West NY News

MAYVILLE, N.Y. — The 250th anniversary of the American War for Independence is being observed this month. The event, which occurred nearly 400 miles east of Chautauqua County, still holds significance in local history. British troops set out from Boston, then a city similar in size to present-day Dunkirk, shortly before midnight on April 18, 1775. Their advance towards Concord, Massachusetts, aimed at seizing colonial munitions, led to their encounter with colonial militia at Lexington in the early hours of April 19. The resulting exchange of fire became known as "the shot heard ‘round the world," marking the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

"Although Chautauqua County was uninhabited frontier at the time, we now know of at least 16 Revolutionary War veterans buried here who responded to the alarm that day," explained Norman Carlson, Chautauqua County Historian. "Some participated directly in the day’s fighting, while others answered the call but arrived after the action had concluded. Their presence in the county years later speaks to the westward migration of those early patriots and the legacy they carried with them. Sixteen is the best count we have at this time, but it is certainly a minimum and subject to the limitations of available records."

A notable historical artifact is a pocket notebook kept by Eliakim Garfield of Sutton, Massachusetts. Though not a witness to the fighting, Garfield recorded news of the event on April 19, 1775, possibly informed by a messenger in the region's communication network. His entry reads: "This Day April ye 19th 1775 the Kings troops Come to Concord and being their maid very unwelcom Returned home with greate speade and much Loss."

"I received it on behalf of the Center in January 2012, and it remains part of Fenton’s permanent collection," said Carlson. "This humble little journal, now nearly 250 years old, offers a rare and personal glimpse into the very first day of the American Revolution. It’s a reminder that history lives not just in books or battlefields, but in the everyday observations of ordinary people—some of whom would help shape our county generations later."

Chautauqua County also has broader historical connections to the Revolutionary era. Both British General Thomas Gage and his second-in-command General Frederick Haldimand, based in Boston during April 1775, had participated in the British siege of Fort Niagara during the French and Indian War. This ties them indirectly to the early military history of western New York.

Additionally, the Town of Gerry in Chautauqua County is named after Elbridge Gerry, a Massachusetts patriot who narrowly avoided capture by British troops on April 19, 1775. General Joseph Warren, another key figure from the time, who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill, lends his name to nearby Warren County, Pennsylvania.

These stories and artifacts serve as a reminder that the first day of the American Revolution is more than a distant event from New England; it reverberates in the towns, cemeteries, and museums of places like Chautauqua County. The anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the spirit of those who fought for liberty and their enduring legacy in the county.