Born September 3, 1741, in Dracut, Massachusetts, Ephraim Hall Jr. was 33 years old when riders galloped through Middlesex County on the night of April 18, 1775, crying that the British were marching on Concord. He answered the alarm—one of thousands of Massachusetts minutemen who converged on the roads from Boston, beginning the Revolutionary War with shots fired at dawn on Lexington Green. He would live to see independence won, dying November 25, 1821, at age 80, honored in Dracut's town records as "a soldier in the late Revolution."
The Shot Heard Round the World
When the alarm came, they left their plows in the fields, their tools in the shops, their families at breakfast tables. They grabbed their muskets and ran toward the sound of war.
The Lexington-Concord alarm was the defining moment of Massachusetts militia tradition. For years, towns had drilled their militias, stockpiled powder and shot, and prepared for the day when British authorities would move against colonial military preparations. On April 19, 1775, that day arrived.
Ephraim Hall Jr., listed in Massachusetts Soldiers & Sailors of the Revolutionary War, was part of the Middlesex County response. From Dracut— about 30 miles northwest of Boston—he would have marched south toward Concord and the British column retreating back toward Boston. The day would see 73 British casualties and 49 American deaths or wounds, fought along 16 miles of country road in a running battle unlike anything European military doctrine had prepared the Redcoats to face.
Siege of Boston and Bunker Hill
After Lexington-Concord, Massachusetts militia surrounded Boston, beginning a siege that would last until March 1776. Ephraim likely served in the siege lines during this period, when thousands of hastily mobilized militiamen dug entrenchments, stood guard, and gradually transformed from farmers into soldiers.
Service Record (1775-1777)
- •Lexington & Concord (April 19, 1775): Responded to the alarm; engaged British column
- •Bunker/Breed's Hill (June 17, 1775): Likely present at this bloody battle where militia proved they could stand against British regulars
- •Siege of Boston (1775-1776): Service in siege lines surrounding the occupied city
- •Later Northern Drafts (1777): Possible service toward Bennington or Saratoga campaigns
The Battle of Bunker Hill (actually fought on Breed's Hill) on June 17, 1775, saw Massachusetts militia fight a desperate defensive action against British regulars assaulting their hastily dug entrenchments. Though forced to retreat when ammunition ran low, the colonials inflicted devastating casualties—over 1,000 British killed or wounded out of 2,400 engaged. The battle proved that American militia, properly positioned and led, could match British regulars in combat.
Lifelong Dracut Resident
Unlike many veterans who migrated west after the war, Ephraim remained in Dracut for his entire 80 years. He witnessed his hometown's transformation from a frontier agricultural community into an established Massachusetts town, saw the Constitution ratified and the federal republic take shape, and lived through the nation's early growing pains including the War of 1812.
Town records explicitly honor him as "a soldier in the late Revolution"—the kind of local recognition that meant more to many veterans than formal medals or pensions. He died November 25, 1821, having lived long enough to see the American experiment he helped begin reach its 45th year.
Sons of the American Revolution Recognition
Ephraim Hall Jr.'s service has been verified and recognized by the Sons of the American Revolution under membership number SAR #35609. His presence at the war's very beginning—among the first to answer the Lexington alarm—places him in the vanguard of American patriots who transformed colonial resistance into revolutionary war.
Massachusetts Minutemen: The Myth and Reality
The minutemen of Massachusetts represent both myth and reality. The myth: farmers who instantly became skilled soldiers. The reality: men who had drilled for years, maintained their equipment, stockpiled ammunition, and prepared systematically for conflict. When the alarm came, their response was rapid because they had prepared to be rapid. Ephraim Hall Jr. embodied this tradition— ready when the moment came, effective because he had trained to be effective.