[Battles of Lexington and Concord]
Bloody Butchery by the British Troops, Or the Runaway Fight of the Regulars
Artifact IDTL 2026.1.18
Object Type
Temporary Loan
Date
1775
Printer
Ezekiel Russell
(American, 1743 - 1796)
Place MadeSalem, Massachusetts, United States of America
Medium
typographic broadside with woodcut masthead
DimensionsOverall H 19 1/2 in x W 17 1/2 in (49.5 cm x 44.5 cm)
Physical DescriptionA graphic depiction of the Battles of Lexington and Concord with "forty coffin" woodcut masthead.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the violent start of the American Revolutionary War. Mass-printed immediately after the conflict, this rare broadside compiles gripping newspaper dispatches detailing British raids on civilians and brutal hand-to-hand combat. The broadside includes one of the most visually arresting graphical depictions of the battles: a masthead of 40 coffins, representing colonists who died.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the violent start of the American Revolutionary War. Mass-printed immediately after the conflict, this rare broadside compiles gripping newspaper dispatches detailing British raids on civilians and brutal hand-to-hand combat. The broadside includes one of the most visually arresting graphical depictions of the battles: a masthead of 40 coffins, representing colonists who died.
Historical NoteBy 1775, Boston was the center of military activity in America: a city of 16,000 occupied by 4,000 British soldiers and nominally governed by an installed royal council. With its elected legislature suspended, Massachusetts formed a congress-in-exile with taxation authority and began drilling its militias. In this context, around midnight on April 18th-19th, 700 crown troops marched west from Boston to find a colonial weapons stockpile.
Instead, they encountered local militia fighters—initially 80, then 400, then several thousand. The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first planned conflicts of the American Revolution. The famous “40-coffin” broadside shown here chronicled the two clashes and achieved an anti-British propaganda trifecta: it framed the enemy as aggressors, celebrated their retreat, and sensationalized the American dead.
Additional DetailsInstead, they encountered local militia fighters—initially 80, then 400, then several thousand. The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first planned conflicts of the American Revolution. The famous “40-coffin” broadside shown here chronicled the two clashes and achieved an anti-British propaganda trifecta: it framed the enemy as aggressors, celebrated their retreat, and sensationalized the American dead.
Credit LineCourtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPolitical Memorabilia (National Archives Identifier 1677287)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - FullyUse Restriction NoteThe use of this image and document information is fully restricted. Reproduction in any manner is not allowed.On view