in may, 1775, the british force in boston had increased by fresh arrivals from england and ireland to ten thousand men. the man-of-war cerberus arrived on the 25th with generals howe, clinton, and burgoyne—three officers experienced in the military tactics of europe, but little prepared for service here. they were surprised at the aspect of affairs, and gage was reproached for his apparent supineness. however, unity of action was necessary, and the new-comers heartily co-operated with gage in his plans, such as they were, for dispersing the rebel host that hemmed him in. he issued a proclamation on june 12 insulting in words and menacing in tone. it declared martial law; pronounced those in arms and their abettors “rebels, parricides of the constitution,” and offered a free pardon to all who would forthwith return to their allegiance, except john hancock and samuel adams, who were outlawed, and for whose apprehension as traitors a reward was offered. this proclamation, so arrogant and insulting, served only to exasperate the people. in the mean while several skirmishes had occurred between parties of the british regulars and the provincials, upon some of the cultivated islands that dot the harbor of boston.
at this time (may, 1775) but little progress had been made by the americans in erecting fortifications. some breastworks had been thrown up at cambridge, near the foot of prospect hill, and a small redoubt had been formed at roxbury. the right wing of the besieging army, under general thomas, was at roxbury, consisting of four thousand103 massachusetts troops, including four artillery companies, with field-pieces and a few heavy cannon. the rhode island forces, under greene, were at jamaica plains, and near there was a greater part of general spencer’s connecticut regiment. general ward commanded the left wing at cambridge, which consisted of fifteen massachusetts regiments, the battalion of artillery under gridley, and putnam’s regiment, with other connecticut troops. most of the connecticut forces were at inman’s farm. paterson’s regiment was at the breastwork on prospect hill, and a large guard was stationed at lechmere’s point. three companies of gerrish’s regiment were at chelsea; stark’s regiment was at medford, and reid’s at charlestown neck, with sentinels reaching to penny ferry and bunker hill.
it was made known to the committee of safety that general gage had fixed upon the night of june 18 to take possession of and fortify bunker hill and dorchester heights. this brought matters to a crisis, and measures were taken to perfect the blockade of boston. the committee of safety ordered colonel prescott, with a detachment of one thousand men, including a company of artillery, with two field-pieces, to march at night and throw up intrenchments upon bunker hill, an eminence just within the peninsula of charlestown, and commanding the great northern road from boston, as well as a considerable portion of the town. bunker hill begins at the isthmus, and rises gradually for about three hundred yards, forming a round, smooth hill, sloping on two sides toward the water, and connected by a ridge of ground on the south with the heights now known as breed’s hill. this was a well-known public place, the name, “bunker hill,” being found in the town records and in deeds from an early period. not so with “breed’s hill,” for it was not named in any description of streets previous to 1775, and appears to have been called after the owners of the pastures into which it was divided, rather than by the common name104 of breed’s hill. thus, monument square was called russell’s pasture; breed’s pasture lay farther south, and green’s pasture was at the head of green street. the easterly and westerly sides of this height were steep. on the east, at its base, were brick-kilns, clay-pits, and much sloughy land. on the west side, at the base, was the most settled part of the town. moulton’s point, a name coeval with the settlement of the town, constituted the southeastern corner of the peninsula. a part of this tract formed what is called morton’s hill. bunker hill was one hundred and ten feet high, breed’s hill sixty-two feet, and moulton’s hill thirty-five feet. the principal street of the peninsula was main street, which extended from the neck to the ferry. a road ran over bunker hill, around breed’s hill, to moulton’s point. the westerly portions of these eminences contained fine orchards.
