The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-16

| men left him ana he supposed went 70 Bunker
! Hill, whence they returned with Putnam and were
placed by him At the rail lonce.
PREPARATORY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND Exc
| CUTIoN5.
The troops were landed under cover OF firing
| from the ships; the men brought into Line on
Moulton's Pont, near the northerly enc OF tne
present Navy Yard. Howe aud Pigot were at
/ their posts. Howe surveyed the rebel works, saw
more men coming toward the lnirenchment az
! he supposed-they were going TO construct mat
memorable rail ience-and at once ordered tho
beats to return fer . reinforcement, as his men
the troops arrived they were formed Ia hollow
square. General howe briefly addressed them'
sent out guard along the river shore, as the &C
counts say, and prepared for movement pc
tween two ana tbrea O'Clock in the afternoon, his
men all refreshed with provisions and rum Tor
strength and excitement
The statement is made on British authority that
tried TO ioin the rebels, aud OF the latter two
ACCOUNTS OF THs BATTLE,
There various accounts OF the battle OF
I Bunker Hlll contemporary and compilations,
mostly well known. Among the contemporary
accounts the most full and complete, perhaps, IL
that published under the authority OF the Com
mitlee OF Safety, written by Rev. Peter Tnatcher,
and Gardner. Following this are the accounts OF
the Provincial Congress; that OF the British An
Burke; the oiicial account ot General Gage; the
letters OF Burgoyne, Colonel Prescott ana many
others ana there are numerous modern accounts Is
and compilations, more or less partisan, aud moro
In the great leading features OF the eng agenent,
from the evening OF the 10th OF June TO the even
ing OF tho 18th OF June, there Is in al the centein-
porary accounts very reasonable II not infact
remarkable, concurrence OF statement yet not
without discrepancies; and outside OF this, II IL
believed, no single authority can be considered as
pose, as briefly as we may, having already given
q sketch OF preliminary history, to give rapid
events Of the memorable day, as derived from
contemporary materials, public documents and
PIGor's FIRST ATTACK
The nrst attack was made by General Pigot on
the redoubt. AT this Instant" say the Commit
tee OF safety, 'smoke and danes were seen TO issue
from the town OF Charlestown.n Other accounts
represent this 10 have occurred at the tune OF tie
second attack; but the committee say ~ was IN
tended "to cover their attack upon our lines, and
perhaps with q design to destroy or rout one or
In that town" This statement s lnexplieable
Pgots men met warm reception wnen they
had got near enough 10 be seen aud selected. and
they very soon ieil back ain some dlsorderr-that
Is, Ia fearful confusion The hre OF Prescotts men
slaughtered them and some OF those who escaped
made for the boats witA all haste
| PIgot had the FItih, Thirty-eIghth Forty-third.
Forty-seventn and Flfty-second regiments, aud
\ Pitcalrn with a regiment OF marines. Prescott
\ says they marched to the attack In 'three col
4 umns' but whether lie means TO include the
4 whole force under General Howe In this remark
/ or only the force coming toward the redoubt
/ Is somewhat uncertaln. We suppose stimuli
/ eeIy, ~ Pigot did not move irs, he commenced
the battle with the redouot some time before Howe
1 became engaged with the lett wing OF our army,
ana in this war the 1ght was continued, each act.
! ing Independently OF the ctntr.
4 HOwE'S FIRST ATTACK.
Howe moved the right nank OF his army for
/! ward ana attacked the nay ence, when, to his
surprise, the mcn did not retire. They we've for
1 time warmly received by Callenders field pieces
| from the upper portion or the line; but his men
\ absolutely fired at random, and II Is said dld not
hit their guns to their shoulders. Tney were
| little annoyed by the maTsny lana, which swamped
their artillery, and their balls went over the heads
or our men.
