I arrived at my dentist office at 8am today only to discover that I had cancelled my appointment for this time slot some time back (for reasons that escape me now). Fortunately, there was a cancellation and opening at 9am which left me with an hour to spend in downtown Lexington. After a light breakfast, I walked over to the Lexington Battle Green. It was here, on the morning of April 19, 1775, that “the first blood was spilt in the dispute with Great Britain,” as George Washington wrote in his diary. In this first skirmish, 77 Minutemen (local colonists who had volunteered to be first responders to military and other threats) faced British Regulars. Eight Minutemen lost their lives and 10 were wounded. Two British soldiers were also injured.