a portion of the regiments of prescott, frye, and bridge, and a fatigue party of two hundred connecticut troops with intrenching tools, paraded in the cambridge camp at six o’clock in the evening. they were furnished with packs and blankets, and ordered to take provisions for twenty-four hours. samuel gridley’s company of artillery joined them, and the connecticut troops were placed under the command of thomas knowlton, a captain in putnam’s regiment, who was afterward killed in the battle on harlem heights. after an impressive prayer from the lips of president langdon, of harvard college, colonel prescott and richard gridley, preceded by two servants with dark lanterns, commenced their march, at the head of the troops, for charlestown. it was about nine o’clock at night, the sky clear and starry, and the weather very warm. strict silence was enjoined, and the object of the expedition was not known to the troops until they arrived at charlestown neck, where they were joined by major brooks, of bridge’s regiment, and general putnam. a guard of ten men was placed in charlestown, and the main body marched over bunker hill. a council was held, to105 select the best place for the proposed fortification. the order was explicit, to fortify bunker hill; but breed’s hill being nearer boston, and appearing to be a more eligible place, it was concluded to proceed to fortify it, and to throw up works, also, on bunker hill, to cover a retreat, if necessary, across charlestown neck. colonel gridley marked out the lines of the proposed fortifications, and, at about midnight, the men, having thrown off their packs and stacked their arms, began their perilous work—perilous, because british sentinels and british ships-of-war were almost within sound of their picks.
officers and men labored together with all their might, with pickaxes and spades, and were cheered on in their work by the distant signals of safety—“all’s well!”—that came from the shipping and the sentinels at the foot of copp’s hill. it proclaimed that they were still undiscovered; and at every cry of “all’s well!” they plied their tools with increased vigor. when the day dawned, at about four o’clock, they had thrown up intrenchments six feet high; and a strong redoubt, which was afterward the admiration of the enemy, loomed up on the green height before the wondering eyes of the astonished britons like a work of magic. the british officers could hardly be convinced that it was the result of a few hours’ labor only, but deemed it the work of days. gage saw at once how foolish he had been in not taking possession of this strong point, as advised, while it was in his power to do so.
the fortification was first discovered at dawn, by the watchmen on board the british man-of-war lively. without waiting for orders, the captain put springs upon his cables, and opened a fire on the american works. the noise of the cannon aroused the sleepers in boston, and when the sun arose on that bright morning, every eminence and roof in the city swarmed with people, astonished at the strange apparition upon breed’s hill. the shots from the lively did no harm, and, defended by their intrenchments, the americans plied their tools in strengthening their works106 within, until called to lay aside the pick and shovel for gun and knapsack.
plan of the redoubt on breed’s hill
on june 17 admiral graves, the naval commander at boston, ordered the firing to cease; but it was soon renewed, not only by the shipping, but from a battery of six guns upon copp’s hill in the city. gage summoned a council of war early in the morning. as it was evident that the americans were rapidly gaining strength, and that the safety of the town was endangered, it was unanimously resolved to send out a force to drive them from the peninsula of charlestown and destroy their works on the heights. it was decided, also, to make the attack in front, and preparations were made accordingly. the drums beat to arms, and boston was soon in a tumult. dragoons galloping, artillery trains rumbling, and the marching and countermarching of the regulars and loyalists, together with the clangor of the church bells, struck dismay into many a heart before stout in the presence of british protectors. it is said that the danger which surrounded the city converted many tories into patriots; and the selectmen, in the midst of that fearful commotion, received large accessions to their list of professed friends from the ranks of the timid loyalists.
toward noon between two and three thousand picked men from the british army, under the command of general sir william howe and general pigot, embarked in twenty-eight barges, part from the long wharf and some107 from the north battery, in boston, and landed at morton’s, or moulton’s point, beyond the eastern foot of breed’s hill, covered by the guns of the falcon and other vessels.
the americans had worked faithfully on their intrenchments all the morning, and were greatly encouraged by the voice and example of prescott, who exposed himself, without care, to the random shots of the battery on copp’s hill. he supposed, at first, that the enemy would not attack him, but, seeing the movements in the city, he was convinced to the contrary, and comforted his toiling troops with assurances of certain victory. confident of such a result himself, he would not at first send to general ward for a reinforcement; but between nine and ten o’clock, by advice of his officers, major brooks was dispatched to headquarters for that purpose. general putnam had urged ward early in the morning to send fresh troops to relieve those on duty; but only a portion of stark’s regiment was allowed to go, as the general apprehended that cambridge would be the principal point of attack. convinced otherwise, by certain intelligence, the remainder of stark’s regiment, and the whole of reed’s corps, on the neck, were ordered to reinforce prescott. at twelve o’clock the men in the redoubt ceased work, sent off their intrenching tools, took some refreshments, hoisted the new england flag, and prepared to fight. the intrenching tools were sent to bunker hill, where, under the directions of general putnam, the men began to throw up a breastwork. some of the more timid soldiers made the removal of the tools a pretext for leaving the redoubt, and never returned.
