Dawes avoided a group of British guards by jumping over a wall. He reached Lexington at about 12:30 a.m on the 19th of April. This was about half an hour after Paul Revere arrived. At 1:00 a.m. they rode on together to go to Concord, but they had another messenger with them; his name was Samuel Prescott. Later on they were caught by British guards. Dawes and Prescott escaped. While escaping Dawes's horse bucked him off and ran away; Dawes had to walk back to Lexington. Prescott made it to Concord.
Dawes was born in Boston in 1745. He became a tanner. He may have fought in a Bay war. He died in 1799.