E241 .B9W56 ^ot)igitized by the Internet Archive'^ . '^^o^ :V^ - ^^ -^^ in 2010 with funding fror^/° .^^ '^o ^ ^> * ° ■ ° ° v** . • • "- ""^he Library of CongrfisS" ° ' v^* . ■ • ». « i< http://w\A^w.archive-org/cletails/newhistoryofbatt(?§\Amei ^S\ .f" ... "^^ %.^^'^^^/' \;^^*>'^ "V^^*/' \ /^^ ^^ °o^-§ ^oV'' <'. ^ -n^-o^ 4 o v<^^ '-^f NEW HISTORY BATTLE OF BUiNKER HILL, June 17, 1775, Its Purpose, Conduct, and Result BY WILLIAM W. WHEILDON. Rkpuinted from " The Boston Daily Herald." revised and enlarged. SECOND EDITION. /^^''" *" ^''?o\ /:>'^CCf^YR!SHT''fA --{ 1875 c/) BOSTON : LEE J^ISTID SHEI^J^iaiD. NENV YORK: LEE, SHEPAUD, & DILLINGHAM. 1875. Vv V\v V^ , Copyright, By William W. Wheildun, 1875. FRASKI.IN I'UF.SS : RAND, AVliUY, AND COMl'ANY, BOSTOS. ORDER OF NARRATION. INTRODUCTION. I. Purpose of the Battle. Boston to bo entereil. II. Resume of History. Arrival of Gen. Gage. Continental Congress. Defeat of the Tories. Condition and Position of Boston " No business but that of War. " Proposed intrenchniDnt. Alarm in Njw York. Providing for the Poor. III. Preparing for the Contest. Proceedings Committee of Safety. Report of Joint Committee. Further action of Committee. Joint action of committees. Orders to cumman.lers. Amount of Force. Disposition of the Army. IV. The Movement. Prayer and march. Selection of Breed's Hill. The IJcdoubt. The Rail fence. Order to the Rail fence. Commencement of day's work. Contemplating ths sjcno. Re-enforcements required. V. Boston side of the River. The alarm in the town. Council of War. Movement of the Troops. Embarkation. Appearance of Troops. Reconnoitring and Refreshments. Re-enforcements— Speech of Gen. Howe. VI. The Engagement. First Repulse at the Redoubt. Attack at the Rail fence. Second attack and Repulse. The Third Rally. VII. Accounts of the Battle. British Account. Account of Provincial Congress. Account of Committee of Safety. Private Reports of the Battle. The Dead on the Field. Col. Prescott's Account. Gen. Gage's Account. Casualties on the Field. British Returns. Provincial Returns. Vni. Burning of Charlestown. The fire from Copp's Hill. Set on fire by to:-clics. The scene of the flames. The fate of Charlestown. IX. General Warren. His presence as a vountccr. Death of Warren. X. Remarks on the Battle. Two distinct engagements. Eifect of tlie battle on Evacuaticn. Question of Commander in chief. XI. Boston and Charlestown. Old map of Ooston. CharlestoAvn in Flames, (map.) XII. Boston after the Battle. What the Commanders thought. Evacuation of the town. Boston and Charlestown. Town Hill, the bridges, kc. APPKOxniATE DIVISION OF TIME during the battle. End of the Fighting. John Adams, relerrinjr to Mr. Lynch, one of the Delegates from Virginia, (sp?alcing cf Washington as an orator,) says, — " He told us that Washington made the most eloquent speech at the Virginia convention that ever was made. Says he "I will raise one thousand troops, subsist them at my own expense, and march to the relief of Boston." " In that day of general affection and brotherhood, the blow given to Boston smote on every patriotic heart from one end of the country to the other." * * "The 17th of June saw the four New England Colonies standing here, side by side, to triumph or to fall together ; and there was with them from that mo- ment to the end of the war, what I hope will remain with them forever, one cause, one country, one heart." [Webster, ]825. " This day thirty years since, I was at the taking of Louisbourg, when it was surrendered to us ; it is a fortunate day for America : we shall certainly beat them !" [Capt. Trevett to Major Gridley. •' The consequences of this battle were just of the same importance as the revolution itself." [Webster. In^ew history BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. INTRODUCTION. The remarkable movement which led to the Battle of Bui^KER Hill, — an engagement almost as national in its results as the Declaration of Independence, — was as great a surprise to Gen. Gage, to say the least of it, as was his excursion to Concord to the provincials. The two together covered that gi-eat step, which it required just two months to take, from peace to war : not provincial, not colonial, but continental. The Battle of Bunker Hill — certainly rather the occupation of Bunker Hill — was distinctly one of the measures contemplated for driving Gen. Gage and his army out of Boston, for the relief of that distressed town and the colony. Putnam, it is agreed, urged it upon Gen. Ward, while Warren was present, and Warren said, " I admire your spirit, and respect Gen. Ward's prudence : ive shall need them both." And at another time, when the great pall of civil war was hang- ing over the country, he said, "almost thou persuadest me, Gen. Putnam ; but I must still think the project a rash one." This was on or about the 15th of June, when 4 BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. Warren fully participated in the general wish to drive Gage out of the colony. This, in fact, is what the army, which had assenit)led at Cambridge at the call of the Congress and the Committee of Safety, was intended to accomplish ; and the action, it is now well known, was hurried on by a knowledge of what Gen. Gage, on the day after the battle, was prepared to undertake. It will probably not be denied that there were some mistakes of commission or omission made at the time, according to human judgment; and there are some things which, it seems to us, are not, and perhaps never will be, understood. We propose to speak of the battle, however, not altogether as generally described and regarded, but in its connection, as it appears to us, with the true history of the times, — from the eighteenth day of April, when there was peace, to the eighteenth day of June, when there was war. BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. I. PURPOSE OF THE BATTLE. BOSTON TO BE ENTERED. The importance of the Battle of Bunker Hill, and to which it owes its national interest, is found in the fact that it was the opening of the Revolutionary War, which tvas the great incident of the terrible conflict. The movement, however, like that of Gen. Gage upon Concord, had an object, which, in both cases, became wholly subordinate to the issue. Boston had long been suffering by the presence of an army, and no arm had been raised for her relief. Gage, it was known, was determined to strike a blow upon the country, and was only waiting for re-enforcements, when John Hancock, in his hurried letter from Worces- ter, on his way to Congress, on the 24th of April, 1775, gave both expression and direction to the patriotic feelings of the people in declaring that, — "BOSTON MUST BE ENTERED. The Troops MUST BE SENT AWAY, or . Our friends are valua- ble, BUT our country MUST BE SAVED. I have an interest in that town. What can be the enjoyment of that to me, if I am obliged to hold it at the will of Gen. Gage, or any one else ? . . . We must have the Castle — the ships must be ." RESUME OF HISTORY. II. RESUME OF HISTORY. ARRIVAL OF GEN. GAGE. — CONTINENTAL CONGRESS. Gen. Gage landed in Boston on the seventeenth day ol May, 1774, and in exactly one month from that day, on the 17th of June, in the General Assembly, which, by order of the king, he had removed to Salem, Sam Adams shut the door in the face of his secretary ; and then, mani- festing the spirit of their great leader, the assembly delib- erately proceeded to appoint a Continental Congress at Philadelphia, and elected delegates to represent the Prov- ince of Massachusetts Bay therein. The Port Bill went into operation on the first day of ^ June ; and in fourteen days after the people had feasted Gen. Gage in Faneuil Hall, and toasted the king, Boston WAS shut up. The king had placed his foot upon the town. Gage had his military arm at her throat. The town could scarcely either move or breathe. It was full of troops and tribulation. Every vessel that could be moved had been sent out of the harbor ; the wharves were empty ; the storehouses empty ; commerce was at an end. The trade of the town was crushed ; mechanics and labor- ers were thrown out of employment ; money almost ceased to circulate, and became scarce with all classes of people. Provisions were soon in demand, and greatly increased in price, so that none but the wealthy could purchase them. And this condition of things — hardest to bear in its first imposition — existed in Boston on the 17th of June, 1774, when it may almost be said that one of her patriots called a Continental Congress, which another of them had only three months before publicly recommended. DEFEAT OF THE TORIES. DEFEAT OF THE TORIES. The tories were exultant, and heaped abuse, denuncia- tion, and falsehood upon the people in newspapers, letters, and pamphlets, both here and in England. " Our ene- mies," said Sam Adams, " are already holding up to the -/ tradesmen their grim picture of misery, to induce them to jdeld to tyranny ; " bat they failed ignominiously. On the same 17th of June the Port- Act meeting was held in Faneuil Hall by adjournment (although such assemblages were prohibited to the people), while Adams and Han- cock were at Salem. It was an anxious day for Warren, who wrote to Adams on the loth, " I think your attend- ance can by no means be dispensed with." It was in this letter that Warren said to him, " the mistress we court is LIBERTY ; and it is better to die than not to obtain her. If the timidity of some, and the treachery of others, in this . town, does not ruin us, I think we shall be saved." The meeting was adjourned to the 27th, and then moved from Faneuil Hall to the Old South Church. Sam Adams was now in his place, notwithstanding which the persons to whom Warren referred were bold enough to propose a vote of censure upon the Committee of Correspondence, and its dissolution. Sam Adams left the chair, listened and spoke, and the next day (the meeting having adjourned to that time), the motion was rejected hy an overwhelming vote, and the committee instructed to " persevere with their usual activity and firmness ; " and, in addition to this, the people utterly refused " to pay for the tea." Admiral Graves arrived in July, and more troops ; and arrests were talked of, — by the tories, of course, — but the committee of correspondence, as instructed by the meeting, determined upon their sessions, " unless prevented by brute force." Without losing sight of their cause, at this time, the leaders gave their attention to the poor, and afforded them relief, through tlie instrumentality of a Donation Committee. Two more of the oppressive and obnoxious acts of Parliament reached Boston. 