Watertown’s Patriot Who Fell on the First Day of the American Revolution

Two-hundred-fifty years ago was a turbulent time for Watertown. On April 19, 1775, more than 130 men from Watertown responded to the call to fight the British. They met the retreating Redcoats in what is now Arlington, exchanged fire, and one soldier from Watertown — Joseph Coolidge — was killed.

Saturday, April 19, 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the American Revolution, when the colonial militia faced the British Army at Lexington and Concord. Soldiers from Watertown took part in the aftermath of those battles, as the British Regulars made their way back to Boston.

Joyce Kelly of the Historical Society of Watertown said she recently learned where Watertown’s lone battle loss occurred.

“Joseph Coolidge was the only Watertown man killed that day,” Kelly said. “He died in Menotomy (now called Arlington) near the “Foot of the Rocks.”

A plaque now marks the location of the Foot of the Rocks, which sits at the fork of Massachusetts Avenue and Lowell Street and across the street from a Dunkin’ Donuts.

The spot is a good one for soldiers to take cover behind as Mass. Ave. curves and runs downhill as you head east. According to the Freedom’s Way website, “Here British soldiers retreating from Lexington and Concord were ambushed by colonial forces from four counties and thirty towns who lay in wait at what was the highest point along the road from Charlestown to Concord. It is recorded that more men fell at the Foot of the Rocks and on the plains of Menotomy than in every other locale through which the adversary forces fought on April 19, 1775.”

The plaque dedicated by the Arlington Bicentennial Planning Committee on April 19, 1978 reads:

“This park is dedicated by the people of Arlington to the memory of the Colonial Minutemen and British Soldiers who met here in the first great battle of the Revolutionary War.

British Troops in retreat from bloody first skirmishes at Lexington and Concord were here opposed by colonial forces gathering from counties and thirty towns. More men fell at the Foot of the Rocks and on the plains of Monotomy than in every other locale through which the adversary forces fought, that long day, April 19, 1775.

The valor of all those who fell and those who fought on, consecrated the Foot of the Rocks in 1775. We dedicate this field to their memory so that their courage will live on.“

Watertown’s Militia

In the lead up to the Revolution, Watertown’s militia began drilling for two hours each day for three months, and its stock of ammunition was inspected, according to “Watertown’s Military History,” published in 1907.

“The company was therefore in a fair condition of training the following spring,” the book reads.

On April 18, 1775, 800 British troops were sent from Boston to Concord to destroy stores of weapons, and seized John Hancock and Samuel Adams who were living in Lexington in the home of Rev. John Clark.

That day, Watertown’s Abraham Whitney was on his way by horseback to Lynn to deliver shoes for his brother. The book on Watertown history “Crossroad on the Charles” by Maud deLeigh Hodges, has the following account:

“On his way through Charlestown a man halted him, saying, ‘Do you know the regulars are landing?’ With the training and alertness of a minuteman and Son of Liberty, Whitney threw off his load, wheeled around, and galloped for home, where he had left his four children and their stepmother. On the way he gave the alarm, ‘The regulars have landed. Assemble on the church green at sunrise.'”

Coolidge was one of the 134 men to assemble that morning, according to “Crossroad on the Charles.”

“When the call to arms came to the Coolidge house on Grove Street, Coolidge left his plow, shouldered his gun, and volunteered to guide a Natick company to Lexington.”

Coolidge was one of Watertown’s tax collectors, according to “Crossroad on the Charles,” and when he went to join the militia that day, “his wife (Eunice) buried his tax records for safety.”

According to the book “Watertown’s Military History”: “Watertown took a creditable part in the work of that day. According to a historical sketch written by Solon F. Whitney, who for many years has been the town’s librarian, the Middlesex regiment, under command of Col. Thomas Gardner, assembled at the Watertown meeting house early on the morning of Apr. 19. In that regiment was the company of Watertown Minute Men, of which Captain Samuel Barnard was in command. This company had been formed in accordance with a vote of the town meeting.”

Troops from Newton, under the command of Michael Jackson, met up with Gardner’s regiment in Watertown.

“(Jackson) declared that the time for fighting had come, and he intended to have his company take the shortest possible route to get a shot at the British,” according to “Watertown’s Military History” “Each company choosing its course, the Watertown company hastened to Lexington. Near that town they joined the Newton company, and soon encountered Lord Percy’s retreating forces. They followed and harassed the enemy. Joseph Coolidge, of the Watertown company, was slain.”

“Crossroad on the Charles” includes the following account of that day.

“First to appear with his gun on that day was a twenty-year-old volunteer, Leonard Bond. Nineteen-year-old Nathaniel Bemis shouldered a musket marked with his father’s name, David Bemis, and the date, January 1775. He is said to have shot a retreating British officer and captured his sword, which the family kept as a memento for many years.”

The retreating British soldiers may have come through Watertown that day. “Crossroads on the Charles” includes the following account.

“A regiment of retreating redcoats found their way back through Watertown. One of them was passing near the house of Lydia Warren Barnard where a crowd had gathered. As local folklore has it, Mrs. Barnard seized his horse’s bridle and commanded him to dismount. He pleaded that he had done no shooting, but on opening his cartridge box she found several cartridges missing. She threatened him with his own sword till he fell on his knees and begged for his life. The story is told that bystanders took the captive to a tavern for safe keeping, and his horse was turned loose.”

