The Midnight Ride of William Dawes
Helen F. Moore,
published in Century Magazine, 1896
I am a wandering, bitter shade,
Never of me was a hero made;
Poets have never sung my praise,
Nobody crowned my brow with bays;
And if you ask me the fatal cause,
I answer only, "My name was Dawes"
'TIS all very well for the children to hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere;
But why should my name be quite forgot,
Who rode as boldly and well, God wot?
Why should I ask? The reason is clear --
My name was Dawes and his Revere.
WHEN the lights from the old North Church flashed out,
Paul Revere was waiting about,
But I was already on my way.
The shadows of night fell cold and gray
As I rode, with never a break or a pause;
But what was the use, when my name was Dawes!
HISTORY rings with his silvery name;
Closed to me are the portals of fame.
Had he been Dawes and I Revere,
No one had heard of him, I fear.
No one has heard of me because
He was Revere and I was Dawes.
More About Paul Revere
 Paul Revere, Lighting, Riding, Fighting and Other Thoughts:
Information on Paul Revere's Ride, including the facts, the poem, and some off-site links.
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Paul Revere's Ride:
This poem, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, helped make Paul Revere's ride famous. However, the poem does not mention Dawes or Prescott.
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