This Day in History

**Airbornelawyer** · 04-19-2005, 09:55

The military governor had been receiving intelligence about local agitators calling for an uprising, caching weapons and training militias, for weeks. A few earlier raids had found little, but stirred up insurgent forces. On April 14, based on reports that insurgent political leaders were meeting in a village about 20 miles from the provincial capital, the military governor was ordered to deploy his ready force to the village to seize a suspected weapons cache and arrest several suspected militants. His force of about 650-900 troops moved out from the provincial capital on April 18, but secrecy was almost immediately lost due to a network of local informants.

Having received prior warning, militiamen in a village in the path of the troop column gathered just before dawn on April 19 to meet the enemy. After a brief exchange of fire in which 8 insurgents were killed and 10 wounded, the ill-prepared insurgent force of about 70 was quickly dispersed, but the delay allowed the insurgents to remove most of the weapons from the cache sites.

Troops easily took the village that was their objective, and seized or destroyed what they could find. The insurgent leadership was not found.

Meanwhile, insurgent forces were gathering. A force engaged insurgents at a bridge on the north side of the village, where it was routed, taking 14 casualties (including its commander). At midday, the commander of the ready force ordered his column to return to the capital. Insurgents harassed, sniped and ambushed the column incessantly on the return trip, and a relief column was deployed from the capital to rescue them. By the time they arrived back at their garrison that evening, the troops had taken 273 casualties while inflicting only 95 on the insurgents.

The insurgents were fired up by their victory, as well as their subsequent propaganda victory in rallying more locals to their cause. On April 23, insurgent leaders mobilize some 13,600 troops and lay siege to the provincial capital. Events quickly escalate, as insurgents seize a fort in a neighboring province on May 10. On the same day, rebel political leaders convene in another province, and on May 15 order a general mobilization. And the rest is history.

**Razor** · 04-19-2005, 14:02

Are we referring to lanterns and churches?

**Airbornelawyer** · 04-19-2005, 18:10

By the way, Happy Patriots' Day to all you Massachusians...? Massachusettsians ...? Massachusettserians ...? Massachusettserianders ...? Massachusetters ...? What the hell are you called, anyway?

**Airbornelawyer** · 04-19-2005, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor

Are we referring to lanterns and churches?

And shots heard round the world and bridges on the north side of the village with the stunningly original name of "North Bridge."

Worcester Polytechnic's ROTC program has the beginnings of a virtual staff ride here, with a fair amount of information: http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/MilSci/BTSI/Lexcon/

**Kyobanim** · 04-19-2005, 19:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airbornelawyer

By the way, Happy Patriots' Day to all you Massachusians...? Massachusettsians ...? Massachusettserians ...? Massachusettserianders ...? Massachusetters ...? What the hell are you called, anyway?

Cold

lksteve · 04-19-2005, 19:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airbornelawyer

By the way, Happy Patriots' Day to all you Massachusians...? Massachusettsians ...? Massachusettserians ...? Massachusettserianders ...? Massachusetters ...? What the hell are you called, anyway?

we used to call them Pilgrims when i was at Devens...those of us who were not from Massa...Taxa...Kennedy's home state did, anyway...

**Airbornelawyer** · 04-19-2005, 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by lksteve

we used to call them Pilgrims when i was at Devens...those of us who were not from Massa...Taxa...Kennedy's home state did, anyway...

"Taxachusetts"

Reminds me of David Letterman's Top Ten list from 1990 or so on the top 10 names for the reunified East and West Germany.

#1. Nazichusetts.

jon448 · 04-19-2005, 22:59

I believe the technical term for a person of Massachusetts birth is "Mass-hole" but maybe thats just what I've been indoctrinated to call other people of Massachusetts origin.

tyrsnbdr · 04-20-2005, 07:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon448

I believe the technical term for a person of Massachusetts birth is "Mass-hole" but maybe thats just what I've been indoctrinated to call other people of Massachusetts origin.

Every person I have met from Mass uses the "Mass-hole" as a term of pride.

jon448 · 04-20-2005, 07:26

Oh I am proud of it... but I was just putting it out there as what we call ourselves

**Razor** · 04-20-2005, 08:37

Your northern neighbors use the term pretty freely, too.

tyrsnbdr · 04-20-2005, 09:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon448

Oh I am proud of it... but I was just putting it out there as what we call ourselves

All love from here, even if you are "Mass-Holes."

And yes, I was a Redsox fan when I lived in VT. Way before they won anything.

Back to the stroy at hand: Its amazing how you can change the word patriot to insurgant and how the flavor of the story changes. Good for them to stand up for their beliefs.