Battle Road 2006
Minute Man National Park
Historic Concord, Massachusetts
Patriots' Day Weekend, April 15-17, 2006
Children in period costume, and visitors, enjoying a cart ride
The 1st Michigan Militia came to help in the re-enactment
Park visitors riding in the ox cart behind Hartwell Tavern
The re-enactment is in full swing
"Lyle', Randall ox, waiting in the ox pen to begin his duties
        Lyle and Maestro's role in the proceedings was to give ox cart rides to the Park visitors, as well as to the children of the re-enactors while their parents were busy.  However, in the afternoon an inpromptu plan was hatched by the rebel "Minute Men", whereby Kerry and his team would use the cart to "smuggle" muskets to rebels in the area under the control of the "British".  The British re-enactors knew nothing of this plan and would be put to the test.  The muskets were hidden in the cart under its cargo of children, negotiating two British checkpoints before arriving at the "Smith House", where the muskets would be supplied to rebels in the British controlled territory.  The route was travelled successfully, with the hidden muskets arriving at their destination undiscovered.
A group of re-enactors mustering at the Hartwell Tavern.
Lyle and Maestro in the yoke in Concord, Mass at Minute Man Park
        On Patriots' Day Weekend 2006, "Lyle" and "Maestro", a Randall ox team, were on hand to participate in a Revolutionary War re-enactment at Minute Man National Park  in Historic Concord, Massachusetts.  More than 400 Revolutionary War re-enactors in period dress had assembled to recreate the events of April 1776 that led to the firing of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World".  The oxen made the trip from southern New Hampshire with Joe Valentine of Francestown, and Kerry Smith from Backyard Farm  in Hancock, along with Joe's ox cart, to be a part of  the event. The weekend weather was beautiful, although seasonally chilly.  Lyle and Maestro behaved beautifully, despite large crowds and noise from snare drums and from musket and cannon fire. The purpose of the re-enactment is best explained in the words that appear on Minute Man National Park's website, "Battle Road 2006", as follows:

 
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Re-enactors "mustering" in
front of Hartwell Tavern
Randall ox "Lyle" in the ox pen at Hartwell Tavern
The 1st. Michigan Militia was on hand to help with the re-enactment
Park visitors riding in the ox
cart behind Hartwell Tavern
The re-enactment has begun
"Maestro" showing an interest in
a young lady in period costume
The Randall Cattle Registry, Inc.
        The Official Website of Randall Cattle
        "Imagine that it's early April, 1775 and you have been granted safe passage between British-held Boston (Captain Smith House) and the Massachusetts countryside (Hartwell Tavern area) as tensions mount towards open conflict. Join British and Colonial Re-enactors, Park Rangers and Volunteers as they portray a "typical" day leading up to the outbreak of war on April 19, 1775. Activities will include drill and musket firing demonstrations, cooking, clothing repair and recruiting for the colonial militia as well as life in the British Camp and cannon firing demonstrations.  In the middle of the day, 200 Minute Men and British Regulars will stage a massed weapons demonstration representing tactics deployed on April 19th 1775, running over a half a mile of the Battle Road"
Maestro and a young lady in period costume
Lyle and Maestro posing with their cart
Kerry Smith leading Lyle and Maestro
Kerry. in period dress, leading
"Lyle" and "Maestro"
"Lyle" (R) and "Maestro" (L)
posing with the ox cart
Another group of visitors and re-enactors enjoy a ride in the ox cart
"Smuggling" Muskets To The Rebels...
Stopped at the first British checkpoint
Loading muskets on the ox cart at Hartwell Tavern
Headed for British held territory with a secret cache of muskets
Stopped at the second British checkpoint
Kerry Smith keeping his secret at the checkpoint
Lyle and Maestro at the Captain Smith House
Loading muskets onto the ox cart at the Hartwell Tavern
Heading out to the
Captain Smith House
The first "British" checkpoint
is encountered
Ox teamster Kerry Smith's demeanor  gives no hint of the "secret"
The second "British"
checkpoint is reached
Success!  "Lyle" and "Maestro"
at the Captain Smith House
Photos courtesy of Kerry Smith
and Joe Valentine.  Clicking
on any photo on this page will
pop up a full sized version.
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The Randall Cattle Registry, Inc., The Official Website of the Rare Randall (Lineback) Cattle Breed.