The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-18
The First Assault at Bunker Hill

From very graphic and timely paper
by II. E. Scudder, in the July atlantic, we
take the following:
1t was now three o'clock, and the hour
had struck. General Howe's re. enforce
ments had arrived, and he had about three
thousand men drawn up in line. He stepped
before them and said
"Gentlemen, am very happy in having
the honor of commanding so fine a body of
men. / do not in the least doubt but that
becometh good soldiers. If the enemy
will not come from their intrenchments,
we must drive them out at all events, other
wise the town of Boston will be set on fire
by them. / shall not desire one of you to
go step farther than where | 90 myself
at your head. Remember, gentlemen, we
have no recourse to any resources If we
lose Boston, but to 90 on board our ships,
which will be very disagreeable to us all. I"
There was now general discharge from
Howe's field-pieces from the Cops Hill
batteries, and from those on the ships,
while the British columns moved forward
in two divisions, tho right commanded by
General Howe, who proposed to move
along the Mystic in order to penetrate the
American line stationed at the rail fence,
and cut off the retreat from redoubt; the
left under General Pigot TO storm the breast
work and redoubt. In the redoubt stood
Colonel Prescott awaiting the attack; be-
hind the rail fence was General Putnam.
Both of these commanders knew how
scanty was the supply of ammunition, and
how needful it was that their men should
attach xvifb tho Of NJ
Grams. "Wait till the enemy are within
eight rods' "Save your powder; "Aim
at the handsome coats; "Pick off the CON-
manders"; "Fire low; calm at the waist
bands" were the orders passed along as
Prescott and Putnam moved about among
the men. "Men, you are all marksmen,"
said Putnam; "don't one Of you fire till
you see the whites of their eyes," The
eager men, their hearts beating at the ap-
proach of the enemy, who came tramping
up the hill and over the shore, could not
restrain themselves, and here and there,
as the enemy came within gunshot. began
to return the fire. Prescott was indignant;
he commanded them to obey his orders,
and threatened to shoot any man Who dis
obeyed; his leutenant-c colonel, Robinson,
sprang upon the top of the works and
knocked up the levelled muskets. AT the
rail fence it was the same the enemy was
steadily approaching but had not yet fired.
when the Americans behind the fence be-
gan to pick them of. Putnam instantly
threatened to cut down any man who fred
before the order was given.
On came General Pigot marching steadi-
lily up to the face of the redoubt, but when
his line was within eight rods, the order
mn o. &LA H.
and in an instant the Americans, standing
on their platform, poured murderous
shower of balls into the advancing lines
Down fell the first rank, swept by the ter
rible discharge; the next advanced, and
enemy staggered forward over the dead
and dying, they were met by the same de-
liberate aim. General Pigot ordered
retreat, and shout of triumph burst forth
from the redoubt.
1t was answered from the rail fence.
The enemy's artillery, stuck fast in the
clay pits and furnished with balls too large
for the pieces, had been left behind, and
the troops had advanced, firing with pre-
cision and doing no damage to the Amer
leans, but only to the branches of the trees
above them. As they came within the
prescribed distance, the word was given,
and quickly the marksmen behind the fence
began taking deadly aim and thinning the
ranks with their cool deliberate FIRE, shout
ing to one another, "There! see that Of
ficer! Let us have shot at him! !" They
used the fence as rest; the British could
not get over that strange, rustic breastwork
of green grass packed between rail fences.
They began to lose terribly, and the order
was given to retreat. The Americans set
up a shout, some Of them leaping over the
barricade, and eagerly attacking the foe
even before they retreated. In the retreat
the flying enemy left behind the dead and
dying, and some even ran to the boats for
security.
The attack had been made and repulsed.