e the hope may take assail me ; man, are the best e assured he royal 3, march they are : fleet is all our a recon rnment; What is y stand n, your ' war? Du look carcea small I am neous. vince e reg. les of me to ce of piness , and ulers ers I des My ence ica with eph ely ha ly at ts ty interview with Mr. Warren; my letter procured for me a July.-I improve the interim of my suspense to record an authentic narrative of the battle on Breed's Hill, on the 17th of June. Intelligence had been received that it was the intention of General Gage to post a part of his troops, within a few days, on a promontory just at the entrance o the peninsula at Charlestown, called Bunker's hill. It was deemed important that our troops should possess themselves of this eminence, before the enemy could occupy it. Accordingly, orders were given to Colonel Prescott, a veteran o the last war, with one thousand men, to march silently in the evening of the 16th of June, and throw up some intrenchments on the heights of Bunker's hill. By some mistake they took possession of Breed's hill, which being about one fourth of a mile nearer Boston, was less capable of being defended. From some cause, the detachment was delayed in their labor, till 12 o'clock; but such was their alacrity, that before daylight, they had formed a small redoubt and some imperfect line of defence. About 4 o'clock in the morning the British were astonished to behold the works which had been thrown up in a single night, within a short distance of their vessels, without giving the least alarm. They immediately commenced a tremendous cannonade from their shipping, their floating batteries, and from all their fortifications, which could have a bearing on the American works. Bombs and shot were incessantly rolling among the provincials during the forenoon, till the royal grenadiers and light infantry could be prepared to make their formidable attack; yet one man only was killed; and the Americans courageously persevered in strengthening their works. They received in the course of the forenoon a small reinforcement, which augmented their number to about fifteen hundred, and this was not much exceeded during the day of battle. It was by an unaccountable error that those people, who had been laboring all the night, were not relieved by others, nor even furnished with provisions before the battle. Generals Putnam, Warren and Pomeroy, animated and encouraged the troops with their presence. At about 1 o'clock, 17th of June, the royal forces were observed to cross the river from Boston, and land on the shore at Charlestown; at the head of these veterans were Major General Howe and Brigadier General Pigot; their force consisted of about three thousand men, well provided with field artillery. They formed in two lines, their officers haranguing them probably in such language as this. "Those cowardly rebels must and shall be put to flight. See the dastardly Yankees with rusty guns and scarcely a bayonet among them. March on, my lads, march on, show them that you are Britons; show them these dazzling arms, and bayonets bright and sharp, and you shall soon see them take to their heels and run." Hear the voice of Putnam, of Prescott, and Warren. "See, my brave soldiers, that phalanx approaching; these lines must and shall be defended; these are the cruel enemies to your freedom; they have come to enslave you; remember their barbarous murders of our friends at Lexington; fight manfully, and they shall be vanquished, reserve your fire till their near approach; then with a sure aim cut them down, cut them down, and the victory shall be ours." The regulars deliberately advance to the attack, the grenadiers in front. The Americans reserve their fire till the enemy are within eight or ten rods, that they may do effectual execution; when, by a general discharge of musketry and field artillery, several officers and men are seen to fall, "their ranks are thinned; see the ground covered with the slain; see those wounded officers borne off the field." The conflict becomes close, and such are the fatal effects of the incessant and furious discharge of our musketry, that the regulars retreat in disorder, and many of them flee even to their boats. The officers, greatly agitated, pursue their men and threaten them with their swords; with great difficulty they are rallied, and commanded to advance again to the attack provincials are prepared, and when sufficiently near, a deadly fire from their ranks puts the enemy a second time to flight, leaving such numbers of dead and wounded, that several of their officers exclaim, "It is downright butchery to lead the men on afresh against the lines." At this critical moment, Major General Clinton, who till now had been a spectator with General Burgoyne on Copp's hill, in Boston, passed over and entered the field, just in time to unite his efforts with those of the other officers, for the purpose of forcing the regulars to renew the attack. The Americans still remain firm and courageous at their posts; but unfortunately it was now discovered that their powder was nearly expended, and another supply could not be procured. The enemy now change the position of their cannon, and place them in a situation to rake the inside of our breast work in its whole course, which at length obliges the provincials to retire within their little redoubt. The firing from the British ships, and other armed vessels and