William Sutherland was a British officer during the American Revolution. Lieutenant Sutherland, of the 38th Regiment of Foot, marched with the British troops, under the command of General Gage, from Boston, Massachusetts on the night of 18 April 1775 led by Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Smith. The next morning, 19 April, Sutherland and another officer, Lieutenant Adair of the Marines, at the lead of the column about a mile from Lexington, were confronted by an armed colonist who aimed his musket at them, pulled the trigger, but the gun misfired (actually it flashed in the pan, i.e. the primer powder failed to ignite the charge in the musket). Convinced that the colonist meant to kill them, they returned to the column and informed Major John Pitcairn of the British Marines of the incident. Pit