Paul Revere never shouted 'the British are coming,' and he never finished his ride

On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode out to warn that British troops were marching, but he avoided shouting since the mission depended on secrecy, and most colonists still considered themselves British anyway. He was joined by other riders, and was captured by a British patrol before reaching Concord, so he never completed the journey himself. The now-famous phrase comes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1861 poem, written nearly a century later.

— Historical account, Paul Revere's Midnight Ride — April 18-19, 1775