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The John Batchelor Show

S8 Ep330: THE CORNFIELD ESCAPE AND THE POWDER CRISIS Colleague Patrick O'Donnell. Patrick O'Donnell introduces the Marblehead leadership during the critical nights of April 1775. As the British marched toward Lexington and Concord to seize gunpowder, three key Patr

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Books, Society & Culture, News, Arts

4.62.7K Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2026

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

THE CORNFIELD ESCAPE AND THE POWDER CRISIS Colleague Patrick O'Donnell. Patrick O'Donnellintroduces the Marblehead leadership during the critical nights of April 1775. As the British marched toward Lexingtonand Concord to seize gunpowder, three key Patriot leaders—Elbridge Gerry, Azor Orne, and Jeremiah Lee—were forced to flee the Blackhorse Tavern and hide in a cornfield to avoid arrest. O'Donnell emphasizes that the conflict was initially a civil war over resources, specifically black powder, which the Marbleheaders had been smuggling in from Spain. The British aim was to disarm the rebels by seizing these munitions, sparking the events at Lexington. NUMBER 1
1780

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:34.4

with Indeed.

0:43.8

This is CBS Eye on the World.

0:45.9

Here's John Batchel.

0:49.2

And I welcome the author Patrick O'Donnell.

0:51.8

His new book, The Indispensibles.

0:56.5

The diverse soldier mariners who shaped the country, formed the Navy,

1:05.3

and rode Washington across the Delaware. It is April 1775, April 18th to 19th, the night of,

1:12.7

the Black Horse Tavern in Monotomy, Massachusetts. Monotomy is a word meaning swift water, mystic river.

1:14.6

It is now part of Arlington.

1:23.2

In that inn, the Black Horse Tavern, are three prominent members of the Marblehead leadership, the marbleheaders.

1:26.0

That is what Patrick is focusing us on.

1:29.2

He's telling the story of the early years of the revolution, the civil war, between the marble headers and first the British overlords,

1:36.8

and then the marble headers versus the British army, involved in critical to the success

1:43.2

of Washington's Continental Army.

1:45.4

But this night, these three men have been at the Black Horse Tavern through the day,

1:50.7

meeting with other leaders of the nascent revolutionary thinking in Massachusetts.

...

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