The first engagement of the American War of Independence. When General Gage learnt that patriots were collecting military stores at Concord, 32 km (20 miles) north of Boston, he sent a force of about 800 men to confiscate them. Forewarned by Paul Revere and others, the troops were met by 70 militia (the minutemen) at Lexington. It is not known who fired the first shot, but in the ensuing skirmish eight minutemen were killed. The British marched on to Concord and confiscated some weapons, but retreated to Boston the same day, harried by patriots, who inflicted over 250 casualties on them.