THE AMERICAN REINFORCEMENTS.

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A part of Gerrish's regiment, under Mighil, marched from Cambridge to Ploughed Hill, where Adjutant Christian Febiger, a gallant Danish soldier who had seen service, took the command, called upon the men to follow him, and reached the heights in season to render valuable service.' Three additional Connecticut companies, at least, under Captains Chester, Clark, and Coit, arrived in time to take part in the battle; as did also Major Durkee, an old comrade of General Putnam.2 Captain Chester marched on near the close of the engagement, while the British were coming up the third time. Three regiments were near him when he left Cambridge, which hastened forward in advance of his company; but when Chester overtook them, at Bunker Hill, there was hardly a company in any kind of order. The men had scattered behind rocks, hay-cocks, and apple-trees. Parties, also, were continually retreating from the field; some alleging they had left the fort with leave because they had been all night and day on fatigue without sleep or refreshment; some that they had no officers to lead them; frequently, twenty were about a wounded man, when not a quarter part could touch him to advantage; while others were going off without any excuse. Chester obliged one company, rank and file, to

return to the lines.3

While such was the confusion on Bunker Hill, good order prevailed at the redoubt. Colonel Prescott remained at his post, determined in his purpose, undaunted in his bearing, inspiring his command with hope and confidence, and yet chagrined, that, in this hour of peril and glory, adequate support had not reached him. He passed round the lines to encourage his men, and assured them that if the British were once more driven back they could not be rallied again. His men cheered him as they replied, "We are ready for the red coats again!" But his worst apprehensions, as to ammunition, were realized, as the report was made to him that a few artillery cartridges constituted the whole stock of powder on

1 Scammans' Trial, in Essex Gazette, January, 1776; S. R. Trevett's Letter; William Mardin's Letter; various Ms. depositions. See, also, Swett's History, pp. 40, 41. 2 Article in Newspaper; Clark's Letter. 3 Chester's letter supplies these details.

hand. He ordered them to be opened, and the powder to be distributed. He charged his soldiers "not to waste a kernel of it, but to make it certain that every shot should tell."1 He directed the few who had bayonets to be stationed at the points most likely to be scaled. These were the only preparations it was in his power to make to meet his powerful antagonist.

3

General Howe, exasperated at the repeated repulses of his troops, resolved to make another assault. Some of his officers remonstrated against this decision, and averred that it would be downright butchery to lead the men on again; but British honor was at stake, and other officers preferred any sacrifice rather than suffer defeat from a collection of armed rustics.2 The boats were at Boston; there was no retreat; - Fight, conquer, or die!" was their repeated exclamation. A second reinforcement, of four hundred marines, under Major Small, had landed; and General Clinton, who had witnessed from Copp's Hill the discomfiture of the British veterans, and saw two regiments on the beach in confusion, threw himself into a boat, crossed the river, joined General Howe as a volunteer, and rendered essential aid in rallying the troops. The latter had lost their confident air, appeared disheartened, and manifested great reluctance to marching up a third time.5 The officers, at length, formed them for the last desperate assault. The British general had learned to respect his enemy, and adopted a wiser mode of attack. He ordered the men to lay aside their knapsacks, to move forward in column, to reserve their fire, to rely on the bayonet, to direct their main attack on the redoubt, and to push the artillery forward to a position that would enable it to rake the breast work. The gallant execution of these orders reversed the fortunes of the day.

1 Judge Prescott's Memoir. 2 Gordon, vol. 1., p. 365. 3 Webb's Letter. 4 We should have been forced to retire if General Clinton had not come up with a reinforcement of five or six hundred men. - Conduct of War, p. 14. Clinton, from Copp's Hill, saw on the beach two regiments in seeming embarrassment which way to march. - Burgoyne's Letter.

5 Committee of Safety Account; Prescott's Memoir.

6 Stedman; Winslow; Swett; Prescott. A letter dated June 20, 1775,

5

General Howe, whose fine figure and gallant bearing were observed at the American lines,' led the grenadiers and lightinfantry in front of the breastwork, while Generals Clinton and Pigot led the extreme left of the troops to scale the redoubt. A demonstration only was made against the rail fence. A party of Americans occupied a few houses and barns that had escaped the conflagration on the acclivity of Breed's Hill, and feebly annoyed the advancing columns.3 They, in return, only discharged a few scattering guns as they marched forward. On their right the artillery soon gained its appointed station, enfiladed the line of the breast work, drove its defenders into the redoubt for protection, and did much execution within it by sending its balls through the passage-way. All this did not escape the keen and anxious eye of Prescott. When he saw the new dispositions of his antagonist, the artillery wheeling into its murderous position, and the columns withholding their fire, he well understood his intention to concentrate his whole force on the redoubt, and believed that it must inevitably be carried. He thought, however, that duty, honor, and the interest of the country, required that it should be defended to the last extremity, although at a certain sacrifice of many lives. In this trying moment, he continued to give his orders coolly. Most of his men had remaining only one round of ammunition, and few more than three rounds, and he directed them to reserve their fire until the British were within twenty yards. At this distance a deadly volley was poured upon the advancing columns, which made them waver for an instant, but they sprang forward without returning it. The American fire soon slackened for want of means, while the columns of Clinton and Pigot reached a position on the southern and eastern sides of the redoubt, where they were protected by its walls. It was now attacked on three sides at once. Prescott ordered those who

says: "In one of the attacks one of our people imprudently spoke aloud that their powder was all gone, which being heard by some of the regular officers, they encouraged their men to march up to the intrenchments with fixed bayonets."

