Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-09-07
AneCd0te of Bunker Hill.

| i'N'N4ihS Aipti 'Hc Shol-uo"T with
firm but cautious step, there advanced Z
man Of some 50 years; he was in full
preservation; even the bloom had nor
left his check \ life of frugalitv and
/ temperance had left him that, although
he still bore about him the unmistakablc
and inetlaceablc imprint of time. In a
, few minutes after, says our informant. my
/ friend excused himself, and left the old
gentleman and myself tetc-a-tete together
! Being rather of social turn, | entered
into conversation with him; first about
general matters, such aS railroads, steam
crs TO England, &t. but happening acci-
dcntally 10 touch on Bunker Hill and its
monument. found | had touched the
vein; for had before me witness of
the great battle, able and willing, to give
me personal account of it Il was a
prentice boy in Boston," said he, "whcn
the war broke out. Ny father lived in
Concord, and was a rei-hot Wing. Ny
master took sides with the British be-
cause he could not get his property away
from Boston in time. and he had too much
t. lose. On the morning Of the battle,
heard the cannons firing, and saw the red
coat, defling through the streets Pretty
soon my master told me to shut the shop;
and right clad | was to do it: for Just
across the way stood about the tallest
house in town, and knew the occupants,
and that the roof commanded full view
Of the battle-ground. mounted up there,
as You may suppose, considerable quick.
1t was such a good place to see from when
| got therc-l guess there was as many as
i dozen rcd-coats there a lookin' on too.
| could see, though, easy enough, that
they were mighty uneasy. l heard the
roar of the cannon from the ships, but
could not get full view of the hill on ac-
count Of the smoke After while
breeze sprung up, and | couldn't help ta-
king up one Of the long spy-glasses that
lay around, and with that | could see the
hill and the whole fight plain as day. 1t
had only jest begun. \ company or reg
iment Of Britishers marched up, followed
right off by another. They had almost
reached the top, when long streak of
white smoke puffcd out and rolled over
'cn. The breeze was now pretty brisk,
and As it waited the cloud away, We could
discover nothing of the ranks that had
marched up so gaily; but where thought
they would have stood, there lay rows of
PROSTATE men. 1t seemed very curious /
to NE, and boy as | was, | couldn't help /
calling to the officer whose glass | had :
Hello, captain says !, your men are .
falling down. | see hull lot on en- a
Iyin' on the grass ." oh, ay,' said he,
that is part Of the discipline ii is what
We call a ruse de gaerre, a trick in the art
If war. They'll rise presently, you Il see,
md carry everything before en- but
now another column of rcd-coats marched
lp the hill; line of smoke pulled out
est as it did before, and they lay down
light away too, 'ccpt some few, went Of
Is if they were lame. Captain says /,
do you see that!' Yes, says he, 4 do;
,ut they'll get up when they hear the
ound Of the trumpet 'Oh, yes says |,
like as not; but | guess when they hear
hat sound it will come from a darn sight
ouder trumpet than any that you've got
n your army; that trumpet won't be
low'd till the resurrection morning.
md | was pretty nigh right, added the
Id patriot, for I'm blow'd if it has been
low d yet, anyhow 1