"By the rude bridge that arched the flood, 

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled, 

Here once the embattled farmers stood 

And fired the shot heard 'round the world." 

                         -- Ralph Waldo Emerson -- 

On April 19, 1775, this bridge across the Concord River was the site of the first colonial victory in the American Revolutionary War. Rebuilt many times, the present bridge is a replica thought to be like the one that British redcoats marched across, then were forced back across by the militia from Concord and nearby towns, know as minutemen. Today, the North Bridge is among Concord's most visited sites. This photo is from the colonial forces side of the bridge. An obelisk marks the approximate location of where two brave young British soldiers fell, mortally wounded, as the first casualties of the war for American independence.