The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-06-17
GheGntelIiqercens
rrhn nnY I'VE Celebrate.n

on the l7lh day Of June, H76-iust one
hundred years ago to-day. Previous to
that date two battles had been fought, viz
one at Lexington on the 10Th Of April
and the other at TicOnderoga on May
10th. But neither Of them rank in his
tory with tho battle Of Bunker Hill,
which was really the first considerable
engagement OF the war. To all Ameri-
cans this battle is the most familiar OF all
the battles fought during the Revolution.
It really opened the war Of Independence,
and did more to arouse and consolidate
the Colonies than any occurrence that had
taken place since the tea was thrown
overheard in Boston harbor,
Compared with the great battles that
took place during the war OF the Rebel
lion, the battle Of Bunker Hill, as indeed
all the battles Of the Revolution, look in
significant on paper. As regards the
numbers engaged It really was small
affair, and yet it far surpassed in impor-
tanCc more than one battle Of the late
war whereat five times the number of
men were arrayCd against each other,
History tells us that the provincial
army" as it was called, numbered about
10000 men. It was made up Of volun-
teers from Massachusetts,, Connecticut,
New Hampshire and Rhode Island. OF
these, about thrce.fourths were from the
colony Of Massachusetts, Nearly all Of
them were rustic militia men, who had
seen little or no service, and were
far from being disciplined. They were
scarcely organized as an army at all. In
the first place they had no acknowledged
commander prnyious to the battle. The
Massachusetts men were under General
Ward, the Connecticut men under General
Putnam, the Rhode Island men under
General Greene, and the New Hampshire
men under General Stark, the husband Of
the famous "MOlly Stark" Washington
had been created Commander'in'Chief by
the Continental Congress in session at
Philadelphia, on the 18th Of June, two
days before the battle, but had not yet
assumed command. In fact he did not
set out from Philadelphia until the goth
Of that month, and only heard the news
Of the battle Of Bunker Hill on that day,
when twenty miles on his way to Boston,
Those were not the days Of telegraphy,
nor even Of steam. All news was con
yeyed by couriers.
The man who really commanded at
bunker Hill was Col. William Prescott,
although we do not remember that his
name appears in that capacity In any OF
the school histories. When the American
school 10y thinks Of Bunker Hill he re-
calls chiefly tho names Of General Warren
lwho was killed. and old Israel Putnam,
who lived to become still more famous
thereafter.
To show what peculiar organization
thislittle American army really was when
1t gathered together at Boston, we will
quote the following reference to it from
John Adams Memoirs:
"The Army at Cambridge was not u ma
tional Army, for there was no nation. 1t
was not United States Army, for there
were no United States. II was not an
Army Of united colonies, for II could not
be said In any sense that the colonies were
united. The centre OF their union, the
Congress Of Philadelph had not adopt
ed nor acknowledged the Army at Cam
bridge. TWAS not u New-EnglNnd Army,
for New. England had not associated
New.England had no legal Legislature,
nor any common executive authority, or
even Of original power in the people.
Massachusetts, had her army, Connecticut
her army, New Hampshire her army, and
Rhode Island her army. These four
armies met ut Cambridge, and imprison.
ed the British Army in boston. But
who was tho sovereign Of this united, or
rather congregated, armyY and who Its
Commander.in.Chief2 Ithad none. Put.
nam, Poor, and Greene were as indepen-
dent Of Ward as Ward was OF them"
The descriptions Of the Bunker Hill
men that have come down to US re.
mind ia not little Of our West Virginia
boys during the first few weeks OF the last
war, especially at the time when they
were being enlisted OH Wheeling leland
They didnot yield their individuality very
readily to tie stern tlsages Of war. Here
isa scene that happened on The morning
Of the battle Of Bunker lIill tliat illus
trNtes what we mean.
"Early In the morning, one Of Pr0scOtts
men, yentuting outside the works, was
killed. what shall we do with him 2
asked his comrades, sadly unused to the
cruel business Of war. bury him. said
Prescott, laconically. Buta burial with.
out religious services was not yet an idea
to be admitted into the New.Ehgland sol.
dier's mind, and Rev. John Martin, n
chaplain, gathered the men about him
and commenced to pray. Prescott order.
ed him to stop, and the men to resume
their work, but in vain, until the body
was hastily taken from their midst, laid
in a ditch, and covered. Even this I'M
avoidable bit Of licipline cost Prescott 4
number Of men who went or and nevei
returned. The chaplain, however, took
his place In the ranks, served bravely all
that day, and lived to preach sermon
on the text BE ye not afraid Of them; re-
member the Lord which Is great and ter
rible, and fight for your brethren, your
sons and your daughters, your wives and
your homes"
In the matter Of arms, quattermASter
supplies and COmnissary stores, the simi.
larlty between our West Virginia boys
and tile "rNggrl Continentnls" il not very
striking. The advantages were decidedly
with the former. OF the latter II is re.
corded that their arms were Of all sorts
and si,es, mostly fowling pieces and mss.
kets saved from the Indian wars. There
was scant PROPORTION Of bayOnets-.a