8 CONDITION OF BOSTON. It may easily be perceived in the condition of things which we have so faintly described, what a state of excite- ment and anxiety the town was in ; the ordeal it was un- dergoing ; everything disrupted and broken ; losses on one hand, want on the other; distress everywhere, even among the soldiers ; gayety nowhere, not even in the Prov- ince House. There was suspicion and apprehension of the soldiers, whom nobod}^ would countenance. The people hated them : they were parading on the common or prowl- ing about the town, while their officers were prancing their horses in the suburbs. There was nothing agreeable : Gage was afraid to remain at Salem ; his mandamus coun- cillors had been compelled to resign or escape into Boston, under the protection of the troops ; to live on salt pro- visions or such sheep and cattle as the men-of-war's men could steal from the islands and shores of the harbor. Street brawls and quarrels with the soldiers, or among them, were of daily occurrence, and, in some parts of the town, there were pests and criminalities, too gross to name, and supposed to be inseparable from camp life in a popu- lous town. CONDITION AND POSITION OF BOSTON. While in this condition of distress, poverty, and suffer- ing, bearing the punishment which had been so often threatened upon her, the whole country/, which was feeding her people from their abundance and their charity, WAS LOOKING TO HER IMDOMITABLE PATRIOTS FOR COURAGE, COUNCIL, AND ACTION. She was the object of wrath on one hand, and of commiseration and charit}^ on the other ; and yet the country looked to her for determination, firm- ness, a.nd council. What she felt the country felt ; what she held the country approved ; what she suffered the country shared. Yet there she stood : hope in her heart, vitality in her blood, thought and resolution in her brain, having expended, as Franklin said, nineteen shillings in the pound rather than give up the right to spend the other POSITION OF BOSTON. » sliilling as she pleased. South Carolina, expressing the feeling and uttering the voice of the country, sent her word, accompanied with two hundred tierces of rice for her poor, '•'■ For GrocVs sake he firm and discreet at this time." And a month later (August, 1774), one of the small towns in Connecticut notified her that she " was held up as a spectacle to the whole tvorld," and that " all Cliristendom is longing to see the event of the American contest." Pres- cott, who was soon to risk his life at Bunker Hill, ex- pressing also as he did the voice and heart of the whole people, said to her, " We heartily sympathize with you, and are always ready to do all in our power for your sup- port, comfort, and relief, knowing that Providence has placed you lohere you must hear the first shock.'''' Such was the condition., however degrading or disagree- able ; and such was the POSITION, both HONORABLE AND GLORIOUS, of Boston, when the battle of Bunker Hill — the first and necessary movement for her relief — was forced upon tlie ill-oi'ganized but patriotic army at Cam- bridge, by tiie acts and purposes of Gen. Gage. The con- dition of things described presented sucli a scene, as Washington said of another picture, in which he was an actor, " is not to be found in the pages of history." This state of things — not, however, without action and prog- ress in the patriotic cause, by proceedings and events of the most thrilling character (the Provincial Congress and the conflict of the 19th of April among them) — had con- tinued for a long year. There were added wrongs, depri- vations, and embarrassments, enough to crush any other people less inured to the toils and hardships of life, all of which were bravely and firmly withstood. But all ovei the country the cause of Boston was " the common cause of America." " And it came to pass," as the " Book of American Chronicles " has it, " that the New Yorkites, the Philadelphites, the Marylandites, the Virginites, the Caro- linites, took pity on their brethren the Bostonites," and with their camels and asses and mules and oxen, sent sup- plies " by the hands of the Levites, and there was joy in the land." 10 "NO BUSINESS BUT THAT OF WAR." The winter of 1774-5 passed, seriousl}' enoiicyh for sol- diers and people ; spring had returned again with wonder- ful softness and beauty ; Gage, who had seen nothing but embarrassment, and found the acts of parliament only paper, had said that nothing but force would maintain the authority of the king. He had made a feeble attempt at Salem ; and a more costly one at Concord. The country was united ; the attempts at reconciliation had utterly failed ; the " Congress of the United Colonies " was assem- bling for its second session ; the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts Bay had assumed powers of government ; the American Armj' was gathering at Cambridge ; Gage himself was apprehensive of an attack ; it was time some- thing was done for Boston, — towards whose condition the eyes of the whole country were directed, — and it was almost like an inspiration when John Hancock declared : " BOSTON MUST BE ENTERED ! " And the battle of Bunker Hill was the first step in that direction. " NO BUSINESS BUT THAT OF WAR." The Committee of Safety, on the 2d of May, in a letter to the Governor and Company of Connecticut, who had sent a committee " to hold a conference with Gen. Gage," state the case as it existed at that time : " We fear that our brethren in Connecticut are not yet convinced of the cruel designs of administration against America, nor thoroughly sensible of the miseries to which Gen. Gage's army have reduced this wretched colony. We have lost the town of Boston, and we greatly fear for the inhabitants of Boston, as we find the General is perpetually making new condi- tions and forming unreasonable pretensions for retarding their removal from that garrison. Our sea posts [ports] on the eastern coasts, are mostly deserted," &c. " iVo business but that of war is either done or thought of in this colony J'^ ALARAf IN NEW YORK. 11 . . • Our relief must now arise fro7n driving Cren. Crage with his troops out of the country^ wliich, by tlie blessing of God, we are determined to acooynpUsh, or perish in the attempt^ Connecticut immediately joined with Massachu- setts in the capture of Ticonderoga, and rendered her very valuable assistance at Bunker Hill soon after. PROPOSED INTRENCHMENT ON BUNKER HILL. It was Gen. Putnam, from Connecticut, who proposed the intrenchment on Bunker Hill, and, at the meeting of the Council of War, in the very spirit of the Boston letter, said the object was to draw [drive ?] the enemy out of Boston. It was also said at this time, that the country was growing dissatisfied with the inactivity which pre- vailed at Cambridge. Rhode Island and Connecticut and New Hampshire had sent their troops to Cambridge for the support and relief of Boston, in her determination, notwithstanding her grievances and sufferings, to main- tain the cause of the country. That was what Prescott desired to do, and that is what Putnam and Stark and Reed and Greene and others came expressly to accom- plish. ALARM IN NEW YORK. The progress of the Revolution depended upon the result of the battle of Bunker Hill : the capture of the province by Gage (who had never governed it),- on one hand, or the capture of Boston, and driving his army out of it, on the other ; and the war, it may be said, did not begin until this last was accomplished nine months later by the array under Gen. Washington. So well understood was this, that some regiments of troops from Ireland, having been ordered to New York, — which so alarmed the people of that province that they sent to the Continental Con- gress to know what they should do when they arrived, — were immediately ordered to Boston, to_the great relief of the New Yorkers. / 12 PROVIDING FOR THE POOR. PROVIDING FOR THE POOR. So deeply oppressed were the people of Boston, at this time, that the Provincial Congress was called upon to adopt measures for their relief ; and thereupon passed the following resolve : — " In Provincial Congress, Watertown, May 1, 1775. " Whereas the inhabitants of the town of Boston have been detained by Gen. Gage, but at length, by agreement, are permitted to remove with their effects into the country, and as it has been represented to this Congress that about five thousand of said inhabitants are indigent and unable to be at the expense of removing themselves : Therefore, resolved, that it be recommended to all the good people of this colony, and especially to the selectmen that they aid and assist such poor inhabitants with teams, wagons," &c. ; and it was " further resolved that the inhabi- tants of Boston thus removed shall not be considered as the poor of said town into which they remove," &c., and provision was made for the expenses of removal and main- tenance. LOCATIONS OF THE POOR. Suffolk county had 215; Middlesex, 1016; Plymouth, 115 ; Bristol, 588 ; Berkshire, 314 ; Hampshire, 788 ; Worcester, 539. Among the towns Wrentham (Suffolk) had 89 ; Worcester, 82 ; Springfield, 68 ; Concord, 66 ; Lincoln, 29 ; Bridgewater, 81, &c. Is it possible in view of this veritable history, to mag- nify the interest which the people of Boston, at the present day, may well feel in the first centennial of the Battle of Bunker Hill? PREPARING FOR THE CONTEST. 