The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1843-06-22

knox not tnst - wn1lt tHAff 4na vs. ~
he earth. and ning.e iss ffaensnts ~iih
he lfssmsns u I.iber y aad shs Csn-
sriution. ~hsa Stair shosld be sspsssi-
81 lrom Stats. sud lsr,isn and dismsmbvI-
msni oblstrsse forever oil The hops 81
che Io1Ddss of 0ur Rspntl,e and he great
inhersfancs ef her shildfsn. h-@lght
stand. Bat .ho. from bsnssfh he wsirht
Of mouh6rslea AID shane that segb OPP
prsss hia. eoald look 40 10 behold ~
For my part. should ! live 10 sseh ifas,
4 shsii sssrlmr eyes IRON Il forever,
II 10 not ~ mere military ensnuntsr
o. haslle armies that me bslsls 81 Bsn-
krr Hall faands it, pribeipsi claim 70 at
lsniioa. Ysl. essn ~ a1srs battle. there
wers eireumsnness attending il fxlrsor.
dinsry in character and sniitlinE y 10
peculiar Distinction. IL wss fought on
tiiseminsncr; 10 he eighborhoodofyon-
der eiiy; in shs prsssnes Of maFs spects.
tors lhsn there we're eombsisnis ~ the
eon6irt. Men. women. and children,
from every commanding position were
gazing Al the bar ls snd locking forts re-
suit with 81 lhs esgernsss natural 70 those
. no knsw that The issue Was lrsughl win
The deepest consequences 10 them. Yfi,
on the l6lh ni June. IT'S, .hsre was
nothing around this bill bui serdure sod
culture. There was. indeed, ihe note 81
awful preparation in Bosion. Thsre wss
The provincial army al Cambridge, wiih
iis right flank rssling on Dorchester and
iis left On Chelsea. Bst here oil was
peace. tranquility rsignsd around.
On the seventeenth every thing was
changed. On yonder hsigh. had arisen,
10 The night, rsdoubt in which P,eseoti
commanded. Perceived by The eRemy
81 dawn. il cas- immediately eonnoraded
from the hosiing batteries 10 the ris,r and
the opposite shore. And then snsusd
the hurry Of preparation in Bostoa snd
soon The troops Of Bri,sin snbsrksd in
the aitrmpi 10 dislodge the celonists.
Isupposs il would be dlfficsl.. in mi
liiary pein, OF view. 10 ssoribs 70 the lea.
ders on either side any just motive Tor lhe
conflict which followed. On the enc
hand. il could not have bseh very inpor-
,snt to the Americans to attempt 20 hem
the British within tho town by advance
ing one single post quarter OF mile:
while, on the other hand, il he British
found itesseu.isl 10 dislodgs the Ameri-
can troops. they had il in their pueer al
no expense OF life. BY moving op their
ships aud batteries they could hsse COM
plttely cut of al Communication with
The main land over the neck, and the forces
IN the redoubt would have been reJseed
TO state oi lsmine IN lor,y>eght hours.
But that was not the day for sny such
considerations On either side. Baih par
ties we're anxiou, TO Try tina strength OF
their arms. The pride 81 England would
not permit the rebels. IS she tafmsd them,
TO defy her 10 the teeth. and without Tor
q moment calculating the cost, tbs Bril-
fish General determined 10 destroy the
fort Immediately. Ga The. Other side,
Prescott and his gallant followers longed
and lhirsied Tor conflc,. ghey wish
ed il. and wished il at once. And ibis
10 ihe true secret Of ihe movements on this
hill. - a
Twill not attempt 70 describe the bat
lie. The cannonsdirg--,he landing Of
the British-their adysncs---,he coolncs.
with which the charge was met--the re-
pulse-ihe second sttsck-,he second re-
pul.e-,he burning Of Chsrlestown---snd
finally The closing assault. and the slow
re'reat Of ,ha Americans the history Of
al these 10 familiar.
But the consequences Of the battle Of
Bunker Hill are greater Than those Of any
conflict between the hostile armies Of Eu-
ropesn Powers. II was the FIRST great
ba,ls Of the Revolution; sna no, only the
6rsr blow, bu, b. blow which ds'ermin-
ed The contest. /. Gid not, indeed, put
an end to the war. but in The then exit,
.ag hostile state Of feeling, the difficulties
could only be referred TO the arbitration
of the sword. And one thing 10 certain,
tia, after The New England troops had
shown themselves able 10 face and re-
pulse The regulars, u was decided tia
pe.ce never could be established but ~
on the basis OF the Independence Of The
Colonies. When the sun of that day W i:
down the sssa, OF independence was cer-
tain! When Washington heard OF the b I.
lie. he enq,ired il the militia had stlnd
the fire of The regulars! And when told
that they had no. only stood .ha, fire. bu,
reserved their own ill the enemy was
within eight rods. and then poured !, ia
with ,remend ,us effect. "Then," ex-
claimed he, ",he liberties Of The country
are saft."
The consequences Of this battle. we're
just ofthe same importance as the Revolu.
ton itself.
: fthere was nothing of value in Ill,
principles Of The American Revolution,
then there is nothing valuable in the bat.
tie Of Bunker Hill and its consequence.
But iflhe revolution was an era in the his