Francis Smith
BIRTH
1723
unknown
DEATH
November 7, 1791
unknown
FAMILY
##
Smith, Francis
(1723-1791)
Major General Francis Smith was a British Army officer. Although Smith had a lengthy and varied career, he is best known as the British commander during most of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts on 19 April 1775.
8
Places | Image | Address | GPS | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Minute Man National Historical Park | 210 N Great Rd, Lincoln, MA 01773 | MUSEUM | ||
Old South Meeting House | 310 Washington St, Boston, MA 02108 | MUSEUM | ||
Lexington Battle Green | 1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02421 | MARKER | ||
Boston Common | 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111 | PARK | ||
Buckman Tavern | 1 Bedford St, Lexington, MA 02420 | MUSEUM | ||
Battle of Brooklyn Marker | Belt Parkway, New York, New York, 11209, USA | MARKER | ||
Concord Millpond Marker | Main Street, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742, USA | MARKER | ||
Wright Tavern Marker | 2 Lexington Rd, Concord, MA 01742 | MARKER |
DIED:
unknown
Nov 7, 1791
Smith was Lieutenant Colonel of the 10th Regiment of Foot. He was given overall command of the expedition to Concord, which consisted of twenty one companies of Light infantry and grenadiers totaling around 700 men, whose orders were to search the town for contraband supplies and weapons, particularly artillery. General Thomas Gage believed that the mission required a force larger than a regiment but smaller than a brigade and so assembled it by taking individual companies from the various units in Boston. This left Smith's force lacking a proper command structure or staff.
Smith's departure was widely observed by Boston Whigs, and several messages were slipped out of the city to alarm the countryside. After being alerted to the possibility that there was opposition on the road, Smith ordered some light infantry to move forward while he stayed with the main body of the expedition, thus he was not present at the skirmish in Lexington.
Major John Pitcairn of the Royal Marines was in charge of the advance guard. Pitcairn's men encountered a company of militiamen under John Parker on Lexington Green. Despite orders on both sides not to open fire, shooting broke out and a number of men were killed and wounded. By the time Smith arrived, his troops had scattered to pursue fleeing militiamen and it took some time for him to restore order and reform his companies. Several of his officers suggested that they should now return to Boston, but Smith decided to push on to Concord to complete the mission. He had sent messages back to Gage requesting reinforcements and informing him that the countryside was on alert.
Smith's conduct was highly praised by Gage in his dispatches to London reporting the outbreak of fighting. He was promoted to full colonel at the year's end and later promoted to brigadier general. On the night of 4 March 1776, during a snow storm, British sentries on duty near the Boston Neck heard digging across the bay on Dorchester Heights. This was reported to Smith, who did not report this to his own superiors at the Province House. By dawn on 5 March, the Americans now had a full breastworks constructed on the heights. This resulted in the British choosing to evacuate Boston and sail to Halifax, Nova Scotia.