Local heroes of the first battle of the Revolutionary War commemorated in DeKalb
Apr. 20—DEKALB — About 50 people gathered Saturday at the Old DeKalb Cemetery to honor two local men who played a part in the opening shots of the Revolutionary War 250 years ago.
The commemoration, organized by DeKalb historian Bryan Thompson, with help from St. Lawrence County historian Nancy LaFaver, paid tribute to Asa Sprague and Isaac Stacy Jr., both originally from Massachusetts. The two men were among the Minutemen who responded to the alarm sounded after the British raid on Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
The Forsyth's Rifles, a historical reenactment group, punctuated the ceremony with three musket volleys in solemn tribute to the patriots.
A wreath was laid at the tombstone of Stacy, in the DeKalb cemetery. Another wreath was placed at the more remote final resting place of Sprague in Pioneer Cemetery.
Sprague and Stacy were among those who mobilized after messengers like Israel Bissell and Paul Revere spread word of the British advance. On the night of April 18, 1775, Revere and William Dawes rode from occupied Boston to warn Lexington and Concord, setting off a chain of alarms throughout the countryside. While Revere was briefly detained, approximately 40 men on horseback rode to alert their communities.
Among those who heeded the call was Bissell, who rode as far as Worcester County, Massachusetts. In Spencer, 32-year-old Asa Sprague was called to action, while 20-year-old Isaac Stacy Jr. answered the alarm from Sturbridge. Both men served in Jonathan Warner's regiment of the Worcester County Minutemen, with Stacy in Captain Timothy Parker's company and Sprague in Ebenezer Mason's Company.
Hermon-DeKalb students Isabella Kotz and Khirstine Sy recited Walt Whitman's "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" during the event, underscoring the enduring significance of the early patriots' actions.
The commemoration highlighted the DeKalb community's dedication to preserving the history of the Revolutionary War.
St. Lawrence County Legislator and former town of DeKalb Supervisor Larry D. Denesha offered a prayer following a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance led by DeKalb Supervisor Jordan Deleel.
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