this is one of the two lanterns that was used as a signal from north church to christchurch in boston on the night of april 18. this was a signal not to paul revere, but arranged by paul revere to be flashed across the river for the advice of the provincial militia in charlestown. revere was planning to spread the alarm that the regulars were coming out to capture the supplies, and he knew that he didn't really have a very great chance of first getting across the river. he thought maybe i'd better have a backup, and this is the backup. he got across the signal so the day got underway. the way that longfellow put it was one of my land into by see, and i on the opposite shore shall be. revere was in boston when the signal was posted, the signal was meant for someone else on the other shore. the way revere put it was if the british went out by water, we would show two lanterns in the north church steeple, and if by land, one is a signal. they knew they were going to concord, there are only two ways out of town to get to concord. there were two lanterns, only one of them survived. in this