were especially incommoded by the fire of a battery planted upon an eminence named Cop's Hill, which, situated within the town, forms a species of tower in front of Breed's Hill. all this was without effect. But 5. The Americans continued to work the whole day, with unshaken constancy; and towards night, they had already much advanced a trench, which descended from the redout to the foot of the hill, and almost to the bank of Mystic river.— The fury of the enemy's artillery, it is true, had prevented them from carrying it to perfection. 6. In this conjuncture, there remained no other hope for the English Generals, but in attempting an assault, to drive the Americans, by dint of force, from this formidable position.This resolution was taken without hesitation; and it was followed, the 17th of June, 1775, by the action of Breed's Hill, known also by the name of Bunker's Hill; much renowned for the intrepidity, not to say the temerity, of the parties; for the number of the dead and wounded; and for the effect it produced upon the opinions of men, in regard to the valor of the Americans, and the probable issue of the whole war. 7. Between mid-day and one o'clock, the heat being intense, all was motion in the British camp. A multitude of sloops and boats, filled with soldiers, left the shore of Boston, and stood for Charlestown; they landed at Moreton's Point, without meeting resistance; as the ships of war and armed vessels effectually protected the debarkation with the fire of their artillery, which forced the enemy to keep within his intrenchments. 8. This corps* consisted of ten companies of grenadiers, as many of light infantry, and a proportionate artillery; the whole under the command of Major-General Howe,† and BrigadierGeneral Pigot. The troops, on landing, began to display, the light infantry upon the right, the grenadiers upon the left; but, having observed the strength of the position, and the good countenance of the Americans, General Howe made a halt, and sent to call a reinforcement. 9. The English formed themselves in two columns. Their plan was, that the left wing, under General Pigot, should attack the provincials in Charlestown; while the centre assaulted the redout; and the right wing, consisting of light infantry, should force the passage near the river Mystic, and thus assail the *Pronounced kore,- -a body of armed men. + General William Howe, a brother of Lord Richard Howe, the Admiral of the British fleet. He succeeded General Gage in the command of the British army, October 10, 1775. Americans in flank and rear; which would give the English complete victory 10. It appears, also, that General Gage had formed the de sign of setting fire to Charlestown, when evacuated by the enemy, in order that the corps, destined to assail the redout, thus protected by the flame and smoke, might be less exposed to the fire of the provincials. 11. The dispositions having been all completed, the English put themselves in motion. The provincials, that were stationed to defend Charlestown, fearing lest the assailants should penetrate between this town and the redout, and thus find themselves cut off from the rest of the army, retreated. 12. The English immediately entered the town and fired the buildings as they were of wood, in a moment the combustion became general. They continued a slow march against the redout and trench; halting, from time to time, for the artillery to come up, and act with some effect, previous to the assault. The flames and smoke of Charlestown were of no use to them, as the wind turned them in a contrary direction. 13. Their gradual advance, and the extreme clearness of the air, permitted the Americans to level their muskets. They, however, suffered the enemy to approach, before they commenced their fire; and waited for the assault, in profound tranquillity. It would be difficult to paint the scene of terror presented by these circumstances. 14. A large town, all enveloped in flames, which, excited by a violent wind, rose to an immense height, and spread every moment more and more; an innumerable multitude, rushing from all parts, to witness so unusual a spectacle, and see the issue of the sanguinary conflict that was about to commence. 15. The Bostonians, and soldiers of the garrison, not in actual service, were mounted upon the spires, upon the roofs, and upon the heights. The hills, and circumjacent fields, from which the dread arena could be viewed in safety, were covered with swarms of spectators, of every rank, and and sex; age, each agitated by fear or hope, according to the party he espoused. 16. The English, having advanced within reach of the musketry, the Americans showered upon them a volley of bullets. This terrible fire was so well supported, and so well directed, that the ranks of the assailants were soon thinned and brokenthey retired, in disorder, to the place of their landing-some threw themselves precipitately into the boats. The field of battle was covered with the slain. 17. The officers were seen running hither and thither, with promises, with exhortations, and with menaces, attempting to rally the soldiers, and inspirit them for a second attack. Finally, after the most painful efforts, they resumed their ranks, and marched up to the enemy. The Americans reserved their fire as before, until their approach, and received them with the same deluge of balls. The English, overwhelmed and routed, again fled to the shore. 18. In this perilous moment, General Howe remained for some time alone upon the field of battle-all the officers, who surrounded him, were killed or wounded. It is related, that, at this critical conjuncture, upon which depended the issue of the day, General Clinton,* who, from Cop's Hill, examined all the movements, on seeing the destruction of his troops, immediately resolved to fly to their succor. 19. This experienced commander, by an able movement, re-established order; and seconded by the officers, who felt all the importance of success to English honor and the course of events, he led the troops to a third attack. It was directed against the redout at three several points. 