3 3 III. PREPARING FOR THE CONTEST. PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY. " In Committee of Safety, May 10, 1775. *' Voted, That the following letter be immediately sent to the respective colonels of the arni}^, viz : " Cambridge, May 10, 1775. " Sir : — As we are meditating a blow against our rest- less enemies, we therefore enjoin you, as you would evi- dence your regard to your country, forthwith, upon the receipt of this order, to repair to the town of Cambridge, with the men enlisted under your command. " We are," &c. REPORT OP JOINT COMMITTEE. " May 12, 1775. " The following is the report of a joint committee, ap- pointed by the Committee of Safety and the Council of War, for the purpose of reconnoitring the highlands of Cambridge and Charlestown. "We have carefully examined the lands, and their situ- ation, in regard to annoying and preventing the enemy from passing into the country from Boston, and are of opinion that the engineers be directed to cause a breast- work to be raised near the bridge, by the red house, at the head of the creek, near the road from Cambridge to Charlestown, on the south side of said road ; also abreast- work to be raised at the north side of the road, opposite the said red house, and to run in the same line as the fence now stands, upon the declivity of the hill there ; also a redoubt on the top of the hill where the guard house now stands ; and three or four nine pounders to be planted there ; also a strong redoubt to be raised on Bunker'' s Hill, with caymon planted there, to annoy the enemy coming out of Charlestown, also to annoy them going by water to 14 FUirniEIi ACTION OF COMMITTEE. Meclfoid. When these are finished, we apprehend the country- will be safe from all sallies of the enemy in that quarter. All which is humbly submitted. BENJ. CHURCH, Jr., Chairman of the Suh- committee from the Oo^nmittee of Safety. WILLIAM HENSHAW, Chairman of the Suh-committee from the Council of War. " The Committee of Safety having taken the foregoing- report into consideration, apprehend the matter not to belong to them officially ; and although they are persuaded that the highlands above mentioned are important, yet not being the proper judges what works are necessary to be constructed to make said posts tenable, are of opinion that the determination of this matter rests with the Council of War. BENJ. CHURCH, Jr., Chairman.'' FURTHER ACTION OF THE COMMITTEE. It was learned at this time that Gen. Gage, having received his expected re-enforcements, ha'd arranged " to secure some advantageous posts near Boston : viz., Dor- chester and Charlestown." This intelligence came from Exeter, N. H., under date of June 13 ; but it is pretty evident that the Committee of Safety had information of their own, as on that da}^ they passed a vote, " whereas it is dail}^ expected that Gen. Gage will attack our army, now in the vicinity of Boston, " &c., it was resolved that the General make an immediate report of his equipment, &c. On the loth, the Provincial Congress passed votes for an increase of the army ; that the militia hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's notice, and that the peo- ple go armed to church on Sundays. ACTION OF JOINT COMMITTEE. 15 On the same day the Committee of Safety passed a resolve as follows : " Whereas it appears of importance to the safety of this colony, that possession of the hill called Bunker's Hill, in Charlestown, be securely kept and defended, and also some one hill or hills on Dorchester neck, be likewise secured, Therefore, resolved, unanimously, that it be recommended to the Council of War that the above named Bunker's Hill be maintained by a sufficient force being posted there," &c. Col. Palmer and Capt. White were appointed to join with the committee of the Council of War at the Roxbury camp, and to communicate to the council the above vote. JOINT MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY AND COUNCIL OF WAR. The joint committee met probal)ly at Roxbury on the afternoon of the 15th, and most likely approved the course recommended, as also did the council of war, probably on the 16th, as on that evening orders were issued in accord- ance with the vote of the Committee of Safet}'-, so far as Bunker Hill was concerned. It is agreed on all sides that the Committee of Safety " had secret intelligence from Boston by means of spies, that the British were about to take possession of Dorchester Heights ; " " and " (this statement is made on the word of Samuel Adams), " to divert them from their object, a close approach to the enemy was made by entrenching on Breed's Hill, which had the desired effect, until the provincials could take pos- session of Dorchester Heights." What we now know of Gage's intentions confirms the correctness of this statement, upon which no doubt the Council of War acted. Gen. Burgoyne, in his account of the battle, June 25, says, — '■'■It was absolutely necessary WQ should make ourselves masters of these heights, and we proposed to begin with Dorchester." " Every thing was accordingly disposed ; my 16 ORDERS TO THE COMMANDERS. two colleagues and myself had with Gen. Gage formed the plan," and " it was to have been executed on the 18th." It now appears as if Gen. Gage became aware of the proceedings of the Provincial Congress, and of the Com- mittee of Safety, between the 13th and 15th of June, and planned his movements for the 18th, with a view to anticipate those of the array at Cambridge, which he was momentarily expecting would take place ; for it may well be believed that John Hancock's words had not been lost upon the Congress or its Committee, " Boston must be ENTERED." Tliis vicw accounts for the hustj movement of the 16th of June, for which it has been so often said the provincials were not prepared ; and also for the attempts made to keep the proceedings secret, which was not the case with those of 10th and 12th of May touching the same subject. ORDERS TO THE COMMANDERS. In view of these proceedings, on Friday, 16th of June, orders were issued b}^ Gen. Artemas Ward (Gen. Jede- diah Preble, who had been elected to the chief command, never having presented himself in camp, probably on account of the state of his health), "for placing three Massachusetts regiments (Col. Prescott's, Col. Frj^e's, and Col. Bridge's), and a detachment of a hundred and twenty men from a Connecticut regiment (under the command of Capt. Knowlton, a brave officer), about a thousand in all, under the command of Col. Prescott, directing him to pro- ceed to Bunker's Hill, and there erect a fortification." This statement is taken from what is known as the " Pres- cott Manuscript ; " and it is a noticeable fact, that this remarkable paper, prepared and preserved in the Prescott family, until published by Caleb Butler in his " History of Groton " (nor yet Col. Prescott's letter to John Adams, soon after the battle, each of them giving an account of the engagement), does not contain the name of Col. Putnam — an omission hardly to be expected in these papers, or in any respectable account of the battle. It DISPOSITION OF THE ARMY. 17 then mentions the prayer by Pres, Langdon ; then that Col. Prescott led them silentl}^ down to Charlestown Neck, where he called around him the field officers, with Col. Gridley, and communicated to them his orders. AMOUNT OF THE FORCE. Prescott states the number of men at a thousand, while it is said the force detailed should have reached about fourteen hundred ; but it is probably true that no such number was present on the night of the 16th. Some writers put the number as high as twelve hundred, but this is very doubtful, as are some other statements con- cerning it. All agree that the original order was for a detachment of a thousand men, to which is to be added the re-enforcement which came from Medford in the after- noon. DISPOSITION OF THE ARMY. The arm}^ at this time had its headquarters at Cam- bridge, and the troops of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, in all about seven thou- sand, were located at various points, from Jamaica Plains, Roxbury, and Lechmere's Point on the right, to Medford, Charlestown Common, and Chelsea on the left, and some small progress had been made in erecting fortifications on the line, preparatory to an attack upon Gage in Boston, and to prevent any movement on his part into the country. The troops surrounded Boston, and it is manifest that the ships of war were kept in the harbor for the protection of the army in the town, or to receive it in case of necessity^ — a condition of things referred to by Gen. Howe in addressing the troops at Bunker Hill, in the words, " we have no recourse, if we lose Boston, but to go on board our ships." 