Upon reaching Concord on April 19, 1775, British troops found that most of the military supplies they intended to seize had been removed or hidden by the colonists.

This unexpected turn of events undermined their mission and frustrated their efforts to control the situation. Realizing they had not achieved their objective, the British began to face growing resistance from local militia as they started their retreat back to Boston. The absence of the supplies, combined with the mounting hostility from the colonists, marked a significant turning point in the conflict, further igniting revolutionary fervor throughout the colonies.