William Dawes

William Dawes Jr. (April 6, 1745 – February 25, 1799) was an American soldier, and was one of several men who, in April 1775, alerted minutemen in Massachusetts of the approach of British regulars prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the outset of the American Revolution. Dawes' role in this action – as well of that of Samuel Prescott – has long been overshadowed by the attention given to Paul Revere.