Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1861-11-21

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4 lHampshfre regiment; and, upon, the
urgency Of General Putnam at mid
Iday. the whole Of that and General
Reeds corps, 20 reinforce Prescott
The day was hot and Prescott's men
we're spent with fatigue. The cannon
ade upon, them was heavy. and waiting
was fearful; but when. about tive
\ O'Clock, Stark steadily marched his
Troops across the Meek to the tune oI
Yankee Doodle. their Tagging spirits
revived; when General Pomeroy and
the young and beloved Warren came
among them as volunteers. they sent
up cheer after cheer, which sounded
even to the ears Of the Red-eoals in
Boston. The sturdy and active old
Putnam was indelatigable eyerywbere;
Ire had The confidence Of The men. and
what he SAID. they believed; where be
led, they followed. He had advocated
this attempt in the Council. and now he
worked hard. He ordered breast
work to be built on Bunker Hill. and
rode from place to place, encouraging
the untried raw troops; he could not be
idle. FMS
Captain Knowlton formed breast
work on the north side Of the redoubt
to defend its rear; and when Stark ar
rived, they ran up beyond this rail
fence. and filed it in with new-mown
hay; for Putnam said, l.r.
"The Americans are not afrsid Of
their heads, but their legs. Cover
their legs, and they'll fight like devils. l"
Col. Prescott commanded in the re-
doubt. Captain Knowlton, Colonels
Stark and Reed, with the Connecticut
and New Hampshire troops, held the
breastwork and the fence. Calender
and the young Gridley. with six field
pieces, were at the redoubt. Captain
Manners and some men lay behind a
rail fence on the right, toward Charles
tewn. Some of The Connecticut and
New Hampshire men were at work at
Bunker Hill. "Old Put" was wher-
ever there was work or danger.
The defenses were all hasty and i'm
perfect, and among the undisciplined
proviDcials was doubt and confusion;
but there was none in the mind Of Put
nam, Prescott, Knowltou, Stark. Reed,
and other leaders. Minister McClin-
took was with Stark's men, encourage
ing them with prayers and brave ex-
hortations. 1t was thought in those
fighting days that New England minis
ters were good out of the pulpit as well
as in it. cd.
Every roof and steeple in Boston
was crowded with spectators; men,
women and children looked on with
dreadful earnestness; for husbands,
fathers, brothers. and sons, were to
meet in deadly battle; every hilltop
too, WAS fringed with anxious people.
They saw the regulars land at Morton's
Point. and form into line, three thous-
and choice troops Of the English army;
they heard the furious cannonade from
the ships and forts, but no reply from
the American lines. At three O'Clock /,
they saw the solid columns of English
soldiers, with powdered heads and
glittering bayonets, led By Lord Howe
on the right, and by Gen. Pigott on
the left. slowly advancing up the slope
of the hill, under cover of cannonade
from the ships, and of discharges from
their own artillery.
1t was splendid and fearful sight.
Few of the American troops had
ever seen soldiers or snuffrd a battle.
Prescott ordered his men TO keep close
in the redoubt, and not to FIRE shot
till he gave the word. and then to aim
low. Putnam rode along the lines,
and said to the men, Z" Wat till you
see the uhites of their eyes. dim ot
their ,Ooist6onds; pick off the handsome
COATS. Steady, my ladsP
Stark. Knowlton, Pomeroy, and
other officers, gave the same orders.
| Gridley and Calender were sent
with their feld-pieces to defend the
gap between the redoubt and rail fence,
but were soon silenced. and Calender
retreated over Bunker Hill. Putnam
ordered him to return; and, later in the
battle, some Of Capt. Ford's raw
troops, with the assistance OF Putnam
got his guns into line at the fence
there Putnam got off his white horse
and, without coat or hat, helped tC
work them. for the new men knew
nothing of artillery.
Pigott's splendid troops marched
steadily up the hill. and as they DeareC
the redoubt. began to Gre random vol
leys; but the Americans were silent
As they neared the entertainments, I
few shots were heard; they came near
er, and when within eight rods Of th,
redoubt, Col. Prescott shouted
"FIRE !"
A sheet of flame flashed along tn,
fence of the embankment, and wber
the smoke cleared away, it showed th'
dreadful work. Whole ranks of tht
British soldiers were moved down. ant
lay in heaps, the dead and the wounded
together. But the iron discipline o
English soldiers kept them steady. and
they advanced to be again moved
down. arn. sFs-
On the right. Lord Howe led hi
troops against the fence breastwork
Putnam AIMED some Of the cannon,
and saw that the discharges cut theil
way through the advancing columns
A few Of the Provincials irnnatientl,