The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-07-07
The Battle Of Ruuitcr Hill,

A|Io' uic DTIiish tToops stalloncu NJ DOS
ton for the purpose Of forcing the rebel
lious colonisis into subsection. discovered
q their great amazement that a rcdoubt
had been thrown up on Bunker Hill du-
ring the night, and tina, The interchangeable
Americans were vigorously laborlng upon
their breaslworks. A heavy cannonade
was Immediately opened upon them from
the British shipping. This proving in
efleciual. a strong force of infantry and
artillery were ordered to attack them by
land. and proceeded to Morton's Point.
where they were formed in order of bat
Debut seeing that the Americans KEEP,
their ground with frmness, they await.
ed the arrival of renforcemen,s before
ventnrlng to begin the attack. On be-
ing joined by their second detachment,
the British troops advanced slowly un-
der cover of "A tremendous fire of cannon
and howltzers, frequently halting to al
low their artillery time to demollsh the
works. As they advanced, the village of
Charles,own was set on fire to add to the
terror of the scene aud overawe the Amer
leans. The buildings being mostly of
wood, the whole town soon presented
one vast volume of smoke and flame.
The spectacle was grand, and awful be.
You'd description. Every height and adj
vanlageous point of observation was
crowded with speclalors.-Th soldiers
OF the two hostile armies not on duty, the
citizens of Boston and the inhabitants Of
the al accent country, all agtaled by emo
tons which set description at defiance,
were witnesses Of the majestic and tre-
mendous scene. In calmness and silence,
the Americans waited until the dense
masses of British soldiers had approached
so near their line as TO anticipate that they
were about to capture it without resis-
lance, when suddenly they opened upon
them fire so furious and deadly that the
British line was in few moments total
ly broken, and fled back with prccip
ton towards their landing place. BY the
very great eXertiDns of their officers they
were rallied and bronsht up to the charge,
but were again driven back in confusion
by the heavy and incessant ire of the
Americans. A third attack was made,
and the American troops having eXhaus-
tel all their ann InitlOl, were reluctant
ly compelled to abandon the contest,
though no, until they had Tough, foo, to
fee! and hand to hand, opposing clubs and
broken muskets To British bayone.s.
The British had over thousand men
slain in the battle. The Americans lost
four hundred and fifty, among whom
was the brave and lamented Gen. War
rem.
This terrible scene occurred sixty eight
years ago. Then all was anxiety, and
doubt. and tribula,ion, throughout the
American Colonies. They saw that to
maintain their liberties they must strug-
gle through long sud sanguinary war
with the gigantic power Of Eng land, and
the first act of the bloody drama was al
ready opened. They shrunk not from
the fear(ul trial tia! lay before them. but
1t was not within the power of human
wisdom to predict the result. They
might fail they might be slain upon the
battle field. or die upon the scallold their
country might be ravaged, and their
homes made desoa!e by the fires OF civil
war.
But to day the sons and daughters Of
America assemble upon the same ground
under far different uspces.-Hundreds
of thousands will be there not to engage
in bloody strife, but to celebrate with
every demonstration of joy, the annlver-
sary of that great event, and To consccrate
the noble monument which has Just been
completed in commemora,ion of it. The
cornerstone Of this magnificent obellsk
was laid eighteen years ago, with impos-
ing ceremonies, in the presence of a
mighty concourse Of people, amoHg whom
was the immortal Marquis Lafayette.
What a crowd Of thrilling association
must fall on the minds of the myrats who
throngcd around that consecraied spot.
There will be the field where the sons of
liberty so nobly sacrificed their hearts
blood in The cause of their country and Of
mankind. There will be the spot where
Warren fell. A few men will be there
whose locks have been whiiened by more
than three score years and ten, aud who
heard the thunder of the cannon and the
roar OF the battle sixty eight years ago.
Ii may well he imagined that the spirits
of Warren, of Washington, Lafayette, OF
Adams and Jefferson. and host of Amc-
rican heroes and sages. will hover over
the countless host assembled there. The
Chief Magistrate of grea. nation which
sprang into being through the travail of
Runkor Hill onI Tayinrton onI ,o,n,-