"Let's Steal Their Cannons!"

(Originally published August 23. 2023.

I hope you won’t mind if I begin with a quick(ish) intro.

See, I'm working on a longer-form project, about a Revolutionary War hero, who, while I’ll mention him below, just hasn't gotten anywhere near the attention he really deserves.

Anyway, in the course of my research, I’ve been really gratified by all of the things that I've learned along the way, including information not directly related to my subject.

I've discovered facts of which I was ignorant, and have disabused myself of incorrect notions that I had every reason to believe were true. One of those was the idea that, on the night of August 23, 1775, American patriots in New York City stole British cannons from the Battery, at the southern tip of Manhattan.

As you read this, many of you —most especially those who've seen the musical Hamilton— might be thinking, "Yeah, but that's what happened, isn't it?"

Well, no, it's not. And it's not just the wildly popular musical that might’ve led us all to believe that version of the story. I've done a lot of reading about this event, and many other revolutionary episodes leading up to the war, and the war itself, and —even though I'm new at this— have been disturbed by how many purveyors of purported non-fiction have gotten so many facts just plain wrong.

The truth of the matter is that, on the date in question, there simply weren’t any British cannons in New York City. So, how this story has survived for so long is beyond me.

Now, while Lin-Manuel Miranda can certainly be excused for exercising a degree of artistic license in drafting a script for a Broadway musical, I don't believe the same can be said for authors of historical non-fiction.

I won't name names, of course, but I've been disappointed to learn that several highly respected —and bestselling— writers whom I've held in high esteem were just sorta lazy about substantive information.

And that bugs me.

Anyway, now that I'm done venting my spleen, let me tell you a really good, really true story. And I promise I’ll do my utmost in getting the facts straight.

When news of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached New York by dispatch rider on the morning of April 23, 1775, the city quickly descended into a state of turmoil.

That very evening, the Sons of Liberty (also known as the “Liberty Boys”), following Isaac Sears' lead, went to City Hall and demanded the keys to the building’s armory. Their request denied, “King Sears,” as he was known, decided on a more expedient course of action, and the Liberty Boys simply broke in, coming away with hundreds of weapons and cases of ammunition which they distributed to the city’s militia volunteers.

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