1 Prescott's Memoir. • Prescott's Memoir.

2 Page's Plan. 3 Bernier's Plan, and Swett. 5 Committee of Safety Account.

6 Prescott's Memoir.

had no bayonets to retire to the back part of it, and fire on the enemy as they showed themselves on the parapet. A soldier of noble bearing mounted the southern side, and had barely shouted, "The day is ours!" when he was shot down, and the whole front rank shared his fate.' But the defenders had spent their ammunition, — another cannon cartridge furnishing the powder for the last muskets that were fired; and its substitute, stones, revealed their weakness, and filled the enemy with hope. The redoubt was soon successfully scaled. General Pigot, by the aid of a tree, mounted a corner of it, and was closely followed by his men, when one side of it literally bristled with bayonets. The conflict was now carried on hand to hand. Many stood and received wounds with swords and bayonets. But the British continued to enter, and were advancing towards the Americans, when Colonel Prescott gave the order to retreat.2

When the Americans left the redoubt, the dust arising from the dry, loose dirt was so great that the outlet was hardly visible.3 Some ran over the top, and others hewed their way through the enemy's ranks. Prescott, among the last to leave, was surrounded by the British, who made passes at him with the bayonet, which he skilfully parried with his sword. "He did not run, but stepped long, with his sword up," escaping unharmed, though his banyan and waistcoat were pierced in several places. The retiring troops passed between two

4

1 Letter, June 22, 1775. A newspaper of 1775 states that young Richardson, of the Royal Irish, was the first to mount the parapet. In Clark's Narrative it is stated that the remains of a company of the 63d regiment of grenadiers were the first that succeeded in entering the redoubt. After Captain Horsford had been wounded, and Lieutenant Dalrymple had been killed, a sergeant took the command, made a speech to the few men left, saying, "We must either conquer or die," and entered the works. General Gage recommended the brave sergeant for promotion. — 2d Edition, p. 33.

3

2 Mass. Committee of Safety; Judge Prescott's Memoir. Rivington's Gazette. * Joseph Pearce.

5 Judge Prescott writes: "The British had entered the redoubt, and were advancing, when Colonel Prescott ordered a retreat. He was among the last; and before leaving it, was surrounded by the enemy, who had entered, and had several passes with the bayonet made at his body, which he parried with his sword,—of the use of which he had some knowledge.” a banyan during the battle. In a note, Judge Prescott writes:

66

He wore

'My late

RETREAT OF THE AMERICANS.

151

divisions of the British, one of which had turned the northeastern end of the breastwork, and the other had come round the angle of the redoubt; but they were too much exhausted to use the bayonet effectually, and the combatants, for fifteen or twenty rods from the redoubt, were so mingled together that firing would have destroyed friend and foe.' The British, with cheers, took possession of the works, but immediately formed, and delivered a destructive fire upon the retreating troops. Warren, at this period, was killed, and left on the field; Gridley was wounded; Bridge was again wounded; and the loss of the Americans was greater than at any previous period of the action. Colonel Gardner, leading on a part of his regiment, was descending Bunker Hill, when he received his death wound. Still his men, under Major Jackson, pressed forward, and with Cushing's, Smith's, and Washburn's companies, of Ward's regiment, and Febiger's party, of Gerrish's regiment, poured between Breed's and Bunker Hill a welldirected fire upon the enemy, and gallantly covered the retreat.3

In the mean time the Americans at the rail fence, under Stark, Reed, and Knowlton, reinforced by Clark's, Coit's, and Chester's Connecticut companies, Captain Harris' company, of Gardner's regiment, Lieutenant-colonel Ward, and a few troops, maintained their ground with great firmness and intrepidity, and successfully resisted every attempt to turn their flank. This line, indeed, was nobly defended. The force here did a great service, for it saved the main body, who were retreating in disorder from the redoubt, from being cut off by

friend, Doctor O. Prescott, states the fact. He says that soon after the battle he was at his uncle, Colonel Prescott's house, in Pepperell, and that he shew him his banyan and waistcoat, that had several holes pierced through, and rents made in several places in them, which he told him had been made by British bayonets on Bunker Hill. I also recollect the same thing. Holes were perforated in several places in both banyan and waistcoat.'

1 Gov. Brooks. 2 Brooks; E. Bancroft; Rivington's Gazette. 3 E. Bancroft; Swett; and Mss.

4" We joined our army on the right of the centre, just by a poor stone fence, two or three feet high and very thin, so that the bullets came through." - Chester's Letter.