While General Howe waited for his reinforcement, the Americans received an accession of strength, under Generals Warren and Pomeroy, who crossed Charlestown Neck under a brisk cannonade from the shipping in the rivers, to join their countrymen and take part in the battle. By their arrival the provincial force was increased to 1,500 at least. The Americans also took advantage of General Howe's halt to strengthen part of their position, by pulling down some rail-fences, forming the stakes into two parallel lines at a small distance from each other, and filling the interval with hay.

The British detachment, consisting of upward of 2,000 men, advanced toward the American line. The light infantry, commanded by General Howe, was on the right; the grenadiers, under General Pigot, on the left. They began the attack by a brisk cannonade from some field-pieces and howitzers, the troops proceeding slowly, and sometimes halting, to give time to the artillery to produce some effect. On advancing, the left set fire to Charlestown, a thriving town, containing about 300 wooden houses, besides other buildings, and entirely consumed it. The rising flames added not a little to the grandeur and solemnity of the scene.

Secure behind their entrenchments, the Americans reserved their fire, and silently waited the approach of the British, till the whites of their eyes could be discerned, when they poured upon them an incessant and well-directed discharge of musketry. The British returned the fire for some time, without attempting to advance: but the discharge from the American line was so close and so destructive, that the troops at length gave way, and fell back toward the landing-place. By the vigorous exertions of their officers, however, they were again brought to the charge: and the Americans, again reserving their fire till the troops were very near, directed it against them with the same deadly aim as before. Many fell at one time General Howe for a few seconds was left

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alone, every officer and soldier near him having been killed or wounded. The troops gave wav a second time; but at that critical moment Sir Henry Clin n

FIG. 62.-Portrait of General Clinton, from a picture by J. Smart.

arrived from Boston, and was very active in leading them back to a third and more successful attack, in which they entered the American lines with fixed bayonets. The colonists had nearly exhausted their powder, and hence their fire had slackened. Being mostly armed with old rusty muskets, and ill-provided with bayonets, they were unprepared for a close encounter, but they met the British with clubbed muskets, until overcome by numbers and destitute of ammunition, they were compelled to retreat. In passing Charlestown Neck, they were exposed to the fire of the Glasgow sloop of war, and two floating batteries, from which they sustained their greatest loss.

The British troops had suffered so severely in the engagement, that no pursuit was ordered; and indeed a pursuit could have served no good purpose, as the main body of the American army was at a small distance beyond the Neck, and the royal troops were in no condition to encounter it. They were protected merely by the ships of war and floating batteries in the rivers Charles and Medford. The battle lasted about an hour, during the greater part of which time there was an incessant blaze of musketry from the American line.

This was a severe battle; and considering the numbers engaged, extremely destructive to the British; for nearly one half of the detachment fell. According to the return made by General Gage, they lost 1,054 men; 226 of whom were slain on the field, and 828 wounded. Nineteen commissioned officers were killed, and seventy wounded; among the former was Major Pitcairn, whose inconsiderate conduct at Lexington had occasioned the first shedding of blood.

The Americans had 139 killed, 278 wounded, and thirty-six missing; in all 453. Among the killed were several provincial officers; but the death of General Warren was particularly regretted by his countrymen. He was seen by a British officer, a personal acquaintance, to rally the Americans in their retreat: the officer borrowed a musket, took deliberate aim, and Warren fell. In this engagement the Americans discovered far more courage and steadiness than could

have been expected from an ill-disciplined militia, few of whom had before seen the face of an enemy; but their hearts were nerved by the consciousness of being in the right, and their arms were strengthened by the desire of obtaining liberty and independence.

After the engagement the British entrenched themselves on Bunker's Hill, the scene of action; and the Americans on Prospect Hill, at a small distance in front of them. The colonists had been driven from their entrenchments; the oyal troops had suffered severely in the battle, and neither party was forward to renew the conflict. Each fortified his post, and stood on the defensive.

On the 2d of July, General Washington, accompanied by General Lee and several other officers of rank, arrived at Cambridge, the headquarters of the provincial army. On his journey he had everywhere been received with much respect, and escorted by companies of gentlemen, who volunteered their services on the occasion.

General Washington found between fourteen and fifteen thousand men encamped before Boston; and he and the other generals exerted themselves in establishing more exact discipline than had been observed before. Under their care the colonists in arms soon acquired somewhat of the mechanism and movements, as well as the name of an army; but still they were ill-disciplined, and ill-armed.

The Americans, who had been made prisoners at Bunker's Hill, were indiscriminately thrown into jail at Boston, and treated with little humanity. On the 11th of August, General Washington addressed a letter to General Gage on he subject, and informed him that his treatment of British prisoners should be regulated by that which the Americans experienced. General Gage replied that the prisoners had been treated with care and kindness, but indiscriminately, because he acknowledged no rank that was not derived from the king; and at the same time retorted on the Americans the charge of cruelty. General Washington replied: "I have taken time, sir, to make a strict inquiry, and find the intelligence you have received has not the least foundation in truth. Not only your officers and soldiers have been treated with the tenderness due to fellowcitizens and brethren; but even those execrable parricides, whose council and aid have deluged this country with blood, have been protected from the fury of a justly enraged people. You affect, sir, to despise all rank not derived from the same source with your own; I can not conceive one more honorable than that which flows from the uncorrupted choice of a brave and free people, the purest source and original fountain of all power."

This epistolary correspondence did not suspend military operations: some skirmishing took place between the advanced parties of the two armies; and the Americans fortified themselves on an eminence within half a mile of the British post on Bunker's Hill. There was a good deal of firing on the occasion, without much loss to either side; but it in some measure accustomed the colonists to the use of arms, the noise of artillery, and the operations of war.

The American army was extremely deficient in gunpowder; but in the beginning of September it received a supply of 7,000 pounds from Rhode Island, procured, it is said, from the British forts on the coast of Africa. Sakpetre was collected in all the colonies; powder-mills were erected at Philadelphia and New York; and upward of 100 barrels of powder were obtained by American agents from the magazine at Bermuda.

General Washington soon began to feel the difficulties of his situation. He perceived that the expense of maintaining the army far exceeded any estimate of congress, and was very uneasy on the subject. The time for which the continental soldiers were engaged to serve was drawing to a close, and the danger of very short enlistments was felt. A council of war, therefore, unanimously