Paul Revere's Signal

Excerpt from Paul Revere's Signal: The True Story of the Signal Lanterns in Christ Church, Boston It will be remembered by many persons in Boston, that, last year, in the Centennial celebration of the events of the night of April 18, 177 5, it was stated by my friend, the esteemed Rector of Christ Church, Boston, that the signal lanterns which directed the movements of Paul Revere on that night were hung out on the steeple of the Old North Church by one Robert Newman, who, it was said, was then the sex ton of that church. Knowing that this statement could not be correct, and having my attention called to the matter by a kinswoman of mine, who furnished me with additional reasons for believing that the honor of aiding Paul Revere on that night much to be remembered be longed rightfully to a member of our own family, I addressed a letter to the reverend Rector, asking for the authority on which he had made such a statement. In his very kind reply to my inquiry, he told me that he had received his information from Mr. S. H. Newman, son of the sexton, Robert Newman; and that his story was supported by the remembrances of, 1st, an elderly woman, Mrs. Sally Chittenden, now ninety years of age, who is the grand-daughter of John Newman, brother of Robert 2d, of Joshua B. Fowle, living at Lexington, who knew Paul Revere, who often came with the other patriots of his time to his father's house. It was the common talk among them that Rob ert Newman put up the lanterns. 3d, William Green, who lives at the North End, is the grandson of Captain Thomas Barnard. His sis ter, eighty-four years old, remembers Robert Newman. All these say it was the universally received opinion that Robert Newman dis played the signal lights. This is all. And l have no occasion to make any remark upon their evidence. The reverend Rector also writes that the sexton was arrested, but nothing was proved against him. After giving the signal, he made his way out of a back window of the church into his house, and was found in bed. And he adds Our records that is, the records of Christ Church fail us in the Revolutionary period, and say nothing about the signal lanterns. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.