it was between twelve and one o’clock when the british troops, consisting of the fifth, thirty-eighth, forty-third, and fifty-second battalions of infantry, two companies of grenadiers, and two of light infantry, landed, their rich uniforms and arms flashing and glittering in the noonday sun, making an imposing and formidable display. general howe reconnoitred the american works, and, while waiting for reinforcements, which he had solicited from gage,108 allowed his troops to dine. when the intelligence of the landing of the enemy reached cambridge, two miles distant, there was great excitement in the camp and throughout the town. the drums beat to arms, the bells were rung, and the people and military were speedily hurrying in every direction. general ward used his own regiment, and those of paterson and gardner and a part of bridge’s, for the defence of cambridge. the remainder of the massachusetts troops were ordered to charlestown, and thither general putnam conducted those of connecticut.
at about two o’clock the reinforcement for howe arrived, and landed at the present navy-yard. it consisted of the forty-seventh battalion of infantry, a battalion of marines, and some grenadiers and light infantry. the whole force (about four thousand men) was commanded and directed by the most skilful british officers then in boston; and every man preparing to attack the undisciplined provincials was a drilled soldier, and quite perfect in the art of war. it was an hour of the deepest anxiety among the patriots on breed’s hill. they had observed the whole martial display, from the time of the embarkation until the forming of the enemy’s line for battle. for the americans, as yet, very little succor had arrived. hunger and thirst annoyed them, while the labors of the night and morning weighed them down with excessive fatigue. added to this was the dreadful suspicion that took possession of their minds, when only feeble reinforcements arrived, that treachery had placed them there for the purpose of sacrifice. yet they could not doubt the patriotism of their principal officers, and before the action commenced their suspicions were scattered to the winds by the arrival of their beloved doctor warren and general pomeroy. warren, who was president of the provincial congress, then sitting at watertown, seven miles distant, informed of the landing of the enemy, hastened toward charlestown, though suffering from sickness and exhaustion. he had been commissioned a major-general four109 days before. putnam, who was at cambridge, forwarding provisions and reinforcements to charlestown, tried to dissuade him from going into the battle. warren was not to be diverted from his purpose, and, mounting a horse, he sped across the neck and entered the redoubt, amid the loud cheers of the provincials, just as howe gave orders to advance. colonel prescott offered the command to warren, as his superior, when the latter replied, “i am come to fight as a volunteer, and feel honored in being allowed to serve under so brave an officer.”
while the british troops were forming, and preparing to march along the mystic river for the purpose of flanking the americans and gaining their rear, the artillery, with two field-pieces, and captain knowlton, with the connecticut troops, left the redoubt, took a position near bunker hill, and formed a breastwork seven hundred feet in length, which served an excellent purpose. a little in front of a strong stone and rail fence, knowlton built another, and between the two was placed a quantity of new-mown grass. this apparently slight breastwork formed a valuable defence to the provincials.
it was now three in the afternoon. the provincial troops were placed in an attitude of defence as the british column moved slowly forward to the attack. colonel prescott and the original constructors of the redoubt, except the connecticut troops, were within the works. general warren also took post in the redoubt. gridley and callender’s artillery companies were between the breastworks and rail fence on the eastern side. a few troops, recalled from charlestown after the british landed, and a part of warner’s company, lined the cart-way on the right of the redoubt. the connecticut and new hampshire forces were at the rail fence on the west of the redoubt, and three companies were stationed in the main street at the foot of breed’s hill.
general plan of the battle
before general howe moved from his first position he sent out strong flank guards, and directed his heavy artillery110 to play upon the american line. at the same time a blue flag was displayed as a signal, and the guns upon copp’s hill and the ships and floating batteries in the river poured a storm of round-shot upon the redoubt. a furious cannonade was opened at the same moment upon111 the right wing of the provincial army at roxbury, to prevent reinforcements being sent by general thomas to charlestown. gridley and callender, with their field-pieces, returned a feeble response to the heavy guns of the enemy. gridley’s guns were soon disabled; while callender, who alleged that his cartridges were too large, withdrew to bunker hill. putnam was there, and ordered him back to his first position. he disobeyed, and nearly all his men, more courageous than he, deserted him. in the meanwhile, captain walker, of chelmsford, with fifty resolute men, marched down the hill near charlestown and greatly annoyed the enemy’s left flank. finding their position very perilous, they marched over to the mystic, and did great execution upon the right flank. walker was there wounded and made prisoner, but the greater part of his men succeeded in gaining the redoubt.
