Existing comment:
The Flames of War:
When British soldiers attacked their homes, residents rallied to protect themselves and their families.
Gathering militiamen fired on British troops from behind trees and stone walls, even from the windows of their houses. Exhausted and panicked British soldiers lashed out, killing civilians, ransacking and looting houses, and setting fires.
"Our all is at stake," declared a call to arms issued the next day; the British were going "to ravage this devoted country with fire and sword." Some colonists recoiled from the notion of taking up arms. Others joined the fight resolved to save themselves and their children from lives of "perpetual slavery" under British rule. |