"Colonial flags at Lexington and Concord" Topic

Did the colonial militia or Minutemen carry flags during the Lexington and Concord engagement? Any pictures?

None we know of, but I'd say yes. As a parallel case, Virginia law required every militia company to have a standard. No design was given. A company probably averaged 50 men and VA had about 50,000 militia. So figure a thousand flags, of which we have NO information. Probably the captains wife made one from an old petticoat. So I would say assume they did and go crazy with an image creator. Grok is excellent.

My understanding is that flags flown i the early part of the war were more company or unit based, some carried over from the French and Indian War and modified British Flags

What I use are one or more of the following depending on look I want:
*The Bedford Flag (Only one I am relatively sure was at Concord – see note below)
*The Foster Flag – may or may not have been on the battlefield though I use it – note – use two versions – 1 with union jack in upper corner and 1 with white marks
*The New England Flag
*The Newbury Militia Flag – likely not there but active at the time (I simplify using green background with red cross (plus sign) in upper corner

I have a couple of other militia early style flags with pine trees, bucks and beavers as well as Sons of Liberty

Some sites with some information on specific flags

Bedford Flag
link
link (names the flag bearer at Concord as Nathaniel Page)

Foster Flag and some general information covering the period
link
link
link

New England Ensign Flag 1775 (toward bottom of page)
link

Newbury Flag
link

This is from a Marine Corps Battle Study which is on the Marine Corps Association website. link

"There was no music, no flags on either side, even though many years later one old man who had been on the colonial side suddenly remembered out of the blue that their fifer played "The White Cockade", a popular Jacobite tune, in opposition to the Hanoverian King George III. This is apocryphal at best, and few of the British troops would have understood the meaning of "The White Cockade" anyway, since the Scottish rebellion had been thirty years before. In truth, neither side ever mentioned any flags or music at the bridge that day in any sworn depositions at the time. British flank companies carried no colors, and the militiamen and minutemen did not mention using them at all."

"As for the "flag to April's breeze unfurled," there are no contemporary accounts mentioning flags at the North Bridge on April 19, 1775. No accounts even mention the famed Bedford flag being used anywhere that day. There had been a liberty cap and unknown flag on a flagpole on a hill near the town, but it had been quickly chopped down by the British when they entered the town about an hour before."

For my Lexington and Concord scenario I never planned to use flags for either side, except maybe the Bedford flag. I didn't think there was any question that there were flags carried by either side. I just don't see the Militia bothered with flags or if they had them (which I doubt) would not have them unfurled. They were trying to keep a low profile. Having a flag flapping around is saying ‘here I am, shoot me.' I don't believe the militia were in formation, standing and firing volleys. They were hiding along the side of the road sniping.