Lieutenant Sutherland, of the 38th Regiment of Foot, marched with the British troops, under the command of General Gage, from Boston, Massachusetts on the night of 18 April 1775 led by Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Smith.
[citation needed] Convinced that the colonist meant to kill them, they returned to the column and informed Major John Pitcairn of the British Marines of the incident.
[citation needed] Pitcairn and the British column marched on to Lexington where they met and fired on local minutemen on the village green.
He attempted to rally the troops and hold the bridge when the colonial militia returned fire, "the shot heard round the world," thus igniting the American Revolution.
On 19 August 1779, the fort was attacked by 400 Continental soldiers led by Light Horse Harry Lee in what became known as the Battle of Paulus Hook.