The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-08
WHO WAS THU Hero?
George Il. Ellis Letter on the Battle
Of Bunker Hin.
Colonel Prescott Entitled TO
the Principal Honor.
THE ENGAGE MENT.
Why the Commandant Gave an
Order to Retreat.


aured bat Atts foresight 70 perceive maj the
sprrit oflntolence and outrage on tae part Or the
soidiery would grow rataoF through the tame &C
auicscence than through tie determination Of re-
slslance On the part ~ the Provlnclals. rae royal
Governor hnylng dissolved the regularly consti-
tnted provincial Assembly, tne people organized,
established and recognized one " their own,
Which made proviai0n ior legislative ana execu-
i've lnucflous. several min0r acts OF open de-
hance were boldly ventuFea me people m the
country towns reconstructed tnelr militia
companies. formea themselves into corps
81 minute men,n cleaned ~ their fowl
ing pieces. aud beat what bats 81 old lead
Or iron tneY could nnd about their farms
or workshops lnto siuKs suit the calibrs Of
their guns. The province authorities meanwhile
began - draw together such resources a. they
aad in the shape q military stores. These we're
thought 70 be IN safe ana central places ~
Worcester ana Concord. Il vas 20 destroy those
IN Concord that the enterprise o. Apni ~ was un.
dcrtaken.
A description or localities IA necessary Tor
iull understanding 81 what i 10 follow BY those
who live az distance IRON the scene aud even
by many who live near ~ Il, a. 10 features have
been essentially changed. Any one who hun
dred years ago could have risen IA a balloon some
two or three hundred feet above the waters
OF Boston haI Dor would have looked oown upon q
very striking connguration o. land beneath him.
The sight would have somewhat resemoled tho
stretcbed.out fingers u q gigantic hand, save
that the fingers were thickest AZ tneir extrcmites
TIE bottom OF Massachusetts, Bay, m the centre
OF which IL Boston, presented Q fringe of
promontories or peninsulas attached TO the main
land by narrow and tide-washed necks, vita q
broad margin OF salt marsh, with undulating
surfaces rising In their centres 70 con-
siderable emlnences. Uf these the sites
nj "A NJ al Ell
enough to be TWINS. The area Of solid land In bos
ton was then a little more than 1000 acres; o.
Charlestown little less. Charles RIVER, wholly free
hon bridges ana causeway., ana more than
double its present width, rollea between them,
finding there It's mouth. ON the other side OF
cnariestown nowed the Mystic. making Junction
with the Charles. One might stand on tne narrow
neck which united cnarlestown 70 the solid land
leading to Cambridge and Medford and toss .
stone into the waters OF either river. In the sane
way Boston was united 10 tho mainland OF Rox.
bury by slender neck q mile long, over when
higa tides washed. and which had vide border
On either side OF oozy and impossible marsh.
These two pear-shaped peninsula, BY their pecul-
bar features and connguraiion, nad quite an I'm.
portant bearing on the character OF the battle.
THE BRITISH ARMY OF POUR THOUSAND TROOPS
and marines, with transports. armed ships, gun
boats, gondolas ana DarRes IN full supply, had
attaching it 10 RoxDurg was strongly iortined.
The most desirable object 10 the Provncials was, OF
course, TO be wholly III OF the presence OF thls
overawing representative or q hateful despotic
authority. The next object TO be secured was, ~
they would not go or by the Fatcr, 10 prevent
their making an enlargement OF their close quar-.
tiers by inroad into the country at any point
Their camp In Boston was overlooked by heights
on the north side. In Charlestown and on the
4.
uniting effective strengthening, rose at q short
distance beyond their intrenchments on Rox0ury
Neck. None OF these surrounding heights
had been occupied by either party at the
time when the British sent the detachment TO
Concord to destroy the Provincial stores. The
Continental Congress. then sitting In Pniladei-
pnia, had not yet ruptured the bond OF aliegiance
TO Britain. but was stili trinlng over debates on
remonstrances suppncations and paclncatory
measures. when the demorazed British forces
were struggling back, exhausted by their excur-
sion to Concord fred on By the outraged farmers
ana mechanics from behind walls, fences and
bushes, along the whole line or their retreat they
made temporary stand Tor the night on the
Heights OF Charlestown under the protection Of
their armed vessels. Perhaps. as the event
proved, IL might have been wiser Tor them 70
have remained there and held their position.
Some OF these redcoats, however, we're TO revisit
a
expedition to Concord had put the match to tho
train.
THE OUTRAGED FARMERS AND MECHANICS.
with their ministers and local orators, under
their spontaneous organization as minute men,
assembled from all the country towns, aud BY
dispatches sent by post riders drew ike sympa-
timers from the hills OF New Hampshire and the
meadows OF Rhode Island and Connecticut. An
extemporizcd army yet unorganized, without
volunte all OF them. rushed to the scene, max
ing Cambridge a central camp, and stretching Its
wings nearly roun1 the arms OF the bay. There
were among them few men OF some military ex.
perience and skill VINO had served with the I'm.
Rish forces In the French and Indian wars but
fifteen years previously. These were available
Tor general and subordinate officers. they
we're for the most part courageous, heroic
and sternly-resoved men In their patriotic pur-
pose. The file OF the so-called Provincial Army
was OF such material elements and character a.
night be expected OF "mlnute men, Taey we're
men ready to rush loosely together 10 NEE. an
emergency in their own way, measuring their
own responsibility by their own will and means not
yet enlisted, as tree 10 leave any particular place
as they had been to come to IL, without accoutre.
ments or military supplies, bringing their own
food or having IL sent TO them from time 10 time
by their respective towns and knowing that they
had hurriedly lett their farms, workshops aud
families at the very season OF the year when they
we're most needed TOR labor at their own homes.
Tue Provincial Congress OF MASSACHUSETTS mad
made a beginning in attempting to organize these
materials Tor It's own army. General ARENAS
Ward, an old solder had been made Commander
in.Cnief, others had been appointed to general
eommand-among them the patriot, Joseph War
rem, though not yet commissioned-and had at
tempted 10 I'll subordinate field positions with
Difference 10 the preferences and partalities Of
The men, who had been wont choose their own
ofncers. At the time OF the battle Ia Cnallestown
there may have been some $4,000 OF these Provin.
ral soldiers stretched in the lines between Rox-
bury aud Chelsea. II seems to have been unoer.
stood that the allies from New Hampshire, con.
necticut ana Rhode Island, who had their own
oficers would, while within tais province, be un-