Last week was Patriots week up in the Boston and it kicked off with a daylong reenactment on Saturday April 14th of the events in 1775 that lead the colonists to revolt against the British. Boy Scouts from Troop 63 Woodbridge and their parents had the opportunity to learn firsthand what it was like those eventful days of April 18 and 19th when soldiers from the Boston based British forces march to Lexington where a skirmish ensued and colonists were killed. Later the Red Coats moved on to Concord where they though armaments were being stored and they proceeded to destroy much in their path. It was at the North Bridge of Concord that the Red Coats finally learned the colonists had had enough. Hundreds of farmers and others called “Minute Men” rallied and stormed the bridge as the British attempted to cross. This is where the most famous “shot heard round the world” took place. The British were driven back after two were killed and they fled all the way back down the road towards Lexington and Boston. Along the way thousands more minutemen joined the fight and by day’s end the British Red Coats had seen hundreds of their own killed. The Revolutionary War was on. All this happened in an area now a US national park called “Minute Man National Park”. A number of Connecticut minutemen rallied and walked six days to get up to help their Massachusetts allies, but arrived too late to be of any help. One man Amos Doolittle from New Haven, was an artist so he put illustrations of the events the week prior on copper plates, many of these are considered the best records of the battle which started the war. Scouts and their parent leaders were able to stand with thousands of others along “Battle Road” and witnessed men and women dressed in real clothing of that era and firing real muskets. The noise at times was deafening and one could sense the desperation and fear of people who were now engaged in a fight they never asked for. In addition to the 5 or 6 skirmishes the troop was able to get to, there was video at the visitors center that showed in detail what had happened on those fateful days. For Troop 63 the next day was a little more relaxed as they visited Walden Pond and hiked to where it is believed Henry David Thoreau’s home had stood while he wrote his famous novel Walden. After that the troop joined thousands more locals in Lincoln, MA to watch a fife and drum competition and to get some more typical scout fun in like Frisbee and wiffle ball. On Monday the scouts rose early to once again watch a reenactment of Red Coats against colonists. All and all it was a great trip for the scouts to learn some US history where it happened and everyone thanked Mr. Bill Purcell who organized the trip. Mr. Purcell grew up not far from the Lexington and Concord area so he knew it would be a great activity for the boys. Troop 63 always welcomes boys from the whole area who are interested in learning more about scouting to attend one of their weekly meetings as a guest. The troop meets Monday evenings at 7pm in the basement of the Assumption Church on Litchfield Turnpike in Woodbridge.