3 18 THE MOVEMENT. — THE REDOUBT. IV. THE MOVEMENT. PRAYEE. When the detachment liad assembled at Cambridge, prayer was offered by Pres. Langdon of Harvard College, and soon after nine o'clock moved to Charlestown, where the wagons were met with the intrenching tools, — all that could be got together. Here Putnam met the detach- ment ; and the orders were explained to his officers — and perceived by the men — by Col. Prescott. SELECTION OF BREED'S HILL. On reaching Bunker Hill, where, according to orders, the intrenchment was to be made, a discussion ensued, in which Putnam took part, and Breed's Hill was determined on. The Prescott manuscript asserts that " the whole height was popularly called Bunker's Hill, although the southern part was known as Breed's Hill by the neighbors." There has been much discussion concerning this decision. The Committee of Safety say it " was a mistake," and this again is said to be a delicate way of overlooking a dis- obedience of orders. Prescott may be right, but we had alwa3's supposed that the distinction between the two hills was well known, one being much nearer to Boston than the other, — and therefore to be preferred, — while Bunker's Hill was much the highest. There does not appear to be any possible way of deciding whether there was a mistake or whether the Council of War overruled the decision of the Committee of Safety. THE REDOUBT. As soon as the matter above spoken of was decided, the body moved towards Breed's Hill, and on reaching the THE RAIL FENCE. 19 spot in the quietest manner possible, tlie arms were stacked almost without a loud word spoken, and the intrenching tools taken in hand with a will. The " Redoubt," so called, which has been displayed in such artistic form on the British map of Lieut. Page of the Royal Engineers, was eight rods square, with some angular formations for entrance, &c., on the southerly side, which was nearly parallel with the street. From this there was an embank- ment of about four hundred feet in length, extending down the slope towards Mystic river, called a Breastwork. The works, such as they were, rude and hastily thrown up, were no doubt well planned, and all that could be done in four hours' time ; the work, however, was con- tinued during the morning, notwithstanding the firing from the ships which did little damage. The redoubt being on the summit of the hill, it was like firing over a precipice : the shot that fell short plunged into the ground (and in one case ceitainly into the graveyard, damaging the tomb- stones), while those aimed higher passed over it. After the British obtained possession of the hill, their engineers planned a fortification of some magnitude and form (which is probably that delineated on Page's map), so that no vestige, as some have supposed, of the original work planned by Gridley long remained. It was also deter- mined at the same time to erect defences on Bunker Hill, where a part of the intrenching tools were carried, and there, under orders from Gen. Putnam, works were partly built, but they were not of much account. The monument on Breed's Hill, it is generally under- stood, occupies very nearly the centre of Col. Gridley's redoubt. THE RAIL FENCE. The rail fence was in a general way an extension of the Breastwork towards the shore of Mystic river ; and was designed to prevent the enemy from out-flanking the provincial forces. Col. Prescott, it is claimed, from his own indefinite statements, ordered the artillerv with their 20 ORDER TO THE RAIL FENCE. field-pieces, and Capt. Knowlton with the Connecticut troops, to this portion of the field ; but the work was not completed, rude as it was, until after Gen. Stark with the New Hampshire troops arrived. It was composed chiefly of parts of two rail fences, placed together, and hay filled in between them ; while that portion nearest the river was composed of rocks and stones from the beach. The movement in this direction, and the construction of the rail fence, were very important among the events of the day, and had a great effect upon its results. The position was splendidly maintained by Knowlton and Stark and the troops under their command. The arrangements of Gen. Howe show very clearly and very early an intention of moving in this direction, and thus surrounding the redoubt, whvph it was important, above all things, to pre- vent ; and it is enough to say here, it was prevented. THE ORDEK TO THE RAIL FENCE. There is some conflict of statement and a wider differ- ence of opinion as to who gave the orders for this impor- tant movement. It is asserted that Col. Prescott, who was in the redoubt, and saw the necessity for the measure, which had not been contemplated, ordered Knowlton to this point, and this is stated in the accounts. So, also, it may be that Putnam, who certainly was in command on the field, or assumed to command, ordered some of the troops in the same direction. He was unquestionably in position to see the necessity for the movement, which might even then have been on foot, and would not hesitate in such a case to give an order in the same direction. So, also, on the supposition that Prescott did not discover the purpose of the British commander and Putnam did, in this case beyond a doubt, Putnam being in the rear of the redoubt, may have simply anticipated the order of Col. Prescott. The evidence, we think, is decidedly in favor of Put- nam's action in the matter ; but we do not understand that COMMENCEMENT OF THE WORK. 21 it takes any thing from the just claims of Prescott to tlie command in the redoubt, or the ability and bravery with Avhich he discharged its heavy duties. Notwithstanding all tliis, Gen. Dearborn, after describ- ing the manner of making the rail fence out of two fences and the hay, says very emphatically, " This was done by direction of the Committee of Safety [one or two mem- bers who were present], of which William Winthrop of Cambridge was one, and he has within a few years [this was in 1818] informed me." There is no doubt, Avhatever, that CoFs. Reed and Stark, when the>' arrived with their regiments in the afternoon, went directly to the rail fence, — the necessity for which was apparent to the military eye of Col. Stark, — and it is certain that they either did this of their own accord or received an order from Putnam. They certainly did terri- ble work there. COMMENCEMENT OF THE DAY'S WORK. The opening of the morning had clearly given a new turn to things, and no* in a physical sense only was light thrown upon the subject. The night's work was unfin- ished ; nothing was complete ; every thing rude and imperfect, — ammunition, arms and intrenchment. The " Lively" began to cannonade the crowd of laborers when they looked like " a mist upon the hill, For such it seemed, muffled in silence still," which Admiral Graves, or his officer, proposed to brusli away with his heavy guns. The Battery on Copp's Hill followed the lead of the ships, and " The British Annual Register " says, " Such a great and incessant roar of artillery would have been a trial to the firmest of old soldiers, and must have greatly impeded the completion of the works ; it is, however, said that they bore this fire with wonderful firmness, and seemed to go on with their busi- ness as if no enemy had been near, nor danger in the service." 22 CONTEMPLATING THE SCENE. Prescott and his small command had not come here to fight the British Army and the Royal Navy, or so much of each as were in the vicinity. His orders were to build a strong redoubt on Bunker's Hill, and to hold it until re- lieved ; but it soon became manifest that here at Breed's Hill there was fighting to be done. It might have been the same — probably would have been — had the other hill been chosen. CONTEMPLATING THE SCENE. The movement was far more serious than Prescott had anticipated ; possibly more " rash " than Warren had thought ; possibly ev6n greater than Putnam had fore- seen ; and it is marvellous that the redoubt, as Gage, and Howe, and Burgoyne — Avho had boasted that he would find "elbow-room" among the rebels — expected, was not at once abandoned. Let the reader conceive, for one mo- ment, the position of this small force : a handful of men, close together, on the summit of the hill, without shelter ; six of the best ships of war in the world around them ; a land battery in front of them ; floating batteries, more or less in number, in rear of them ; with two hundred guns — more than a gun to a man in the redoubt at a later mo- ment — opened upon them with every sort of ammuiution known in naval warfare ! No wonder Prescott thought that men sent awa}^ with the intrenching tools would not return ! No wonder that Gage, when looking upon the scene, asked Willard if they would fight ! It seems now as if none but those whom Governor Bernard had de- scribed as men " mad enough to lay down their lives for liberty " would fight ; and, we repeat, when the scene is pictui'ed on the mind in this light, it is marvellous that they did not abandon the redoubt, at least as far as Put- nam would permit them to go, — the top of Bunker Hill, — where certainly the}^ would have had a better chance for their lives, although it would seem only a chance there ! It has been said that there were deserters. The state- RE-ENFORCEMENTS REQUIRED. 