under cover of the discharges of artillery the british army moved up the slope of breed’s hill toward the american works in two divisions, general howe with the right wing, and general pigot with the left. the former was to penetrate the american lines at the rail fence; the latter to storm the redoubt. they had not proceeded far before the firing of their artillery ceased, in consequence of discovering that balls too large for the field-pieces had been sent over from boston. howe ordered the pieces to be loaded with grape; but they soon became useless, on account of the miry ground at the base of the hill. small arms and bayonets now became their reliance.
silently the british troops, burdened with heavy knapsacks, toiled up the ascent toward the redoubt in the heat of a bright summer’s sun. all was silent within the american intrenchments, and very few provincials were to be seen by the approaching battalions; but within those breastworks, and in reserve behind the hills, crouched fifteen hundred determined men, ready, at a prescribed signal, to fall upon the foe. the provincials had but a scanty supply of ammunition, and, to avoid wasting it by ineffectual shots,112 prescott gave orders not to fire until the enemy were so near that the whites of their eyes could be seen. “then,” he said, “aim at their waistbands; and be sure to pick off the commanders, known by their handsome coats!” the enemy were not so sparing of their powder and ball, but when within gunshot of the apparently deserted works commenced a random firing. prescott could hardly restrain his men from responding, and a few did disobey his orders and returned the fire. putnam hastened to the spot, and threatened to cut down the first man who should again disobey orders, and quiet was restored. at length the enemy reached the prescribed distance, when, waving his sword over his head, prescott shouted, “fire!” terrible was the effect of the volley that ensued. whole platoons of the british regulars were laid upon the earth like grass by the mower’s scythe. other deadly volleys succeeded, and the enemy, disconcerted, broke and fled toward the water. the provincials, joyed at seeing the regulars fly, wished to pursue them, and many leaped the rail fence for the purpose; but the prudence of the american officers kept them in check, and in a few minutes they were again within their works, prepared to receive a second attack from the british troops, that were quickly rallied by howe. colonel prescott praised and encouraged his men, while general putnam rode to bunker hill to urge on reinforcements. many had arrived at charlestown neck, but were deterred from crossing by the enfilading fire of the glasgow and two armed gondolas near the causeway. portions of regiments were scattered upon bunker hill and its vicinity, and these general putnam, by entreaties and commands, endeavored to rally. colonel gerrish, who was very corpulent, became completely exhausted by fatigue; and other officers, wholly unused to warfare, coward-like kept at a respectful distance from danger. few additional troops could be brought to breed’s hill before the second attack was made.
the british troops, reinforced by four hundred marines113 from boston, under major small, accompanied by doctor jeffries, the army surgeon, advanced toward the redoubt in the same order as at first, general howe boldly leading the van, as he had promised. it was a mournful march over the dead bodies of scores of their fellow soldiers; but with true english courage they pressed onward, their artillery doing more damage to the americans than at the first assault. it had moved along the narrow road between the tongue of land and breed’s hill, and when within a hundred yards of the rail fence, and on a line with the breastworks, opened a galling fire, to cover the advance of the other assailants. in the meanwhile, a carcass and some hot shot were thrown from copp’s hill into charlestown, which set the village on fire. the houses were chiefly of wood, and in a short time nearly two hundred buildings were in flames, shrouding in dense smoke the heights in the rear whereon the provincials were posted. beneath this veil the british hoped to rush unobserved up to the breastworks, scale them, and drive the americans out at the point of the bayonet. at that moment a gentle breeze, which appeared to the provincials like the breath of a guardian angel—the first zephyr that had been felt on that sultry day—came from the west and swept the smoke away seaward, exposing to the full view of the americans the advancing columns of the enemy, who fired as they approached, but with little execution. colonels brener, nixon, and buckminster were wounded, and major moore was killed. as before, the americans reserved their fire until the british were within the prescribed distance, when they poured forth their leaden hail with such sure aim and terrible effect that whole ranks of officers and men were slain. general howe was at the head, and once he was left entirely alone, his aids and all about him having perished. the british line recoiled, and gave way in several parts, and it required the utmost exertion in all the remaining officers, from the generals down to the subalterns, to repair the disorder which this114 hot and unexpected fire had produced. all their efforts were at first fruitless, and the troops retreated in great disorder to the shore.