20. The artillery of the ships not only prevented all reinforcements from coming to the Americans, by the isthmus of Charlestown, but even uncovered, and swept the interior of the trench, which was battered in front at the same time. The ammunition of the Americans was nearly exhausted, and they could have no hopes of a recruit. Their fire must, of necessity, languish. 21. Meanwhile, the English had advanced to the foot of the redout. The provincials, destitute of bayonets, defended themselves valiantly with the butt end of their muskets. But the redout being already full of enemies, the American General gave the signal of retreat, and drew off his men. 22. While the left wing and centre of the English army were thus engaged, the light infantry had impetuously attacked the palisades, which the provincials had erected, in haste, upon the bank of the river Mystic. On the one side, and on the other, the combat was obstinate; and if the assault was furious, the resistance was not feeble. 23. In spite of all the efforts of the royal troops, the provincials still maintained the battle in this part; and had no thoughts *Sir Henry Clinton, a British General during a greater part of the Revolutionary war, was the son of George Clinton, one of the colonial governors of New-York. He returned to England in 1782, and was made governor of Gibraltar in 1795, where he soon died. of retiring, until they saw the redout and upper part of the trench were in the power of the enemy. Their retreat was executed with an order not to have been expected from new levied soldiers. This strenuous resistance of the left wing of the American army was, in effect, the salvation of the rest; for, if it had given ground but a few instants sooner, the enemy's light infantry would have taken the main body and right wing in the rear, and their situation would have been hopeless. 24. But the Americans had not yet reached the term of their toils and dangers. The only way that remained of retreat was by the isthmus of Charlestown; and the English had placed there a ship of war and two floating batteries, the balls of which raked every part of it. The Americans, however, issued from the peninsula, without any considerable loss. 25. It was during the retreat that Dr. Warren* received his death. Finding the corps he commanded hotly pursued by the enemy, despising all danger, he stood alone before the ranks, endeavouring to rally his troops, and to encourage them by his own example. He reminded them of the mottos inscribed on their ensigns; on one side of which were these words-" An Appeal to Heaven;" and on the other-"Qui transtulit, sustinet;" meaning the same providence which brought their ancestors through so many perils, to a place of refuge, would also deign to support their descendants. 26. An English officer perceived Dr. Warren, and knew him; he borrowed the musket of one of his soldiers, and hit him with a ball, either in the head or in the breast. He fell dead upon the spot. The Americans were apprehensive lest the English, availing themselves of victory, should sally out of the peninsula, and attack the head quarters at Cambridge. 27. But they contented themselves with taking possession of Bunker's Hill, where they entrenched themselves, in order to guard the entrance of the neck against any new enterprise on the part of the enemy. The provincials, having the same suspicion, fortified Prospect Hill, which is situated at the mouth of the isthmus, on the side of the main land. * Joseph Warren was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1740. He studied medicine, and became eminent in the profession. He distinguished nimself, at an early period, by a zealous opposition to the unjust measures of the British government toward the colonies. He was bold, ardent, decisive, eloquent, and accomplished in literature, and soon rose to the first place in the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens. Four days previous to the battle of Bunker's Hill, he was appointed a Major-General in the American army, and on the day of that battle, to encourage the soldiers within the lines, he joined them as a volunteer. He was killed in the 35th year of his age 28. But neither the one nor the other were disposed to hazard any new movement; the first, discouraged by the loss of so many men, and the second, by that of the field of battle and the peninsula. The provincials had to regret five pieces of cannon, with a great number of utensils, employed in fortifications, and no little camp equipage. 29. General Howe was greatly blamed by some, for having chosen to attack the Americans, by directing his battery in front against the fortifications upon Breed's Hill, and the trench that descended towards the sea, on the part of Mystic river. 30. It was thought, that if he had landed a respectable detachment upon the isthmus of Charlestown, an operation which the assistance of the ships of war and floating batteries would have rendered perfectly easy to him, it would have compelled the Americans to evacuate the peninsula, without the necessity of coming to a sanguinary engagement. 31. They would thus, in effect, have been deprived of all communication with their camp, situated without the peninsula, and, on the part of the sea, they could have hoped for no retreat as it was commanded by the English. 32. In this mode, the desired object would, therefore, have been obtained without the sacrifice of men. Such, it is said, was the plan of General Clinton; but it was rejected, so great was the confidence reposed in the bravery and discipline of the English soldiers, and in the cowardice of the Americans. 33. The first of these opinions was not, in truth, without foundation; but the second was absolutely chimerical, and evinced more of intellectual darkness in the English, than of prudence, and just notions upon a state of things. By this fata) error, the bravery of the Americans was confirmed; the English army debilitated; the spirit of the soldiers, and perhaps the final event of the whole contest, decided. LESSON XXI. 1. SINCE the days that are past are gone for ever, and those that are to come may not come to thee; it behoveth thee, O man, to employ the present time, without regretting the loss of that which is past, or too much depending on that which is to come. 2. This instant is thine; the next is in the bosom of futurity, and thou knowest not what it may bring forth. Whatsoever |