23 ment needs; no proof. A brave man may make himself a martyr ; but if the party had all left the redoubt, as they did afterwards, it would have been a retreat. That they remained there almost intact, is an evidence of courage never to be questioned. WORK ENDED — WHAT PRESCOTT THOUGHT. By eleven o'clock, the provincials had done all they could do, and laid aside their tools. The guard, or patrol, Avhich had been sent during the night around the shore of the town, followed on two occasions by Prescott himself, had seen the ships and heard the cry of the sentries, and had long been recalled. One of his men (Asa Pollard of Billerica) had been killed, having heedlessly exposed him- self ; but Prescott believed, according to Gov. Brooks's statement, that the British troops would not attack them ; and if they did, he thought the}'' would be defeated ; and probably never would have gained the summit of the hill if the ammunition in the redoubt had held out a little longer. Prescott, knowing the advantages of the situation, excepting the naval force against him, believed that he could not be driven from the redoubt ; and it would seem that Gage himself had some doubts on this subject, and perhaps Howe, who warned his men against being com- pelled to fly to their ships of war for shelter. KE-ENFORCEMENTS REQUIRED. Prescott and Putnam, it is believed, sent to Gen. Ward for more troops, just as Howe sent to Gage for the same purpose, and Putnam himself went to Cambridge to urge the sending of them. Ward is said to have hesitated, fearing an attack upon Cambridge, and called upon the Committee of Safety for advice. There was not, however, much room -or much time for hesitation ; the troops must either be sent, or those sent ordered back, and the Com- mittee of Safety (if consulted in the matter) must have 21 • THE BOSTON SIDE OF THE RIVER. seen this ; and a re-enforcement was ordered, — not, how- ever, from the camp at Cambridge, but from . the New Hampshire encampment at Medford. The order reached Medford at eleven o'clock. The men were provided with powder, balls, and flints, and started for the scene of action, and did good service at the rail fence, where they met the famous Welsh Fusileers, and an English account says ruined them. They were, in fact, cut to pieces, one captain and a few privates only escaping the bullets of the New Hampshire farmers. v. — THE BOSTON SIDE OF THE RIVER. THE ALARM IN BOSTON. " The sight of the works was the first notice that alarmed the ' Lively ' man-of-war early in the morning, and her guns called the town, camp and fleet, to behold a sight which seemed little less than a prodigy." It does not appear that the bells were rung, as at Cambridge wlien the British landed, but the town was awakened with the roar of artillery. To be sure, the town was half- depopulated, but such as were within it were aroused by the alarm, not knowing what had happened or what was going to happen. It is not at all improbable that there had been a party, a dance, or possibly a council of war concerning the proceedings intended for the next morning, at the Province House. The state of the times was such, that any thing, no one knew what, might happen at any moment ; the events of the spring indicated that the summer would not be likely to pass peaceably, especially after the arrival of the re-enforcements. It was with Gen. Gage and his ofiicers, as with the people and everybody within hearing of the cannon, — all were ignorant of the real state of things. Whatever had happened it came upon them like an earthquake ; the houses of the people shook and the town trembled as they rose from their beds and rushed into the stieets so COUNCIL OF WAR. 25 earl-y in the morning. It was no doubt believed by some that the rebels (there was not now much objection to that word) had attacked the town. Admiral Graves was on shore, and, it is said, sent and stopped the firing of the ships, probably not knowing the cause of it until later in the morning. Tiie news came soon enough, and the Province House was alive with excitement, and it is doubtful if even the sentries heard the sunrise gun from Beacon Hill. COUNCIL OF WAR. Without reference to Gen. Gage's order-book, or any knowledge of the amount of red tape necessar3% we have reason to know that a hasty breakfast was followed by a council of war. Things moved slowly, though hurriedly. Although Gage and his officers had determined, if pos- sible, to drive the rebels from the vicinity of Dorchester Heights, they did not seem to be prepared for the work before them, to which they were so suddenly called. They had been shut up in the town for a long time, if not in luxurious living, mostly in idleness and pleasure, with only the small experience of the excursion to Concord and back to enliven and encourage them. The officers were some time in reaching the Province House, and the session must have lasted two or three hours, judging from the movements which followed. Besides, there was much difference of opinion in the council, the question being whether the redoubt (or what- ever they chose to call it) should be directly attacked by marching up the hill, protected by the fire of the naval force and batteries, or whether an attempt should be made to surround the place ; that is, cut off the peninsula at the neck, intercept re-enforcements, march towards the redoubt, and, perhaps, drive the rebels into the sea! It is stated, of course on British authority, that a majority of the council were in favor of this last scheme ; but among those who voted in its favor, neither Smith, nor Pitcairn, nor Percy, who were in the experiences of the 19th of 3 26 MOVEMENT OF THE TROOPS. April, are named. Gage did not approve tlie plan, and it is an evidence of Lis military acumen, for the reason that it would place the king's troops between two armies, one entrenched and possessing the heights, Avhich would command him, and the other in force. He, however, de- clared that the works " must be carried," and by an attack in front, however undesirable. Gen. Gage's course in tliis matter has been severely criticised, notwithstanding which it seems to us that his decision was correct. MOVEMENT OF THE TEOOPS — EMBARKATION. Orders were at once issued for the parade of the troops, and hot as the day was, the accounts at least supplied them with blankets ; and at about twelve o'clock, ten selected companies and two regiments, — thirty -fifth and forty-ninth, — marched from the Common to Long Wharf, and were thence transported, troops, cannon, ammunition, provisions, &c., — in barges to Moulton's Point (near the Charlestown end of Chelsea Bridge), and there landed without opposition, although they came with pointed field- pieces prepared to meet it. Other regiments and compa- nies were ordered to the North Battery and Copp's Hill, in readiness to embark if required. These movements, of course, created great excitement in Boston. Men and officers, on foot or mounted, were rushing from the Province House to the Common ; from the Common to the wharf, and from the wharf to the Bat- tery, where Gen. Gage took up his position to overlook and inspect the conflict, while the people, mostly soldiers and tories, repaired to the top of Beacon Hill, to witness the sceue, whatever it might prove to be. Burgoyne, who was also at Copp's Hill, says, " Behind us, the church steeples and heights of our camp [meaning Boston] were covered with spectators, and the rest of our army who were unengaged. The hills round the country were covered with spectators. The enemy all in anxious sus- pense." SPEECH OF GEN. HOWE. 27 APPEARANCE OF THE TROOPS. The troops were composed of light infantry, grenadiers, rangers and artillery, under command of Maj. Gen. Howe and Brig.-Gen. Pigot, and are said to have made a splendid show in their red uniforms, with guns, bayonets, swords and field-pieces flashing the sunshine. They landed at one o'clock, and under rigid and perfect discipline, formed in military order ; and, judging from what has been said, must have been surprised that the rnde farmers, who were look- ing at them, did not run away. RECONNOITRING AND REFRESHMENTS. The accounts go on to say that Howe made a pause ; reconnoitred (with his glass) the position ; found it much stronger than he expected ; saw more men. coming over the farther hill ; advised with Gen. Pigot ; and at once sent for more troops. All this while the men were refreshing themselves, and many of them taking, as they little supposed in view of such an enemy, their last meal. Rum, it is said, was supplied by the bucketful, and it must have seemed to the half-famished men in the redoubt, who had just partaken of their provisions, many of them also for the last time, that the king's troops were enjoying themselves. RE-ENFORCEMENTS — SPEECH OF GEN. HOWE. Re-enforcements, consisting of light infantry, grena- diers, forty-seventh regiment, and the first battalion of marines, arrived before Howe moved a man ; and then he addressed the troops. He expressed his happiness in com- manding so fine a body of men ; telling them that the en • emy must be driven from the entrenchments at all events ; saying that he would not desire them to go farther than he went, and telling them that, " if we lose Boston," we have no recourse but to go on board our ships, " which will be very disagreeable to us all." 28 THE ENGAGEMENT. Howe unquestionably gave Pigot what he supposed to be the place of danger ; but nevertheless conducted him- self with great bravery during the action ; had his oflScers slaughtered around him ; lead his troops fearlessly on, and, according to reliable English authority, Avas left three times alone in front of his flying men. How he could ever make up his