[Ads-l] Paul Revere Quote

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The 1874 text displays an interesting transition which may be worth
noting for list members. It contains two different exclamations. Paul
Revere says "The regulars are coming", and Dr. Prescott says "The
British are coming! The British are coming!"

Year: 1874
Title: Stories of a Grandfather about American History
Author: N. S. Dodge (Nathaniel Shatswell Dodge)

[Begin excerpt - page 82]
But they discovered it, nevertheless. Dr. Warren sent Paul Revere
across Charles river, and there a man lent him a horse. He stopped at
every house on the road, saying, "The regulars are coming." Other men
started off to tell their neighbors. At midnight, Revere rode up to a
farm-house, where were Samuel Adams and John Hancock, two patriot
leaders, and asked leave to go in.
[End excerpt]

[Begin excerpt - page 85]
The British troops were in pursuit of the powder and cannon at
Concord. This the Americans knew. As soon therefore, as Dr. Prescott,
who had ridden hard from Boston, rushed into the little village,
calling out, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" every
man knew just what to do.
[End excerpt]

Garson


On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 12:03 PM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
> The earliest mention I have found of Paul Revere's alleged quotation "The British are coming" is in Nathaniel Shatswell Dodge, Stories of a Grandfather About American History (1874).  Can anyone supply any earlier occurrences?
>
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org