/ 1ne consequence was that his mon were actually
picked out by the Connecticut and New Hamp-
SHIRE marksmen, and the slaughter was so great
nj nd yr TAD IN nm IVA
and It is little doubtful taking rho British ac-
| counts as authority. whether Howe's men or
l Pigots got to me boats 1rSr. Howe Was amazed,
and The same authority says his officers were SHOT
4 down around him and ne was LEFT almost alone.
THE SECOND ASSAULT.
/ That there was a second assault made by General
| Plgot, aua likewise, after while, by General
4 Howe, Is pretty positively asserted by the Rev.
1 Mr.. lnatcscB with tue same result as the hrst.
| He says;-"At length they were rallied. and
marched up with ap parent reluctance toward the
\ their IRE until the enemy came within i've or Elk
4 rods and second time put the regulars TO Night,
Nothing IL said here, however, about Hoves
\ second movement, and some Of the accounts ina
mention the rallyng OF his men ofnlt all reference
I to the movements or General P1got. leaving the
\ account incomplete Some OF the British writer's
| try 10 make 1t out that there was not second
4 epulse-BGrEoyHe positively so SAID In Parma
ment. on the other nand IL is positively said
\ that Howe did rally his men and made second
\ attack from which ne was thrown back as before.
\ Stedman, "a british authority. however, admits
\ that they were stopped twice, and two or three
other contemporary auLaorlues agree IN the same
/ il would appear, from all the accounts which
! We have seen. that Putnam, among the pro-
yincials, and Pitcairn, among the regulars. were
the only oiilcers on horseback IN the engagement.
4 General Pomsroy, II is well known, took horse
/ from Cambridge and rode to Chariestown Neck;
\ but, seeing the Das dying across II so numer-
\ ously. lie landed his horse TO sentry. for the
reason that It was borrowed one, and walked 10
the THIRD ATTACK
Prescott remained at his post In the redoub I,
u VIII ha al o
/ engagement; ami II, rs he says. he had only $50
men, bis defence was truly wonderful. At ths
/ an xlOus ana resolute. He must have sent
| second time for retnforcements, ana they came
/ ton, OF his own accord, according TO Burgsyne
(proDably Gage was IN the church steeple at this
4 time, very likely where Paul Revere's lamps had
| been hung OUT, came also, and LED them on In
aid OF P2ot against the nominal sreastwork.
| The 1Shtug now went ON more herce'y tnan ever.
and the slaughter was terrible as described by the
4 best anc most reliable British authorities. The
nower OF the British army was being annIhllated.
SAYS "tne enemy fred 80 badly that iorty-nins
balls out OF 1f.y passed from one TO SIX leet ever
our heads; for noticed an apple tree some PAGES
in our rear, which mad scarcely ball In It high
las lowl as mans head, while the trunk and
says ne commandeda full company, and had only
one man KILLED and Ave wounded, which was
:ull average OF the loss we sustaines excepting
when IL was stormsd by the British column. II
Ola not see q man quit his post during the
GENERAL CLINTON ON THE FIELD
General clinton was very important addition
troops 10 lead on or push ON those who had al
ready boon In close action. Tne nre had greatly
diminished from the redoubt. for want OF ammu-
milton, and the troops we're able 10 get near that
somewhat uncertain breastw0rk, where they
found but small opposition, and soon banded
over it toward the entrance to the redoubt.
Here, lt would seam, if the story OF shooting
Warren 10 reliable, there must have beeh an al
most hand 10 hand night, on most unequal terms
In regard 10 ammunition aud DayOnets.
The Tedouot was carried. Prescott says:-"The
enemy being numerous surrounded our little fort,
began TO mount our lines and enter the fort with
their bayonets. We we're Obliged 70 retreat
through them while they kept up a. hot q fire as
IL was possible Tor them TO maker
One OF tHe most reliable aud sensible British au-
tEorities, in regard to thts battle, saJs:-"we
should have bsen forced to retire u General CHA
ton had not come up with a. reinforcement OF i've
or six hundred men, N this was really so the
compliments bestowed upon the British troops for
maintaining their hign reputation and superiority,
by Gage and Howe and BurRoyne, were utterly