North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-08-05

General immediately directed a breast
wosk 10 be constructed sy doubling post
and rall-fence, and filing IN with hay which
had been rnewn The day before.
In the mean Time. dense clouds OF smoke
rising above Chaflestown communicated
the awful intelligence that the town had
been fred by the enemy, and aided in ex-
aspefsting the American troops for the
bloody ARRAY ihst was to follow. The
breasiwork was completed 10 within about
thirty rods Of the fort occupied by Col.
Prescott, when the men were forced TO
quit The work and seize their arms.
The British advanced slowly 10 two
columns, and when the whole were plainly
in sight, Mr.. Maynard carried the order
from Gen. Warren To Col. Nixon, who
lay on the Mystic River, "to reserve his
FIRE, until the firing should commence in
the centre.n Returning TO the General,
he was directed 10 carry the same order 10
Col. Prescott aud the other officers along
the line.
The breathess silence along the Ameri-
can entertainments was broken only by has
~ words of encouragement and direction
from the officers 10 The men. The British
advanced TO within twelve rods Of the
American works, when they fred and COM
menced displaying their columns to form
line. Al this moment Gen. Warren gave
the word i" fire % On the instant the
whole breastwork was in blaze, and re-
port, like prolonged thunder, rolled along
the line. The enemy were thrown into
disorder, and were unable 10 form their line !;
a few successive we'll directed fires compell-
ed them to retreat, which tho hastv, was
conducted in good order. Gen. Warren or
dered cessation of the firing. on account
Of the scarcity Of ammunition. The
ground occupied BY the advancing columns
was nearly covered with The dead and
wounded who lay in heaps as they fell
across each other. The wounded raised
their heads in imporing attitudes, bnt ne-
Their their friends nor their foes could al
ford them reief-but few Of the Amer-
cans were killed or wounded in this attack
The British received some reinforce
ments from Boston, and again advanced
in precisely the same order as before. All
was still as the grave until the front of
their columns had passed over all their
dead when the American General, without
waiting for the fire Of his enemy, gave the
word that was to consgn hundreds 10 in
slant death This fire was even more de-
structve than before, and the enemy re-
tired in some confusion. The British f.
red but few shots, and those did but little
execution.
The British now received further rein
torcements, and general officer from Bos-
ton, and advanced third time: not in COL
umn, but in line.-Thev again marched
over their Dead and brisk firing COM
menced on both sides which lasted nearly
an hour, until the firing of the Americans
died away fowwant Of ammunition. The
British then undertook to storm the fort.
Gen. Warren now sent reinforcement oil
about sixty men to Col. Prescott, and sent
Mr.. Maynard to inform him that he wonld |
send more men il he wanted them. Col. !
Prescott at first thought he had as many |
men as could stand to advantage, but de- |
tanned Mr.. MAYNARD until the result of the |
enemy's first attack should be known. The |
enemy scaled the entertainments with their |
bayonets. The Americans had few bav- |
onets, but fell upon their foe with the |
breeches OF their guns, knocked them down |
with cobble-stones, seized and wrested |
their guns from them and turned their own
bayonets against them. Prescott was ev-
cry where encouraging his men, and Join
ing in the general melee and shouting with
his hoarse voice, " down with them-seize |
their guns-knock out their brains with |
stones --cobble-stones are our cannon shot, |
&c. &C." The British were driven out |
second time with great loss; a third time
they advanced to~the attack, when Col. |
Prescott discovering that the Provincials |
had been driven from the hay breast-work
and that his retreat would soon be cut of, |
ordered a retreat. The retreat now be-
came general, but was conducted in good |
order. Mr.. Maynard was not with Gen.
Warren when he fell. having been detain-
ed in tho fort with Col. Prescott.
Soon after the retreat commenced, Mr.. |
found his elder brother John,
the father of John Maynard of Syracuse)
with broken leg and British musket for
a crutch, making the best Roadway he
could from the enemy. He threw his
wounded brother across his shoulder, and
carried him amid showers OF bullets beyond
the reach OF the enemy's fire, where he
tainted from loss OF blood; ball had pass
ed through his leg and the blood flowed
profusely; the wounded brother was again
shouldered and carried 10 Bunker Hill,