Springfield Responds to Lexington

When news of Lexington reached Springfield — a hundred miles west of Boston — militia companies mustered and began the long march east. Springfield's distance meant its forces arrived after the initial fighting, but they joined the siege of Boston and served throughout the summer.

The response demonstrated the reach of the Massachusetts alarm system and the depth of patriot sentiment in the Connecticut Valley. Springfield was far from the coast, far from the centers of radical politics, but its residents were ready to fight.