Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-06-17

| though the enterprise was against the
advice of General Ward and Joseph
Warren. Putnam, PomerOy and Pres
colt were warmly in favor of it; and on
the evening of the 18th, little before
sunset about 100 of the troops assem-
bled on the common in front of General
| Wards headquarter. Prescott was
placed in command. The detachment
left Cambridge at 8 O'Clock, marched
silently across CharlestOwn Neck, and
assembled Bunker'S Hill, without being
discovered. This hill was 112 feet high
and connected with it by Il Iidge was
Breeds Hill seventy feet i'm height,
| and 700 yards nearer Boston. For rea-
sons which seemed good ones, to Put
nam especially, they determined to for
tify the latter height, and at midnight
they commenced operations. In the
morning the men were covered by re-
spectacle redoubt; but they were now
discovered, and the cannon of the Brit
iSh ships i'll the harbOr opened upon
them. 1t was this that awoke Gage,
and all Boston as well. He saw that
the Americans could cannOnade Bos-
ton from their position, and said he;
1.-The works must be carried
The movements of the British i'm Bos-
ton soon convinced Prescott that he
was to be attacked in force, and he sent
to General Ward for reinforcements.
who after some hesitation sent Coils.
Stark and Read with their New Hamp-
shire regiments. 1t is curious to note
the ammunition that was distributed
to these men: 1.-TWO fiints, gill of powd-
er and fifteen balls to each man." The
balls had to be selected so as to suit diff
ferent calibres of the guns; and the
powder was carried in powder horns or
loose in the pocket. Warren arrived
about two O'Clock i'm the afternoon, and
was offered the command, but declined
it. He had just been appointed a Ma
jor General, but had not received his
commission, and said he to Col. Pres
colt, Il have come to serve only as
volunteer, and shall be happy to learn of
asOldier of your experience.
The world knows how the battle be-
gan and ended. Once and twice the
British were beaten back again with
fearful carnage. A third time they
moved up the heights, and now the
Scaety fifteen rounds of ammunition were
exhausted and the Americans Sullenly
retired, staying to hurl stones on the
enemy and use against them the butt
ends of their musketS. General War
rem fell shot through the head, by the
last volley fired by the British troops.
Cages troops had now the field; but he
and his men no longer ridiculed and de-
spised the Americans. They had been
taught lesson, one which inspired
sadness and modification and respect.
TO the Americans their defeat was a
triumph. ItinSpired confidence, teach
ing them that they were able to con-
tend with the veterans of European
battle fields, and infiict more harm than
they received.
A century has gone by, but the work
of Prescott, and Warren, and Putnam,
and Stark, and POmeroy, and their gal
liant comrades is still fresh and their
memory green in all hearts. They have
placed their names high among the i'm
mortal ones "whO We're not born to
die" The name of Bunker Hill comes
to us now like the sound of trumpet,
rOusing and inspiriting. 1t is land
make in our history, and will be a pre-
ciOus name still when other centuries
have passed over it. 1t did much to
give US our heritage of freedom. 1t
must always be a point of light in the
history of a free civilization.