Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-10-01


on their .rusty firelocks. while the so'em,
prayer rose on the evening air in their
behalf, and then took up their line of
march. By some mistake, or purposeIv.
they went farther on, and occupied Breeds
Hill. At midnight those stern hearted
men stood on the top while Putnam sur
veyed the line Of the entertainments. Bv
daylight they had constructed a redoubt
about eight rods square. in which they
could shelter themselves. At four o'clock
IN the morning the people of Boston and
the British officers were walked up bv
heavy cannonading from an English ship
OF war, whose commander first perceived
the position which the Americans had
taken up during the night. The English
officers could scarcely believe their eyes.
when they saw this redoubt almost over
their heads. An immediate battle was in.
evitable, for this height commanded the
city Of Boston, and as soon as batteries
could be erected there, the city must fall.
All now was hustle and confusion. for
each one knew that in a few hours a
most deadly conflict must take place.
Crowds began to gather on the shore, and
thousands of eager eyes were turned with
intense anxiety and wonder upon that
low, dark redoubt that crowned the sum
nit Of that hill. In two hours time, all
the artillery of the city, and ships of war,
and floating batteries, were pointed against
that silent structure. The city shook to
the thunder Of cannon, and that lonely
height fairly rocked under the bombs and
balls that tore up its sides. 1t absolutely
rained shot and shells upon its top; still
all was silent above and about it; yet one
near enough to catch the sound, could
have heard the heavy blows of the spade
earth, as those hardy men toiled as they
never toiled before. Needless Of the iron
storm that ratified around them, they cor
tinued their work, and by ncon had run
trench nearly down to the Mystic river
on the north. The fire was too hot to let
them work in the open field near the bank,
while Putnam saw at a glance that this
must be closed up al all hazards, for the
enemy, marching swiftly along that open,
smooth ground, conld take him in the
flank and rear. This unprotected spot
was a meadow, freshly mown and studded
thick with haycocks, all ready to be gath
cred into the barn. A single rail fence
crossed it from the hill to the river, of
which Putnam, with that quickness of in
vention he had acquired in his long par
tisan warfare, Immediately took advant-
age. He ordered the men to take the rails
from another fence near by, and running
them through this one. pile the hay be-
tween. In a moment the meadow was
black with men, some carrying rails on
their shoulders, some with arms full of
hay, and all hurrying Onward. In short
time that single fence looked like huge
embankment. This completed the line
of defence of the left wing and centre,
which extended from the Mystic river up
to the redoubt. Behind the redoubt lay
part of the right wing, the rest being
thanked by the houses of Charlestown at
the base of the hill. Thus stretched over
and down the hill, like huge cord, lay
the American army, nerved with the des-
perate valor of freemen battling on their
native hills.
The tremendous cannonade which had
been kept up all the forenoon having fail
ed to dislodge the enemy, it was resolved
by the British commanders to carry the
heights by assault. Putnam in the mean
time had strained every nerve 10 add to
his means of defence. Almost constantly
on horseback, he was riding hither and
thither, experimenting everything, and
animating the men b. words of encour-
agernent. During the night. while Pres
colt was hurrying forward the works on
Breeds Hill, he spurred furiously off to
Cambridge after reinforcements. The
thunder of cannon at four O'Clock in the
morning quickly brought him to the sad
die, and in a few minutes he was GALLON
ing up to the redoubt, Ordering off de-
tachment to throw up a work on Bunker's
Hill, which commanded the height on
which the army lay, he again flew to
Cambridge to hurry up the troops. The
Neck over which he was compelled to
pass, was at this time swept by the artil-
lery of a man-of-war and floating batteries
fIhrnrIrrh fhI- L L