Newman & Pulling (B)

On 4/18/1975, Before Paul Revere took off on his "midnight ride" to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock the British were on the move he put the plan of warning other patriots into action.  Revere had anticipated that the British would attempt to stop word of their movements from leaving Boston, so he had created a plan with patriots in Charleston, across the river.  Everyone agreed that lanterns would be used as the signal, from the steeple of Christ Church, also known as the Old North Church. 

Christ Church was the tallest building in Boston and the perfect location for their plan to work.  There was one problem, the rector of Christ Church was a loyalist.  The congregation of the church had decided to quit paying his salary and the church had been shut down and locked up.  Revere had a friend in the congregation, Captain John Pulling, who was a patriot, and a member of the North End Caucus.  Revere also knew Robert Newman, who was the sexton of the church.  

On 4/18/1775, in the afternoon, Revere met with Newman and Pulling and told them what the plan was and to be ready later that night.  Newman went to the church and prepared two lanterns and hid them in a church closet.  Later that night at approximately 10pm Revere met with Pulling and Newman again outside Newman's house and told them to hang two lanterns in the northside window of the church steeple towards Charleston.

Newman and Pulling headed to the church and Newman used his key to enter the church.  Both men climbed the 154 stairs into the church tower with the lanterns around their necks.  There they lit the lanterns and then climbed a ladder up into the steeple.  They opened the sash on the north side and held the lanterns toward Charleston.

Patriots across the river in Charleston were keeping a close watch on the steeple and all of a sudden they saw a flicker and dull light shine from the steeple.  They distinguished the two lanterns and knew the Bristish were moving by boat.  Newman and Pulling held the lanterns up very briefly, so as not to be detected.  They then shut the sash, put out the lanterns, descended the stairs, hid the lanterns in the closet, and exited the church.  There was a detachment of British troops in the street outside the church so the men ran back inside and escaped through a window.