mind to compliment and praise them in general or- ders afterwards, is what we cannot wholly understand, excepting that* there alwfiys is '•'• policy in war." Vr. — THE ENGAGEMENT. REPULSE AT THE REDOUBT. The redoubt was all that, with the time and means at hand, the men could make it. The same may be said of the rail fence, a sort of " rustic bulwark." Theie was what was called a breastwoik at the upper end of it, and an improvised stone wall not much higher than the knees at the other. Prescott and Warren were in the redoubt ; Putnam and Knowlton and Reed, and Stark were near by, if they had not reached the line of the fence ; and Howe was now prepared for the attack, with his already famous officers to lead on his Avell-disciplined men, fresh for the conflict. The disposition of the troops, we have been told .by high authority, was perfect ; and when they moved, Gage and Clinton and Burgoyne (who were looking on from Copp's Hill), and Howe and Pigot, — all expected a short conflict and an easy victory. Every thing that has come to our hands shows that this was their expectation. A battery had been established on the hill at Moulton's Point, near where the troops landed, and under the sharp and rapid fire of field pieces and howitzers, Gen. Pigot moved towards the redoubt, not directly in front, which was the line of the cannonading, but to the left ; while Howe, with the right wing, attacked the line between the breastwork and the river. The moment was one of intense interest — the first real meeting, with all the paraphernalia ATTACK UPON THE RAIL FENCE. 29 of war, between the king's troops and the king's subjects, witnessed by thousands of people, most of whom, it is sup- posed, had a personal interest in the result. Before he moved, he took the precaution to send out flank guards, and at this moment " the fire of the three shi^JS, three batteries, several field pieces, the battery on Copp's Hill, — altogether from six different directions, — centered on the intrenchments." In the midst of this fearful firing, which is described by Burgoyne and many others who witnessed and heard it, as truly terrible, Pigot's men opened upon the redoubt at a considerable distance from the works, and Prescott's men, after a small scattering fire, which rather enticed them on, waited for their approach, according to orders to reserve their fire until the enemy were within thirty or forty paces. The men nobly stood their ground, regaidless of the clamor and the flying Jballs from the ships and batteries, and opened at the proper moment a tremendous volley, in which it would seem almost every shot told upon the enemy. The slaughter was fearful, and the whole line fell back. The officers exerted themselves to rally their men, after re- moving the dead and wounded,- and advanced to a sec- ond attack ; and again, besides the destructive fire from the redoubt, they had a galling fire on the flank from a small body of provincials outside the redoubt. The effect was destructive and fearful as before — it was astounding, and Pigot was compelled, not so much to order, as to witness, a retreat. They did not fall back, as said, in " some disorder," but in utter confusion. The British accounts of this retreat confirm every thing the Americans have ever said of it. Gage, Clinton and. Bur- goyne felt it, while they turned their glasses from Pigot to Howe, who was struggling towards the rail fence. ATTACK UPON THE KAIL FENCE. Howe led his men forward, but some portion of the " thousand impediments," said to have been in Pigot's 30 SECOND ATTACK AND REPULSE. way, were encountered b}^ him. He had expected to carry tlie "rustic breastwork " with ease, but he found his greatest difficulty in reaching it, even witli the " men of , Miiiden," the flower of the British army ; and getting into the rear of the redoubt, which he thought certain, was not likely to be accomplished. His artiller}^, upon which he relied for efficient service, were rendered almost useless b}'' the nature of the ground, while Callender's artillery, placed by Putnam, and once at least pointed by him, did excellent work for a while. A few shot from the line, fired without orders, just as at the redoubt, had the effect to draw that of the enemy, which they continued, while that from the line was checked until they came within the prescribed distance. Owing, perhaps, to the position of Howe's men, their miscalculation of distance, having to fire at heads only, or their random method of fire, their shot passed over the provincials, and consequently did little execution ; while Knowlton, Stark and Reed's men took deliberate aim, and rarely failed of their object. The carnage was terrific ; the troops became disconcerted ; the column broke ; the famous regiments of the army, including the " Welsh Fusileers," retreated ! Here again the English accounts of the carnage outrun the American. One of these states that as soon as our light infantry were " served up against the grass fence," they lost " three-fourths, and many nine- tenths of their men ;" and another, speaking of the defence says, " it was found to be the strongest post that was ever occupied by any set of men." SECOND ATTACK AND REPULSE. Gen. Howe, just as Pigot had done, rallied his men for a second assault, the troops stepping over the dead bodies as though they had been logs of wood, — according to a tory newspaper, — and they received the fire as before. The men had to be urged on over the dead bodies of their companions at the point of the ba3'onet. All the British authorities agree in the statement, that it required the BRITISH ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE. 31 utmost efforts of the officers to rally the men. Burgoyne, who Avas looking on (probably with Gage) from Copp's Hill, says, ^'-Howe's left was staggered ;''"' and Rivington's tory newspaper says, " They once ran and filled some of their boats, the fire was so hot." The artillery had been able to do more than on the first assault ; but in the end his whole force, much to the disappointment and chagrin of Gen. Howe, was compelled to retreat a second time. THE THIRD RALLY. The third rally, it seems, was too much for the provin- cials ; the efforts of the enemy were redoubled ; the men in the redoubt were no doubt fagged out by the extraordi- nary labor which they had performed, and their ammu- nition was expended ; Pigot's force was directed to the weak spot between the breastwork and the rail fence (where Callender's artillery had been), and with their bayonets broke through the line, so that they could reach the redoubt. " Can it be wondered," the Committee of Safety say, " that the word was given by the commander of the i^artg to retreat ? " ONE CONCLUSION REACHED. This — omitting many interesting particulars and inci- dents of the engagement, more or less familiar — was the result of the first regular fight between the king's troops and the provincial militia. One British officer — and most likely he Stpoke for all of them — wrote home from Boston, '' the Americans are not those poltroons I myself was once taught to believe them to be." BRITISH ACCOUNT OP THE BATTLE. One of the best, briefest, and most comprehensive ac- counts of the battle of Bunker Hill, characterized 'with much candor and truthfulness, was published in " The British Annual Register," for 1775 (supposed to have been written by Edmund Burke), and in some respects 32 BRITISH ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE. is more reliable than any other British account. We extract some portions of it : — " The attack was begun bj'" a most severe fire of cannon and howitzers, under which the troops advanced very slowly towards the enemy, and halted several times to afford an opportunity to the artillery to ruin the works, and to throw the provincials into confusion. Whatever it proceeded from, whether from the number, situation, or countenance of the enemy, or from all together, the king's forces seem to have been unusually staggered in this attach. . . . The provincials stood this severe and continued fire of small arms and artillery with a resolution and perse- verance which would not have done discredit to old troops. They did not return a shot until the king's forces had approached almost to the works, when a most dreadful fire took place, by which a number of our bravest men and officers fell. Some gentlemen who had served in the most distinguished actions of the late war declared, that, for the time it lasted, it was the hottest engagement they ever knew. It is, then, no wonder, if, under so heavy and destructive a fire, our troops were thrown into some disor- der." [This statement, after the strong expressions al- ready used, is certainly very mild, especially when we read what follows.] " It is said that Gen. Howe was, for a few seconds, left nearly alone; and it is certain that most of the officers near his person [who were picked out by the sharpshooters] were either killed or wounded." The several repulses in this account are not specially recorded, and it goes on to say that the troops " attacked the works with fixed bayonets, and forced them in every quarter," admitting, at the same time, that the provincials were mostly -without bayonets, and out of ammunition. .The provincials then retreated across the neck, exposed to the guns of the men-of-war and batteries, but suffered " little loss from this formidable artillery." Brief as this account is, there is hardly to be found any other which is fairer, more candid, or gives more credit to the yeomanry ; and it is