general clinton, who had beheld the progress of the battle with mortified pride, seeing the regulars repulsed a second time, crossed over in a boat, followed by a small reinforcement, and joined the broken army as a volunteer. some of the british officers remonstrated against leading the men a third time to certain destruction; but others, who had ridiculed american valor, and boasted loudly of british invincibility, resolved on victory or death. the incautious loudness of speech of a provincial, during the second attack, declaring that the ammunition was nearly exhausted, gave the enemy encouraging and important information. howe immediately rallied his troops and formed them for a third attack, but in a different way. the weakness of the point between the breastwork and the rail fence had been discovered by howe, and thitherward he determined to lead the left wing with the artillery, while a show of attack should be made at the rail fence on the other side. his men were ordered to stand the fire of the provincials, and then make a furious charge with bayonets.
so long were the enemy making preparations for a third attack that the provincials began to imagine that the second repulse was to be final. they had time to refresh themselves a little and recover from that complete exhaustion which the labor of the day had produced. it was too true that their ammunition was almost exhausted, and, being obliged to rely upon that for defence, as comparatively few of the muskets were furnished with bayonets, they began to despair. the few remaining cartridges within the redoubt were distributed by prescott, and those soldiers who were destitute of bayonets resolved to club their arms and use the breeches of their guns when their powder should be gone. the loose stones in the redoubt were collected for use as missiles if necessary, and all resolved to fight as long as a ray of hope appeared.
115 during this preparation on breed’s hill, all was confusion elsewhere. general ward was at cambridge, without sufficient staff-officers to convey his orders. henry (afterward general) knox was in the reconnoitring service, as a volunteer, during the day, and upon his reports ward issued his orders. late in the afternoon, the commanding general despatched his own, with paterson and gardner’s regiments, to the field of action; but to the raw recruits the aspect of the narrow neck was terrible, swept as it was by the british cannon. colonel gardner succeeded in leading three hundred men to bunker hill, where putnam set them intrenching, but soon ordered them to the lines. gardner was advancing boldly at their head, when a musket-ball entered his groin and wounded him mortally. his men were thrown into confusion, and very few of them engaged in the combat that followed, until the retreat commenced. other regiments failed to reach the lines. a part of gerrish’s regiment, led by adjutant christian febiger, a danish officer, who afterward accompanied arnold to quebec and was distinguished at stony point, reached the lines just as the action commenced, and effectually galled the british left wing. putnam, in the mean time, was using his utmost exertions to form the confused troops on bunker hill and get fresh corps with bayonets across the neck.
all was order and firmness at the redoubt on breed’s hill as the enemy advanced. the artillery of the british swept the interior of the breastwork from end to end, destroying many of the provincials, among whom was lieutenant prescott, a nephew of the colonel commanding. the remainder were driven within the redoubt, and the breastwork was abandoned. each shot of the provincials was true to its aim, and colonel abercrombie and majors williams and speedlove fell. howe was wounded in the foot, but continued fighting at the head of his men. his boats were at boston, and retreat he could not. his troops pressed forward to the redoubt,116 now nearly silent, for the provincials’ last grains of powder were in their guns. only a ridge of earth separated the combatants, and the assailants scaled it. the first that reached the parapet were repulsed by a shower of stones. major pitcairn, who led the troops at lexington, ascending the parapet, cried out, “now for the glory of the marines!” and was immediately shot by a negro soldier. again numbers of the enemy leaped upon the parapet, while others assailed the redoubt on three sides. hand to hand the belligerents struggled, and the gun-stocks of many of the provincials were shivered to pieces by the heavy blows they were made to give. the enemy poured into the redoubt in such numbers that prescott, perceiving the folly of longer resistance, ordered a retreat. through the enemy’s ranks the americans hewed their way, many of them walking backward and dealing deadly blows with their musket-stocks. prescott and warren were the last to leave the redoubt. colonel gridley, the engineer, was wounded, and borne off safely. prescott received several thrusts from bayonets and rapiers in his clothing, but escaped unhurt. warren was the last man that left the works. he was a short distance from the redoubt, on his way toward bunker hill, when a musket-ball passed through his head, killing him instantly. he was left on the field, for all were flying in the greatest confusion, pursued by the victors, who remorselessly bayoneted those who fell in their way.
