Leslie’s Retreat: Historical Reenactment Draws Nearly 150 Reenactors in Commemoration
February 26, 2025
Salem, Massachusetts celebrated a significant moment in pre-Revolutionary War history this past weekend with the reenactment of Leslie’s Retreat, held four days ahead of its actual 250th anniversary. The event proved to be a remarkable success, drawing approximately 150 reenactors and over 300 spectators to the historic streets of Salem.
The commemoration marked what many historians consider a crucial yet often overlooked moment that could have sparked the American Revolution nearly two months before the more famous Battles of Lexington and Concord. This confrontation on February 26, 1775, represents what has been described as “the Revolution’s first resistance” – a tense standoff that demonstrated the colonists’ growing willingness to defy British military authority.
A Revolutionary Standoff Reimagined
The reenactment faithfully recreated the tense confrontation of February 26, 1775, when Colonial militiamen prevented British troops from seizing cannons believed to be stored in Salem. Nearly 70 British “regulars” with bayonets fixed to their muskets marched up North Street and onto a downtown concrete overpass, while a roughly equal number of armed Colonial militia stood their ground on the opposite side.
The historical mission was part of General Thomas Gage’s broader strategy to confiscate colonial weapons throughout Massachusetts. Acting on intelligence reports, Gage had dispatched Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Leslie and 250 soldiers of the 64th Regiment to Salem specifically to seize cannons rumored to be hidden at blacksmith John Symonds’ shop. The covert Sunday mission was carefully planned to catch Salem residents at church, but word spread quickly when the British troops landed at Marblehead.
“It’s the Lexington and Concord that almost happened,” explained Jonathan Lane, executive director of Revolution 250, a nonprofit group that helps Massachusetts communities share their stories of rebellion and independence.
Dramatic Theatrics to Historical Accuracy
Spectators bundled against the cold were treated to a vivid historical recreation as they watched the smart-stepping British soldiers, accompanied by fifes and drums, confront the determined Colonial militia. The crowd participated enthusiastically, jeering at the Redcoat reenactors, cheering the Salem militia, and filling the chilly air with cries of “huzzah!”
The reenactment captured the crucial diplomatic moment when Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Leslie (portrayed by Charles Thorland of Salem) and Captain John Felt (played by Jonathan Streff, a history teacher at St. John’s Prep) engaged in a heated exchange that nearly erupted into violence.
“Fire, and you’ll all be going to hell!” Streff shouted, standing his ground in the middle of the overpass, echoing the historical confrontation where bloodshed was narrowly avoided.
The Importance of Peaceful Resolution
Unlike the more famous Battles of Lexington and Concord that would occur just 51 days later, Leslie’s Retreat ended without a single shot being fired. This peaceful resolution, facilitated by the Anglican minister Rev. Thomas Barnard (portrayed in the reenactment by Rev. Maxfield Sklar of Hamilton), allowed the British to fulfill the most basic part of their orders by crossing the bridge before retreating.
The Smithsonian details how close this encounter came to bloodshed. When faced with the raised drawbridge and armed colonists, Leslie had threatened to fire on the assembled crowd, declaring he had “orders to cross the bridge, and he would cross it if he lost his life with the lives of all of his men.” In a show of remarkable defiance, the colonists responded by daring the British commander to try. A delicate negotiation followed, with Rev. Barnard and local leaders proposing a compromise that would save face for both sides – allowing Leslie to cross the bridge as ordered but guaranteeing the British would leave without the cannons they sought.
“The reason more people don’t know about this is that it was an event that ended peacefully,” Lane noted. “A lot of people respond to the events that raise our heart rate.”
A Celebration of Local History
Although Salem has marked Leslie’s Retreat with small annual ceremonies since 2017, this 250th anniversary featured a larger commemoration, including reenactor groups such as the Lexington Minute Men and the British 10th Regiment of Foot.
“The story of Leslie’s Retreat has been pretty well known within Salem, but it really hasn’t escaped from the community. It’s our little secret that we want to share with the rest of the world,” said Virginia Cherol, coordinator of Salem 400+, which commemorates the City of Salem’s founding.
Historical Significance Reexamined
According to the Smithsonian’s analysis, Leslie’s Retreat deserves greater recognition in the narrative of American independence. While Lexington and Concord are remembered as the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War, the Salem confrontation represented the first organized, armed resistance to British military authority – a crucial psychological turning point that demonstrated colonists’ willingness to physically oppose royal troops.
The aftermath of the event reverberated throughout the colonies. News of the confrontation spread rapidly in colonial newspapers, boosting revolutionary morale and contributing to the growing sentiment that armed conflict was inevitable. For General Gage, the failure of the mission represented a troubling sign that controlling Massachusetts would require more drastic measures.
Lessons for Today
The successful early commemoration of Leslie’s Retreat offers more than just a glimpse into revolutionary history. As Cherol pointed out, the event resonates in our contentious times by showing “how important it is to be able to come together during periods of heightened emotions… and actually listen and come to middle ground and compromise.”
The reenactment demonstrated that even in moments of extreme tension, “people were able to come together and see the benefits of diplomacy and tact” – a lesson perhaps as valuable today as it was 250 years ago.
The Smithsonian’s examination of this event suggests that sometimes, historical significance isn’t measured by bloodshed but by moments of restraint and diplomatic resolution that prevent violence while still advancing important principles.
With feathered caps and historical authenticity, the British troops retreated down Federal Street after the confrontation, concluding a successful early commemoration that brought this pivotal pre-Revolutionary moment to life for a new generation of Americans.