Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-30

whites of their eyes" The eager men.
their hearts beating at the approach Of
the enemy, who came tramping up The
hill and over the shore, could not re-
ii rain themselves, and here and there
~ the enemy came within gunshot, be-
gan to ret,lrn the fire. Prescott was
indignant; he commanded them to obey
his orders, and threatened to shoot any
man who disobeyed; his lieutenant
colonel, Robinson, sprang upon the top
of the works and knocked up the level
ed muskets. At the rail fence il was
the same; the enemy was steadily ap-
preaching but had not yet fred, when
the Americans behind the fence began
to pick them off. Putnam instantly
threatened to cut down any man who
fred before the order was given.
On came Gen. Pigot, marching steadi-
~ up to the face of the redoubt. but
when his line was within eight rods, the
order came from inside the redoubt to
fire, and in an instant the Americans.
standing on their platform, poured a
murderous shower of balls into the adj
vancing lines. Down fell the first rank.
swept by the terrible discharge: the
next advanced, and that too strewed
the ground; and as tue enemy staggered
forward over the dead and dying, they
were met by the same deliberate aim.
General Pigot ordered retreat, and a
shout of triumph burst forth from the
redOubt.
The attack had been made and re-
pulsed. If but reinforcements and am
munition would come! General Put
nam rode to Bunker Hill and to the rear
of it to urge forward the troops which
were gathering about Charleston Com
mon and the neck. But the Glasgow
and the batteries continued to rake the
neck, and blowing up the soil to make
cloud of dust and smoke which must
have made the passage almost
indistinguishable. Some troops strug-
! gled forward in an irregular
fashion some reached Bun
ker Hill, but went nofarther; the hasty
earthworks begun there had been left
incomplete, and the men who had toiled
the night through to fortify Breeds Hill,
and had borne the brunt of the battle
thus far, were left, almost unaided by
the new recruits, to meet the second at
tack which they saw was sure to come;
to meet it too, hungry, exhausted, beat
en- upon by the hot sun.
In quarter of an hour more the sec
ond attack came. Reinforcements TO-
the British had landed, this time at ti,u
ferry, to support the left column. But
that column, as they advanced before,
had been annoyed by the sharp shooting
of men posted in the wooden houses of
the town commanding their approach.
The order went out for burning the town,
an carcasses+ were thrown from Copp's
Hill, while party of marines from the
Somerset aided in setting fire. The dry
wooden buildings sent up their flames
| and smoke with terrible roar, but the
wind favored the little band of defend
ers by driving away the smoke and Civ
ing them full view Of the left wing un-
der Pigot, advancing as before, while
the light infantry that formed the right
column again advanced to attack the
party at the rail fence. They came on,
keeping up steady fire, but as before
the Americans reserved their fire until
the columns should come even nearer;
then again at the word of command they
rose above the breastwork and redoubt,
and delivered their fire with fearful pre-
cision; the ranks of the enemy fell be-
fore it, yet they closed and repeated the
attack. General Howe was in the hot
test part of the encounter; three
times was he left alone, SO
quickly fell his aids and officers
at his side. From the opposite shore,
and from the vessels, the spectators could
see the officers pricking with bayonets
the reluctant men who had fallen back
from the deadly fire, but the second at
tack ended like the first, and the enemy
was forced to retreat down the hill, leav-
ing the field covered with the bodies of
the dead and dying.
The third attack was ordered in q
more prudent manner Gen. Clinton.
who saw the discontinue of the British
forces from Cops Hill, crossed the
river and took command of some five
or six hundred men who stood hesitat-
ing, without orders, on the beach. His
presence and his reinforcement were
most timely; If he had not cone up sswe
should have been forced to retire. SAYS
the British report on the Conduct of
the War. Gen. Howe now left his
place at the head of the left column
and massed his men on the right, MAX
ing at the same time demonstration at
the rail fence, chiefly to cover the
movement of the artillery, which was
placed SO as to take advantage of the
gap between the breastwork and fence.
where it could rake the interior of the
redoubt. The extreme left was led as
before by Gen. Pigot and Gen. Clinton.
while Howe led the centre. The men
were ordered to reserve their fire, to adj
vance in column with bayonets fixed.
and to carry the redoubt in 'front.'.
Then it was that the part of the rail
fence did good service. The same men
who had held the position from the first
kept cool and steady possession of il.
They had been reinforced by a fewcom-
panies, which had bravely crossed the
neck and entered the fight near it's close,
and the firm action of this party did
much to save the main body in it's re-
treat. General Putnam and General
Pomeroy, as before, were the leading