"I will order the first man shot that runs away. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they want to have a war,—let it begin here.”

Sergeant William Munroes account of the orders given by Captain John Parker to his militiamen on Lexington Green

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Captain John Parker was born on July 13, 1729, in Lexington, Massachusetts Bay Colony to a Puritan family. His grandfather had been an influential Deacon and founder of Reading MA. Not much about Parkers childhood is known but we do know his father owned a farm, which makes it likely he was raised farming, and that he possessed a basic education, he was described as a stout, large framed man, of medium height, by the time Parker was in his 20's the French and Indian war was in full swing. Sources suggest Parker,was a member of Rogers Rangers for at least some or all of his time in the war and he served with distinction in two major campaigns: the Siege of Louisbourg and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. After the war Parker returned to Lexington where he worked as a farmer, mechanic, and town officer, his involvement with the Rangers likely contributed to his election as captain of Lexington’s militia.

By April 1775, Parker, aged 46 and weakened by tuberculosis, led the Lexington militia, part of the Massachusetts Militia, not a minuteman company as sometimes claimed. On the night of April 18, Paul Revere and William Dawes warned Lexington of an approaching British force of 700 regulars under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, sent to seize Patriot supplies in Concord and possibly arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Despite his illness, Parker rose from his sickbed and mustered about 70–80 militiamen on Lexington Green by dawn on April 19. Facing Major John Pitcairn’s advance guard, Parker positioned his men in a disciplined formation, reportedly ordering, “Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” While the exact wording is debated (Paul Revere’s deposition suggests a more cautious order to let the British pass, others reported at the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington that Parker told his militia he'd shoot the first man to run) the quote reflects Parker’s resolve to avoid provocation while standing firm.
The skirmish on Lexington Green erupted when a shot—its origin unknown—sparked chaos. British regulars fired on the militia, killing eight, including Parker’s cousin Jonas, who was bayoneted, and wounding ten. Parker ordered his men to disperse to avoid annihilation, but he did not surrender. Later that day Parker regrouped his militia along the road from Concord to Boston. Hiding behind rocks and trees, they ambushed the retreating British column in an engagement known as “Parker’s Revenge.” This attack inflicted heavy casualties, wounding a British Lieutenant Colonel Smith and slowing their retreat.
Parker’s health deteriorated rapidly after April 19. Unable to participate in the Battle of Bunker Hill or the Siege of Boston, he succumbed to tuberculosis on September 17, 1775, at age 46. He was buried at Lexington’s Old Burying Ground. The Lexington Minuteman statue, unveiled in 1900, symbolizes Parker, though it depicts a younger, healthier man, as no portrait of him survives. Though he did not live to see American independence his legacy endures in the U.S. Army Reserve’s motto, “Twice the Citizen".