The "Lexington Alarm" was Massachusetts' call for aid from other colonies following the battles of Lexington & Concord, April 19, 1775. This was the famous "shot heard 'round the world."
The prior night had included Paul Revere's ride and two lanterns in the Old North Church. When the alarm document reached Meriden, a group of men organized into a militia and headed to Boston to aid in the defense of the Patriots. This was the case in dozens of towns and villages throughout CT. These men eventually fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The text of the Lexington Alarm, that spurred these men to action, is as follows:
"Wednesday morning near 10 of the clock - Watertown
To all the friends of American liberty be it known that this morning before break of day, a brigade, consisting of about 1,000 to 1,200 men landed at Phip's Farm at Cambridge and marched to Lexington, where they found a company of our colony militia in arms, upon whom they fired without any provocation and killed six men and wounded four others. By an express from Boston, we find another brigade are now upon their march from Boston supposed to be about1,000. The Bearer, Israel Bissell, is charged to alarm the country quite to Connecticut and all persons are desired to furnish him with fresh horses as they may be needed. I have spoken with several persons who have seen the dead and wounded. Pray let the delegates from this colony to Connecticut see this.
J. Palmer, one of the Committee of Safety.
They know Col. Foster of Brookfield one of the Delegate"
The plaque reads: “Lexington Alarm *Captain John Couch, responding to hostilities with British at Lexington, left this area April 23, 1775, commanding the Meriden militia: John Allen Christopher Atwater Moses Baldwin *Divan Berry Samuel Briggs John Butler Samuel Collins Asael Deming Israel Hall, Jr. Joel Hall *Moses Hall Rufus Hall Samuel Hall *Benjamin Hart *Insign Hough John Hough Phineas Hough Aaron Hull David Ives Elnathan Ives Enos Ives Samuel Johnson Epaphras Knott Isaac Livingston *Phineas Lyman Daniel McMullen *Ephraim Merriam John Merriam John Pearce *Benjamin Rice *Ezekiel Rice Gideon Rice Samuel Rice Joseph Shaylor Seth Smith Bela Warner *Jonathan Yale *Nathaniel Yale
*Buried in Broad Street Cemetery
These plaques appear in towns throughout Connecticut.