New York Herald. 1879-02-1 to 1895-01-26 NY. New York. New York Herald-Tribune. 1856-07-14 to 1875-06-30 NY. New York. Nueva Democracia. 1/1/1947 to 10/1/1948 NY. New York. Prensa. 10/9/1923 to 9/16/1927 NY. New York. Rights of All. 1829-05-29 to 1829-10-09 OH. Dayton. Minority Report. 1/1/1969 to 12/18/1970 OH. Sandusky. Sandusky Register. 1848-04-24 to 1867-04-24 PA. Philadelphia. North Philly Free Press. 3/23/1982 to 1/18/1983 PA. Philadelphia. Political Digest. 10/31/1937 SC. Charleston. City Gazette. 1825-01-01 to 1826-08-31 TN. Memphis. Memphis Triangle. 11/17/1928 to 7/27/1929 TN. Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro Union. 6/6/1939 TX. Brownsville. Cronista del Valle. 10/12/1928 TX. Dallas. Brotherhood Eyes. 10/31/1936 TX. Dallas. Dallas Morning News. 7/31/1978 to 12/28/1978 TX. El Paso. ontinental. 11/17/1936 to 1/2/1938 TX. Fort Worth. Fort Worth Mind. 11/13/1943 to 9/13/1947 TX. Fort Worth. USA Monitor. 8/1/1992 to 3/1/1993 WA. Seattle. Seattle Daily Times. 12/1/1938 to 12/31/1952 WI. Beloit. Soul City Courier. 10/12/1976 to 1/18/1977 WI. La Crosse. Wisconsin Labor Advocate. 1886-08-20 to 1887-06-06 WI. Milwaukee. Milwaukee Defender. 1/3/1957 to 2/1/1958 WI. Milwaukee. Milwaukee Star. 10/19/1968 to 2/10/1977 WI. Milwaukee. Soul City Times. 9/14/1968 to 12/16/1971 WI. Racine. Racine Courier. 9/3/1988 to 7/25/1992 WV. Charleston. Advocate. 6/9/1904
“Bloody News – This town has been in a Continental Alarm since Mid-day ….. the attack began at Lexington (about 12 miles from Boston) by the regular troops, the 18th Infantry before sunrise…From thence they proceeded to Concord where they made a general attack…” Stirring news – as gripping as a bulletin on TV. Thanks to GenealogyBank we can read the same newspapers our ancestors read and feel the impact of the news as they lived it. No other site has the depth of coverage found on GenealogyBank. Sign-up now.
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, “If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light, One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm.”
Then he said “Good-night!” and with muffled oar Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, Just as the moon rose over the bay, Where swinging wide at her moorings lay The Somerset, British man-of-war; A phantom ship, with each mast and spar Across the moon like a prison bar, And a huge black hulk, that was magnified By its own reflection in the tide.
Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street Wanders and watches, with eager ears, Till in the silence around him he hears The muster of men at the barrack door, The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet, And the measured tread of the grenadiers, Marching down to their boats on the shore.
Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church, By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, To the belfry chamber overhead, And startled the pigeons from their perch On the sombre rafters, that round him made Masses and moving shapes of shade,– By the trembling ladder, steep and tall, To the highest window in the wall, Where he paused to listen and look down A moment on the roofs of the town And the moonlight flowing over all.
Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead, In their night encampment on the hill, Wrapped in silence so deep and still That he could hear, like a sentinel’s tread, The watchful night-wind, as it went Creeping along from tent to tent, And seeming to whisper, “All is well!” A moment only he feels the spell Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread Of the lonely belfry and the dead; For suddenly all his thoughts are bent On a shadowy something far away, Where the river widens to meet the bay,– A line of black that bends and floats On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.
Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride, Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere. Now he patted his horse’s side, Now he gazed at the landscape far and near, Then, impetuous, stamped the earth, And turned and tightened his saddle girth; But mostly he watched with eager search The belfry tower of the Old North Church, As it rose above the graves on the hill, Lonely and spectral and sombre and still. And lo! as he looks, on the belfry’s height A glimmer, and then a gleam of light! He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns, But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight A second lamp in the belfry burns. A hurry of hoofs in a village street, A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet; That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light, The fate of a nation was riding that night; And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight, Kindled the land into flame with its heat. He has left the village and mounted the steep, And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep, Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides; And under the alders that skirt its edge, Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge, Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides. It was twelve by the village clock When he crossed the bridge into Medford town. He heard the crowing of the cock, And the barking of the farmer’s dog, And felt the damp of the river fog, That rises after the sun goes down. It was one by the village clock, When he galloped into Lexington. He saw the gilded weathercock Swim in the moonlight as he passed, And the meeting-house windows, black and bare, Gaze at him with a spectral glare, As if they already stood aghast At the bloody work they would look upon.
It was two by the village clock, When he came to the bridge in Concord town. He heard the bleating of the flock, And the twitter of birds among the trees, And felt the breath of the morning breeze Blowing over the meadow brown. And one was safe and asleep in his bed Who at the bridge would be first to fall, Who that day would be lying dead, Pierced by a British musket ball. You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load.
So through the night rode Paul Revere; And so through the night went his cry of alarm To every Middlesex village and farm, A cry of defiance, and not of fear, A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, And a word that shall echo for evermore! For, borne on the night-wind of the Past, Through all our history, to the last, In the hour of darkness and peril and need, The people will waken and listen to hear The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed, And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
GenealogyBank is the best source for early US newspapers on the planet.
Last week I wrote about digging in GenealogyBank and finding articles about my early American ancestors in Maine. I had found family death and marriage announcements – this week I kept digging for more information about William Garcelon (1763-1851) his wife Maria (Harris) Garcelon (1763-1850) and his father Sea Captain James Garcelon (1739-1813) – and I found it!
Wow – in GenealogyBank I found this article from the Maine Gazette 22 July 1799 reporting that William Garcelon lost a horse in 1799 – “a black mare, with a white face and two white hind feet, about 15 years old” – it adds the key fact that he was living in Freeport, Maine in 1799.
Looking further I found a shipping article in the Essex (MA) Gazette (1769) stating that [Captain] J[ames] Garcelon had set sail on the Schooner Alexander for Bilbao, [Spain].
By family tradition we knew that he was a sea captain but here was proof and details of this voyage in 1769 – just 10 years after he had settled in America.
I didn’t know that newspapers that old had survived – let alone that they were digitized and easily searchable online. Tip: GenealogyBank has old newspapers going back to 1690 – easy to search, read, print and save!
Then in the 25 Feb 1811 issue of the Maine Gazette was the advertisement that James Garcelon’s farm was for sale. It gives a terrific description: 150 acres, 20 of them wooded, “handsome young orchard”, a “very pleasantly situated” two story house and more. Wow, you could almost picture the property.
Why was James Garcelon (1739-1813) selling his home and property? Were he and his wife, Deliverance (Annis) Garcelon (1735-1828), moving in with one of his children? At age 72, had he become infirm and unable to manage the property?Probably so.
We get another clue from the probate notice in the 24 Jan 1814 Maine Gazette. Sea Captain James Garcelon had died 17 November 1813. His son [Rev.] James Garcelon was the executor. ____________________________________
