The rebel leaders knowing they did not have a consensus amongst the colonists had formed and trained their own militia in order to seize control. In fact the majority of the colonists did not want the breakdown of law they would bring, so supplied the British with good intelligence. They in turn wishing to avoid bloodshed had devised a counter revolutionary plan to just confiscate the rebel’s stockpile of gunpowder at Concord. The redcoats didn’t expect any hostilities and were confident of success so only took 20 rounds each, but Gage’s wife who was American, had conflicting allegiance and deliberately or unwittingly informed the rebels of the plan, who were then able to amass 7000 men from all over Massachusetts and Connecticut. On arrival at Lexington the redcoats who were only 900 strong, confronted Parker’s militia and convinced them to disperse, but just as doing so, shots were fired at both sides (most probably by smuggler Handcock and rebel leader Adams hidden in the bushes) this started both sides firing at each other in which several Militiamen were killed. Although heavily outnumbered the British pressed onto Concord, but not knowing they had been betrayed, obviously found nothing left at Barrett’s Farm and so started searching the surrounding colonist's homes. It was this, that the rebels used to enrage the colonists to get them to attack the redcoats and under attack the redcoats were quickly out of ammunition, but just as seriously they were also out of water, forcing them to withdraw. But on returning along the only road they were just like half dead fish in a barrel and were being decimated. At Arlington discipline had broken down and anyone caught sniping at them from house windows (mainly women) were either bayoneted or had their homes burnt down. The Rebels planned aggression had killed 273 redcoats, but would have killed even more had Gage not been informed and able to send out a relief column with flankers that kept the rebel’s rolling sniper tactics at bay. But the rebel propaganda had done its work and on returning to Boston the British became surrounded and beleaguered, eventually having to vacate the city. HomePage