major jackson had rallied gardner’s men upon bunker hill, and, pressing forward with three companies of ward’s, and febiger’s party from gerrish’s regiment, poured a destructive fire upon the enemy between breed’s and bunker hill, and bravely covered the retreat from the redoubt. the americans at the rail fence, under stark, reed, and knowlton, reinforced by clark, coit, and chester’s connecticut companies and a few other troops, maintained their ground, in the meanwhile, with great firmness, and successfully resisted every attempt of the enemy to turn117 their flank. this service was very valuable, for it saved the main body, retreating from the redoubt, from being cut off. but when these saw their brethren, with the chief commander, flying before the enemy, they too fled. putnam used every exertion to keep them firm. he commanded, pleaded, cursed and swore like a madman, and was seen at every point in the van trying to rally the scattered corps, swearing that victory should crown the americans. “make a stand here!” he exclaimed; “we can stop them yet! in god s name, fire and give them one shot more!” the gallant old pomeroy, also, with his shattered musket in his hand, implored them to rally, but in vain. the whole body retreated across the neck, where the fire from the glasgow and gondolas slew many of them. they left five of their six field-pieces and all their intrenching tools upon bunker hill, and they retreated to winter hill, prospect hill, and to cambridge. the british, greatly exhausted, and properly cautious, did not follow, but contented themselves with taking possession of the peninsula. clinton advised an immediate attack upon cambridge, but howe was too cautious or too timid to make the attempt. his troops lay upon their arms all night on bunker hill, and the americans did the same on prospect hill, a mile distant. two british field-pieces played upon them, but without effect, and, both sides feeling unwilling to renew the action, hostilities ceased. the loss of the americans in this engagement was one hundred and fifteen killed and missing, three hundred and five wounded, and thirty who were taken prisoners; in all, four hundred and fifty. the british loss is not positively known. gage reported two hundred and twenty-six killed, and eight hundred and twenty-eight wounded; in all, ten hundred and fifty-four. in this number are included eighty-nine officers. the provincial congress of massachusetts, from the best information they could obtain, reported the british loss at about fifteen hundred. the number of buildings consumed in charlestown, before118 midnight, was about four hundred; and the estimated loss of property (most of the families, with their effects, having moved out) was nearly six hundred thousand dollars.
the number engaged in this battle was small, yet contemporary writers and eye-witnesses represent it as one of the most determined and severe on record. there was absolutely no victory in the case. the most indomitable courage was displayed on both sides; and when the provincials had retired but a short distance, so wearied and exhausted were all that neither party desired more fighting, if we except colonel prescott, who earnestly petitioned to be allowed to lead a fresh corps that evening and retake breed’s hill. it was a terrible day for boston and its vicinity, for almost every family had a representative in one of the two armies. fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers were in the affray, and deep was the mental anguish of the women of the city, who, from roofs and steeples and every elevation, gazed with streaming eyes upon the carnage, for the battle raged in full view of thousands of interested spectators in the town and upon the adjoining hills. in contrast with the terrible scene were the cloudless sky and brilliant sun.89
119
synopsis of the principal events, chiefly
military, between the battle of
bunker hill, 1775, and the
battle of saratoga, 1777
1775. washington conducts the siege of boston. the americans take montreal. unsuccessful assaults on quebec. settlement of kentucky by daniel boone.
1776. the british evacuate boston. the british repulsed at charleston, s. c. the continental congress adopts the declaration of independence. the british, under howe and clinton, defeat the americans, under putnam and sullivan, in the battle of long island. the british occupy new york. the americans defeated at white plains. washington surprises the hessians at trenton.
1777. washington is victorious at princeton. burgoyne takes ticonderoga. the americans are victorious at bennington. washington defeated by howe in the battle of the brandywine. battle of stillwater. the british enter philadelphia. repulse of washington at germantown. battle of saratoga.