wholly free of the sneers and scoffings and con- ACCOUNT OF THE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS. 33 temptuous expressions wliicli characterize most of tlie Brit- ish accounts of the provincials, and were even bandied about in parliament on many occasions. " Thus ended," continues the Register, " the hot and bloody affair of Bunker Hill, in which we had more men and officers killed and wounded, in proportion to the num- ber engaged, than in any other action which we can recol- lect. The whole loss in killed and wounded amounted to 1,054, of whom 226 were killed: of these 19 were commis- sioned officers, 2 majors, and 7 captains. Seventy other officers were wounded." " The event sufficiently showed the bravery of the king's troops." ..." The battle of Quebec, in the late war, with all its glory, and the vast- ness of the consequences of which it was productive, was not so destructive to our officers as this affair of an in- trenchnient cast up in a few hours." " They said," con- tinues the writer, without attempting to dispute or doubt the conclusions which he repeats, " that though they had lost a host, they had almost all the effects of the most complete victory, as they entirely put a stop to the offen- sive operations of a large army sent to subdue them, and which they continued to blockade in a narrow town. They now exulted that their actions had thoroughly refuted those aspersions which had been thrown upon them in England, of a deficiency in spirit and resolution." These objects were certainly attained, and, as the sequel clearly shew, were maintained to the evacuation of the town, and to the end of the war. The publication of this account, in so prominent a work as " The British Annual Register " for 1775, a few months at most after the battle, must have been highly beneficial to the Amer- ican cause. It silenced the scoffers, proved the impotency of parliamentary acts, and ended the undignified talk of Lord Nortli, about "punishing" the Bostonians. ACCOUNT OF THE PEOVINCIAL CONGKESS. The following brief account of the battle was prepared by order of the Provincial Congress, signed by James 34 ACCOUNT OF THE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS. Warren as President, and Saml. Freeman as Secretary, and was transmitted, nnder date of June 20, to the Conti- nental Congress at Philadelphia. We omit the opening and closing portions of the document as having little rela- tion to the battle or events coiniected with it. " We think it our indispensable duty to inform you 1hat re-enforcements from Ireland, both of horse and foot, being arrived (the numbers unknown), and having good intelligence that Gen. Gage was about to take possession of the advantageous posts in Charlestown and on Dor- chester Point, the Committee of Safety advised that our troops should prepossess them if possible. " Accordingly, on Friday evening, the IGth instant, this was effected by about twelve hundred men. About day- light on Saturday morning their line of eircumvallation, on a small hill south of Bunker's Hill in Charlestown, was closed. At this time the ' Lively ' man-of-war, began to fire upon them. A number of our enemy's ships, tenders, cutters, scows, or floating batteries soon came up, from all which the fire was general by twelve o'clock. About two the enemy began to land at a point which leads out towards Noddle's Island, and immediately marched up to our intrenchments, from which they were twice repulsed ; but in the third attack forced them. Our forces which were in the lines, and those sent for their support, were greatly annoyed on everj^ side by balls and bombs from Copp's Hill, the ships, scows, &c. At this time the build- ings in Charlestown appeared in flames in ahnost every quarter, kindled by hot balls, and is since laid in ashes. Though tliis scene was almost horrible and altogether new to most of our men, 3'et many stood and received wounds by swords and bayonets before they quitted their lines. At five o'clock the enemy were in full possession of all the posts within the isthmus. " In the evening and night following, Gen. Ward ex- tended his intrenchments before made at the stone-house, over Winter Hill. About six o'clock P.M. of the same day, the enemy began to cannonade Roxbury from Boston Neck POSSIBLY PROVIDENTIAL. 35 and elsewhere, wliicli they continued twenty-four hours, with little s^jirit and less effect. " Tlie nnniber of killed and missing on our side is not known, but supposed to be about sixty or seventy, and by some considerably above that number. Our most worthy friend and President, Doctor Warren, lately elected a major-general, is among them." " This loss we feel most sensibly. Lieutenant Colonel Parker and Major Moore of this Colony, and a Major McClary from New Hampshire, are also dead. Three Colonels and perhaps one hundred men are wounded. Tiie loss of the enemy is doubtless great. By an anony- mous letter from Boston we are told that they exult much in havii^gf O'^iined the oround. thoug-h their killed and wounded are owned about one thousand ; but this account exceeds every other estimation. The number they had engaged is supposed to be between three and four thousand. If any error was committed on our side, it was in taking a post so much exposed." POSSIBLY PROVIDENTIAL. It appears from this account that the Provincial Con- gress was not satisfied, even in view of the result, that no error had been committed. We have never seen the remark made in reference to this matter, but we have heard it said about other things much less conspicuous thiin this, that there was something providential in it. It certainly happened that on each side a Council of War was called and consulted^ and on neither side were its suggestions adopted and adhered to, which we presume must be con- sidered as somewhat unusual. Of course it is idle to speculate upon such a point ; but it certainly appears to us that if Gage had followed the advice of his officers, his troops must have been cut to pieces or captured; and, on the other hand, if Prescott had made his fort on Bunker's Hill, the fight would have been more stubborn, the Brit- ish troops further from their ships and support, and the result must have been in some respects very different. As it was it may be considered providential. 33 ACCOUNT OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY. ACCOUNT OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY. The account of tlie battle, prepared by the Committee of Safety, which has been often published, is more complete and full than the above, and is dated 25th July. It says the fortifications were ordered on Bunker's Hill, but "by some mistake " Breed's Hill was taken. It speaks of the smoke from the burning town as designed to " cover their attack upon our lines, and perhaps Avith a design to rout or destroy one or two regime7its of Provincials ivho had been posted in that town.'' '■'■ If either of these wns then- design, they were disappointed," for the wind changed " and the Regiments were already removed.^' [It is possible these remarks may refer to Capt. Walker's Company of fifty men on the right of Gen. Pigot, who were removed after the first repulse and while the town was burning,] The account then goes on to describe the first attack, when the enemy " retreated in disorder and with great precipitation to the place of landing, and some of them sought refuge even in their boats." " Here the officers were observed ... to push their men forward with their swords." They were finally rallied, and the Americans " a second time put the regulars to flight, who ran in great confusion towards their boats." With renewed exertions, and having brought some cannon to bear so as to rake the breastwork, the provincials retreated Avithin tlie little fort. The regulars now made a decisive effort ; the fire from ships and batteries was redoubled ; the officers were seen to goad forward their men, and " they attacked the re- doubt on three sides at once." This whole account so far, it will be seen, relates exclusively to the engagement between Gen. Pigot and Prescott at the redoubt, and does not even allude to the repeated repulse of Howe's right flank at the rail fence. " The retreat of this little handful of brave men [about 150 in the redoubt, and, perhaps, 200 at the breastwork] would have been effectually cut off, J,ad it not hap2:>ened that the flanking party of the enemy, which was to have PRIVATE REPORTS OF THE BATTLE. 37 come up on the back of the redoubt, was checked hy a party of provincials [probably not less than five hundred], who fought with tlie utmost bravery, and kept them from advancing beyond the beach." " The engagement of these two parties [distinct from that- at the redoubt^ was kept up with the utmost vigor." " All their efforts [and it is said they ' fought with the utmost bravery '] were insufficient to compel the Provincials [Putnam, Reed, Stark, and Knowl- ton] to retreat., till thi main body hid left the hill.'" There was, indeed, hard fighting along the line of the rail fence, as all reliable, and as we tliink honest accounts of the day's work admit and describe, and here it was that " the laurels of Minden were totally blasted,'^ all the Cap- tains except one, and nearly all the men (some accounts sa}', excepting six,) were killed or wounded. In concluding this account the Committee suggest that this unnatural war be stopped, and the ministers give up their " unreasonable ideas of their right to tax and officer the Colonies." Pt ^.