The book also includes a footnote saying that “All accounts state that the line of retreat of the British was along Massachusetts Avenue until the neighborhood of Porter Square was reached. Watertown at that time did reach to Fresh Pond, about a mile from Massachusetts Avenue and it is possible that stragglers may have come that far from the main body, but hardly a regiment.”

The Coolidge Family

The Coolidges were early settlers of Watertown. The family owned a large amount of land in what is now East Watertown, a portion of which became part of Mount Auburn Cemetery, Kelly said. Joseph Coolidge’s farm house used to stand at what is now 662 Mt. Auburn St., at the corner of Grove street, according to “Crossroad on the Charles.”

After Coolidge’s death, “Crossroad on the Charles” reads: “His descendants honored him by erecting a seventeen-foot shaft over his grave in the old graveyard at the intersection of Arlington and Mt. Auburn streets.”

According to the book “The Descendants of John and Mary Coolidge of Watertown,” the town honored Coolidge 100 years after his death with a memorial in the Old Burying Ground.

The memorial reads: “Joseph Coolidge, born June 18, 1730. Killed in the battle at Lexington, April 19, 1775. The only citizen of Watertown who fell on that day.”

Kelly said Joseph Coolidge was a descendant of the first Coolidges, John and Mary.

“According to the book ‘The Descendants of John and Mary Coolidge of Watertown’ he was descended from their son Simon. And, according to the book, so was President Calvin Coolidge.  His branch ended up moving to Vermont after the Revolution where the President was born,” she said.

President Coolidge came to Watertown in 1925 and visited the Old Burying Ground, where he visited his family’s graves.

Watertown Soldiers Who Responded to the Alarm

“Watertown’s Military History” includes a list of the company from Watertown who took part in the action that day. The book reads:

A Muster Roll of the company under the command of Capt. Samuel Barnard, in the late Col. Thomas Gardner’s Regiment of Militia, which marched on the alarm April 19, 1775:

Samuel Barnard, Capt.

John Stratton, Lieut.

Phinehas Stearns, 2nd Lieut.

Edw^d Harrington, Ensign

Samuel Sanger, Sergt.

Christopher Grant, Sergt.

Josiah Capen, Sergt.

Stephen Whitney, Sergt.

Isaac Saunderson, Corp.

Moses Stone, Corp.

Nathan Bright, Corp.

Will^m Harrington, Corp.

Nathan Coolidge

Nathan Benjamin

Stephen Cook

Josiah Saunderson

Seth Sanderson

John Sanger

Tilly Mead

Abraham Whitney

John Whitney

David Whitney

John Villa

Dan^l Mason

Will^m Leathe

Tho^s Learned

Dan^l Collidge

Moses Collidge

Francis Brown

Isaac Prentice

Thomas Hastings

Amos Tainter

Josiah Norcross

Dan^l Whitney

Zacheriah Sheed

Jonathan Whitney

Spencer Gooding

Jon^a Coolidge Gooding

Thos Staftbrd

Edw^d Harrington Sr.

Sam^l Sodin

David Capen

Sam^l White, Jr.

Jon^a Bright

Phinehas Childs

Jonas Bond, jr.

Richard Clark

John Remmington

Simon Coolidge, jr.

Jon^a Stone

Benj^a Capen

Bazaleel Larned

John Bullman

Will^m White

Pennel Parks

Will^m Jennison

Phinnehas Jenneson

Dan^l Learned

David Beamis, jr.

Jacob Saunderson

Jedediah Learned

Jonas Learned

Sam^l Bond

Moses Souter

Joel White

Will^m Learned

Tho^s Prentice

Oliver Monroe

Ehiathan Whitney

Phinehas Harrington

John Cook

Will^m Watson

John Randall

Jonas Coollidge

Elisha Tolman

Edmond Fowle

John Ciane

Stephen Harris

David Stone

Henry Gypson

Will^m Chenery

Ephraim Jones

Richard Everitt

Will^m Parks

Tho^s Coollidge

John Willington

John Fowle

Cornelius Stone

Peter Harrington

Jedediah Leithe

Sam^l Barnard, Jr.

David Parker

Dan^l Sawin, Jr.

Saml. Warrin

Joshna Stratton

Leonard Bond

Tho^s Clark

Peter Ricliardson

Sam^l White

Oliver Learned

John Chennery

Jon^a Benjamin

Dan^l Cook

Sam^l Warrin, jr.

Phinehas Childs, Jr.

Elijah Fiezie

John Hnnt, jr.

Will’m McCurtain

Amos Bond

Moses Hagar

Elias Tuffts

Elisha Brewer

James Austin

Jon^a Childs

Henry Bradshaw

Tho^s Hunt

Elkanah Wales

Simon Hastings

Benj^a Learned

Dan^l Jackson

Jonas White

Richard Loathe

Eben Everett

James Tufts

James Mallard

Ezekiel Whitney

Zechariah Hicks

Cornelius Parks

Nath^l Harris, jr.

Will^m Sanger

Sam^l Benjamin, jr.

Tho^s Wellington

Jonas Barnard, jr.

Converse Spring.

March 16, 1776. A true muster roll errors excepted.