Daily national Republican., 1863-06-17
ateoh aarlss. To-aar.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF
BUNKER HILL.

On the nth Of June, l7T5, was fought the first
real battle Of the American revolution, on what
l. called Bunker Hill. The British force in
PostUn amounted TO about one-oighth Of the
NUMBER Of the army of the Potomac, which
Is now manGuvreing to defeat the array of
General Lee. The American army was COM
posed OF miiitia, or minute men" who had
,rasy.d their weapons and drilled in the sim
plgT cvolutiOus Of the military school only few
sueks previously. Their forces were hardly
consolidated, and were lily prepared to fight
upon equal terms against the British veterans.
Artomas Ward, their communicating chief; Rich
ard Gridley chief engineer; Generals Putnam,
Stark, and Others had, it il true, learned some
thug Of the military art in the French and In
dian war, which preceded the revolutionary
struggU, but the men were, for the most part,
raw aud undiscipliued militia, more ignorant
VI the rules Of scientific warfare than the ma
jority Of the minute mon who arc hurrying to-
day TO defend Peunsylyania from the raid OF
the reOelg who have invaded the soil OF the
Keystone STATE. ........
The Union forces Nne thousand strong, under
Col. Prescott, OccuT,sd Breeds Hill on the
evening Of the 10th of June, and the next morn
Ing the British copperheads discovered that
redoubt had been raised there as If by enchant-
ment- 1t became necessary 70 dislodgc the
patriots from their commanding position, or
eyacuAte Boston = heavy cannonade from
Copp'B Hill On the Boston side Of the river,
and from the shipping in the harbor, was opened
upon the redoubt, but the work was continued
under IRE and completed at MONDAY. Then
our patriot fathers laid down the shovel aud
the pick, and took up their mubkstS and the
baltic Of Bunker Hill commenced.
The British copperheads, numbering three
thousand, under General Howe and General
Pigot, crossed the Charles river and assaulted
the redoUbt under cover Of the FIRE from the
war ships Lively" and "FAlcou," and the
COpp's Hill Battery.
It is not our purpose TO repeat the Oft-tOld
story Of the battle Of Bunker HUI. Our readers
are, " presume, familiar with its details; how,
under the gallant Prescott, they repulsed the
British with great slaughter until their ammu.
uitlon was gone, and then rstreatsd TO Prospect
Till, which they fortified; and how their enemy
learned the dear lesson Of American vAlor.
Eighty y-eight years ago, to-day, the gristle Of
young America hardened to bone Our fathers
said, We have counted the cost Of this con.
test, aud find nothing 50 dreadful a. voluntary
slavery" Our object In reviying the memory
Of Bunker Hill this Afternoon Is 10 awaken thai
glorious train of recollectioDs which begins
wi June 18th, l775, and marches down such
glorious path In our history, and TO rekindl,
our patriotism with some coals Of Gre from tn,
altar where the most acceptable sacrihces wer
made TO freedom.
There were CopperhGsdB and traitors an
sympathIEers with the enemy thGR as there ar
now, but the same Almighty Power that led u
through seas Of blood TO our exalted sea
among the free nations OF the earth will Civ
us the victory over enemies without and within
and we shall come out from the crucible q
civil war better, freer, and In the days to bC
happier people.