^ ^ NEW HISTORY BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL, June 17, 1775, Its Purpose, Conduct, and Result WILLIAM W. WHEILDON. BOSTOX : NEW YORK: LEE, SHEPARD, & DILLINGHAM. 1875. < PUBLICATIONS BY THE SAME AUTHOR. Weinoir of Solomon Willardf Architect and Superintend- ent of the Banker Hill Monument. By William W. Whkildov. 8vo. pp. 288. 1855. "In your complete vindication of the true merits of Solomon Willard, you have given to mankind the bes-t liistory of the moat sublime pillar of testimony now stmdiiig in illus- tration and coinmemorafion of human rights." — From Dr. Abrahum li. Thnmpsim. " Vour book, in my humble opinion, is a just tribute to the life and character of the architect; in so doing you have eiveii ns a true and compreheubive liistory of tlie monu- ment itself." — From the late Thomas Ho( p-r. '■I duly received your biography of Willard, and confess to my gratified surprise that you were able to throw so much interest into the uneventful life of a private citizen. There is more sound philosophy in such a memoir than In the lives of a seor • of soldiers or politicians; and I, for one, thank you for producini: it." — From Ex-Gov. Washburn. '• I have b; en specially gratified for the jurignient shown in your arrangement, and by the taste which controlled your citations. In this way you have, without pedaniry or ostentation, thrown around the great monument of Arnerica the proper lii^'toric wreath, and blended with it memorial cba^^lcis of Webster and Everett." — From Gov. Alex. H. liuUock. " Jt has given me much pleasure and instruction, and seems, both in its literary and typographical execution, to te a most fit and satisfactory record of the builders and the builaing of the great moiniment. It will be leail with greater interest five hundred years hence tlian now." — From President Walker of Harvard College. Contributions to Thouglitf by William W. Wheildon, Fellow of the American Association for llic advancement of Science. 12mo. pp. 236. 1875. '• The author entitles the volume " Cotytrihuiions to Thoughf^; and its contents justi fios the title. The essays, longer or shorter, are full of polished writing, expressive of eariie.-t llioiight and studious puivuiis. The volume cannot be read witlioui affording more than ii>ual pleasure to a Ihoughtlul reader." — VjosioJi, Traveller. " Tlioughifal discu-sions they are, and interesting as the results of the reflections of a long and busy life spent in careful observation iiiid earnest attention to the incidents and iiitt rests of the limes." — Boston Daily Adrertiser. "Mr. Win ildou's book is pleasant to le^id, and is a contribution of good sense and good advice, if not of new inlormation or of oiiginal thought. We trust that a second edition will be called lor.' — Christian Register. " I'he volume is a real contribution to thought. . . . Whether wc consider his dis- cussions of the diverse themes of Matirial Pi ogress, the Theory of Life, the Open Polar Sea, or the Coining Woman, we find him perfectly clear and logical, and that everywhere there is crisp Kiislish scattered all the way through with apt suggestion and original thought, that proves very pleasant to read and p')nder over." — Vharlestown Adoerti.ter. •'Mr. Wiiei doii has been known for half a century in thi< State as a lectarer, editor and practical printer; and in all dep irtments of labor, meiitul or manual, to which he has given his atteiiiion, he has been iudtistriotis and earnest. As a thinker lie is practical, sagacious, and logical; and his stjie of composition is clear and agreeable." — Jioston Journal. '• A notable book, at least in respect of its history, is Mr. AVheildon's '' Contributions to Thought." . . . It is not every author who could be his own printer, and supplement 80 much really excellmt iliought by so much practical skill. But the book is more than a cuiio.-ity; ... it is a collection of thoughtful essays, the product of a ciiltivat(^d and re- flecting mind, and pervaded by a wise and wholesome spirit." — The Congregationalist, Letters from Nahant : Historical, Descriptive, and Miscel- laneous. 12mo. pp. 48. 1848. JPcipevS published by the American Association for the Ad- vancement of Science. 1. Atmospheric Theory of the Open Polar Sea, with remarks on tlic preSLiu state of ilic qucsiiui). 12iiio. pp.32. Kead iti 1860. 2. The Arctic Regions. Tliinl paper; read in 1873. 3. The New Arctic Continent, or VViangell's Land. Read in 1868. 4. Scientific Excursion across the State of Iowa, in 1872. 5. The Lobster {Humanis Americunus), Natural History, Fishery, and Legis- lation. Either of the above may be had of LEE & SHEPARD. THE GREAT SUCCESS OF THE YEAR! Young Folks' History o^^^^^TJnited States, BY THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGaiNSON- DESIGNED FOR HOME KEADINa AND FOE THE USE OF SCHOOLS. - Square jbtno, 3S0 pp., with over 100 Illustrations. Price %i-30. The reviewcra are enthusiastic in their praise of this captivating worlv. The foUowinj; are but a few of tlie very many lavorable NOTICES OF THE PRESS. " The North-American Review " says, " This capital little book solvea a problem that at first sight seems hopeless, — h')w, ill a small fiiiodrciiiio of three hundred and twenty- nine paiji's, to cipiivey a clear, irue, and forcible impression of the whole !li^l(>^y of the United States, from tne earliest discuveiics 10 the present time. . . . To put this incon- gruous and complicated hi-tory into a ntiishell, and make it at the same time wholesome and savory, is an acliieveineut requiring no liltie skill." " The Nation '' describes it as beirg "compact, clear, and accurate," and calls it " the best general history of the United States they have ever seen.'' '• The I^iterary World " affirms, that '• alter reading this book, and comparing it with the Pchool histoiies to whose perusal American )outh have been heretofore condemned, we can no longer wonder that Ameiicans have been repioached with an ignorance of hi-tury. For the first time, a man of genius has undertaken 10 tell llie >lory of our C(iun1r> 's growlli, — not a professional book maker, thinking only of his copyright, but a man ot culture, who knows not onl> history, but human nature too; knows wnat im the pleasant side of learn- ing, and how to hold it U|) to eager yazers. We trust that this admirable history —admir- able not only as a literary rompo.-itio.i, but as a pleasant and safe guide tortile young to a knowledge of our national career — will open tlie ejes of educatiimisls and the public to the (act that the preparation of text-books for the inslractidn of the young is too weighty and solemn a task to be intrusted to mere compilers, who put neither lieart nor brains into their work." "The Boston Advertiser" believes ''the book is so written, that every child old enough to read history at all will understand and like it; and persons of the fullest in- formation and purest laste will admire it." "The Boston Transcript " declares, that " it ii marvellous to note how Iiappily Mr. Higgirison, in securing an amazing compactness by his condensation, has avoided alike superficiality and dulness." "The New- York Kvening Post" thinks " the style is admirable. The facts are re- lated in precise, perspicuous language : it sets an example to its young readers which such books olten fail to do." '• The New- York World " describes it as " an admirable little book, in which the his- tory of the United States is told in a clear, simple, and entertaining manner." "The Springfield Republican" graceiul'y says, '■ ^^r. Higginson was well qualified to write such a work. He has long b''eii cccup.ed with studies in Anieiicaii history; and he ia a genial, painstaking, accurate, and picturesque writer, with a higli conception of the work he liad to do." "The Hartford Courant" asserts that " Col. Higginson's book cannot fail of contribut- ing largely to spread a knowledge of the country through the country, and to make the study of history attraclive." "The Philadelphia Age " commends it as "a clear and simple history of the land we live in; all tedious detail-* and lengthy documents beiug carefully omitted." Fkoji tiik Fak Wkst.— "The Oreuonian " of Portland, Oregon, pleasantly dis- courses; ">Tlie Young Folks' History of the United States' is one of the h 'iid onies' of Col. Higginson's pertormance-'. It is a popularly-wiitten and beautifully-ilhi>-trated narrative of the development of civ ilization upon this continent, from the time of its discovery by the Norsemen, some centuries before Columbus ' sailed tar o'er tlie ocean blue,' down to the present time." Several papers say, " Onk llUXnRF.n TEABS :may Kl.APSli; ere there ia another such a book brought out." And lastly, L. C. M., in " The New-York Tribune," felicitously ob- serves, — "y< IS pleiixatit to find a hnoh where there is ererii thing to prnine, and voihinr/ to con- dcmn, and thin, I ihink eri-rii honest critic mttat ar.kno'rleilf/i'. to be the case with, ' Hiuom- so.N's Young Foi.ics' nisTUKY OF Tiiii U.nited States.'" . For sale by all Booksellers. Sent, postpa'ul, on receipt of price, by LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, 41-45 Franklin Street, Boston. IN PRESS. hm lill ; h hm li llie Monmeni BEACON HILL MONUMENT. Huilt 1790, taken down 181 1. A Historical Monograph prepared by William W. Wheildon, for the Bunker Hill Monument Association. KB 9.3. I >.°--^. V •o. "> C, iT .^^ ,o"o v*o^ o_ * 0^ ^\*Z' > V" .*L.!nL'. .0' ^^ *- '^^ *. V FLA ' ■• * x^ ST. AUGUSTINE " o « o ' j^O ^ - . , i • ^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011769 853 1 •