batteries, is now pushed to the utmost extremity; the regulars are impelled forward by their officers, and our redoubt is attacked on three sides at the same time. Our brave men continue their resistance, The and actually confront the enemy with the butt end of their muskets after they had entered the fort. A party of our men, under command of Captain Knowlton, had taken up a post and rail fence, and placing it against another, filled the vacancy with newly mowed hay, which served as a slight defence. The British light infantry attempted to force this little party from their stand, and by this means to cut off the retreat of our troops. In this they displayed the greatest bravery, but their opposers poured forth their reserved and formidable fire in such a manner as to produce astonishing execution, and to arrest their progress, till the whole of the Americans could effect a retreat. The narrow neck of land over which alone the provincials could retire, was so securely guarded by a man of war and two floating batteries, as to render it extremely hazardous to pass over; but notwithstanding their incessant firing, our loss there was quite inconsiderable. The provincials were obliged to leave five pieces of field artillery in the hands of the enemy, finding it impossible to remove them. But a loss infinitely to be lamented, and which occasions universal grief and sorrow, is that of Major General Joseph Warren. This distinguished patriot and hero was, but a few days before, appointed by Congress to the rank of Major General in our army. Such was his zeal and ardor that he rushed into the battle foremost in danger with his musket, and encouraged the soldiers by his example, till near the close of the battle, when he received a fatal shot and immediately expired. The loss at this crisis of a man possessing so much public virtue and military ardor, is almost irreparable. But the valor with which he is signalized reflects the highest honor and glory on his memory. It yet remains to mention that on this ever memorable day, just at the commencement of the battle, General Howe ordered the handsome town of Charlestown to be set on fire, that the smoke might conceal their manœuvres. The town consisted of three hundred dwelling houses, some of them elegant, and about two hundred buildings of other descriptions, which contained property and goods to a large amount, belonging to the distressed inhabitants of Boston. Fire was communicated to a number of houses, which, being wafted by the wind, soon reached the sacred temple, when the flames issued from its lofty spire; while from the conflagration and the embattled field, smoke mingled with smoke in majestic columns, and ascended to the clouds. This, with the roaring of cannon, sheets their f our upa the light e this ut off reat =rved -nish le of k of as so ries, not. uite tive g it la. .is hed by uch -re ers he at nd ith ry er e, a 1 of fire from tho musketry, and the awful slaughter, formed a spectacle, which for sublimity and grandeur has never perhaps been exceeded. This most dreadful scene, with all its concomitant horrors, was within view of a vast concourse of agonized spectators, posted on the tops of houses and steeples in Boston, and on numerous surrounding hills, hundreds of whom were trembling for the fate of a parent, a husband, or a brother. Well might a devout person exclaim, Good Heavens! what a scene do I behold! what carnage of the human race! what sacrifice of precious life. My God! stay thy hand, restrain a further effusion of human blood, spare the innocent, let punishment fall on the heads of the guilty. Is there not some hidden curse in reserve for our country's foes! At the head of the British army General Howe advanced with undaunted bravery, continually pressing into the most exposed situation. It is truly wonderful that he escaped with only a wound in his foot. The valiant Major Pitcairn, who was so conspicuously active at Lexington, was among the first who mounted our breast works, and at the moment when he was heard to exclaim, "the day is ours,' the fatal ball pierced his body, and he fell. His son, a Captain, received him in his arms, with all the ardor of filial love and tender sympathy, and bore him to the boat, where he expired. On the American side, Generals Putnam, Warren, Pomeroy, and Colonel Prescott, were emphatically the heroes of the day, and their unexampled efforts were crowned with glory. The incomparable Colonel Prescott marched at the head of the detachment, and though several general officers were present, he retained the command during the action. He displayed a native daring bravery altogether unrivalled, and infused the conquering spirit of a soldier into the hearts of all who were under his command, and crowned himself with immortal honor. Colonel John Stark commanded a regiment from New Hampshire, and signalized himself by his active bravery. His very valiant major, McClary, was killed by a cannon ball while recrossing Charlestown neck, which is lamented as a public loss. On this never to be forgotten occasion, a fair opportunity was presented for the trial of the courage and prowess of the people of New England, when contending for their constitutional freedom. They marched to the fleld as an undisciplined, inexperienced body of yeomanry, rather than as professed warriors; a large majority of them carrying ordinary fire arms, unprovided with bayonets, and habited in the |