<P> About 700 British Army regulars in Boston , under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith , were given secret orders to capture and destroy Colonial military supplies reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord . Through effective intelligence gathering , Patriot leaders had received word weeks before the expedition that their supplies might be at risk and had moved most of them to other locations . On the night before the battle , warning of the British expedition had been rapidly sent from Boston to militias in the area by several riders , including Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott , with information about British plans . The initial mode of the Army 's arrival by water was signaled from the Old North Church in Boston to Charlestown using lanterns to communicate `` one if by land , two if by sea '' . </P>
<P> About 700 British Army regulars in Boston , under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith , were given secret orders to capture and destroy Colonial military supplies reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord . Through effective intelligence gathering , Patriot leaders had received word weeks before the expedition that their supplies might be at risk and had moved most of them to other locations . On the night before the battle , warning of the British expedition had been rapidly sent from Boston to militias in the area by several riders , including Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott , with information about British plans . The initial mode of the Army 's arrival by water was signaled from the Old North Church in Boston to Charlestown using lanterns to communicate `` one if by land , two if by sea '' . </P>
who started the battles of lexington and concord
who started the battles of lexington and concord
British Army regulars
British Army regulars