By Neena Strichart
Last week I wrote about being a member of the Susan B. Anthony Chapter of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution and told about our last meeting where we recognized the local fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students who participated in our National Society’s American History Essay Contest. (At the same time, we also invited the high school students who were nominated by local high schools for our DAR Good Citizen Award and Scholarship).
I am so glad to say that one of the winners, St. Maria Goretti School’s Sara Montoya (5th grade) emailed us a copy of her winning essay to share with our readers. The assignment was to pretend that the writer was Paul Revere writing his memoirs. A big thanks to her mom for sending us a photo of Sara receiving her certificate (see side bar).
I now understand how difficult it is for those reading the essays to choose the winners. Earlier this week, my husband Steve and I spent several hours reading dozens of essay entries for Steve’s Elks Lodge #888’s Americanism Essay contest, also for fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. The topic for those kids was “Why I’m Proud to be an American.” We laughed and cried while reading and sharing the precious words written by our local youth, and I look forward to sharing some of the winner’s essays with you soon.
“Memoirs of Paul Revere”
by Sara Montoya
I, Paul Revere was born on the 21st of December in 1734, in Boston’s North End. I had 11 siblings in my family. I was the 3rd oldest child and the oldest son who survived. I was baptized on the 1st of January in 1735.
I fought shortly in the French and Indian war. After I left the army I returned to Boston and took over the family silver shop. On August 4, 1757 I married the lovely Sarah Orne. We later had eight children only six of them survived. In 1770 I bought the house in North Square, which is now open to the public. My lovely Sarah passed away in 1773. Later on in that same year in October I married Rachael Walker. We had five more children.
I was present at the Boston Tea Party in 1773. In 1774 the port of Boston was closed by Britain and they brought many soldiers in and put them all around Boston.
Ok, now onto my famous “Midnight Ride” . You know, the one that took place on the nights of April 18 and 19 in 1775. I along with William Dawes was told to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that the British were making a move to arrest them and take over the weapon store.
Well, before April 18 I told the caretaker of the Old North Church, Robert Newman to alert the colonists in Charlestown as to how the British are going to move. One lantern signaled that the British were coming by land and two lanterns if they were coming by water, in the event that we were captured. I started my ride to let everyone know the British were crossing the Charles River that night. My horse was lent to me by the Deacon of the Old North Church. I did not yell “The British are coming!” because the mission depended on secrecy. What happened was I informed everyone that “The Regulars are Coming Out.” Dawes and I arrived at Lexington around the same time, we were joined by Samuel Prescott. We were captured by British troops at a roadblock in Lincoln on our way to Concord. We all managed to escape.
Because of our ride and message we were able to turn back the British troops. I continued serving my country to the best of my ability.
Later on after the war I opened a hardware and home goods store and became interested in metal work. Our company cast the first bell made in Boston. In 1801 my company started copper plating. Our company became very popular. Revere Copper and Brass is known throughout the land.
So I guess my journey is coming to an end. I died on May 10, 1818 of natural causes at the age of 83, at my home in Boston on Charter Street. I am buried on Tremont Street in the Old Granary Burying Ground.
Photo by Hilda Montoya
