The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-06-14
r,. rirsta.sauIt a, bunker Hill.

The First Assault nj bunker hiIi.
From very graphic and timely paper
by Il Z SCUDDER, in the July Atta"t'c'
we take the following
1t was now three o'clock, and the hour
had struck. General Howes reinforce
msntf had arrived, AID be had about
three thousand men drawn up IN line.
He stepped before them aud said
"Gentlemen: am very happy in haV-
ing the honor Of commanding so fine
body of men. ! do not in the least doubt
but that you will behave ike English
men, and rs beconeth good soldiers. Ii
the enemy will not come from their III
trenchments, We must drive them Out al
ali events. otherwise the town OF boston
will be set on fire by them. | shall not
desire one OF YOU to 80 IA S'eP ia''n1' INN
where ! 20 myself ut your hc""' ~
member gentleman, we have no recourse
~ a.v resources if we lose Boston, but to
90 on board our ships, which Will be very
disagrceablc to us all
There was now general discharge
from Howe's field. pieces, from The CnppS
Hill batteries, and from those on the ships,
while the British columns moved forward
in two divisions; the right commanded
bv General Howe, who proposed to move
along the Mystic in order to penetrate.
the American line stationed ut the rail-
fence. and cut of retreat from the re-
doubt; the lett under General PiSot to
storm the brcastwork and redoubt. In
the redoubt stood Colonel Prescott, await
inc the attack; behind the rail fence was
General Putnam. Both of these com
manders knew how scanty was the sup
plv af ammunition, and how needtul 1t
was their men should meet the attack
with the courage of veterans "Nalt I'LL
the enemy are within eight rods Save
YOUR powder "Aim al the handsome
coats "Pick oft COMMANDERS FIRE
low;" Aim ut the Wristbands were the
orders passed along as'Prescott and Put
nam moved about among the men.
"Men, YOU are all marksmen,' SAID fut-
nam; don't one OF you fire TIL you see
the 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-
straint themselves, and here and there, as
the enemy came within gunshot, began
To return the fire Prescott vas indignant
he commanded them to obey his orders,
and threatened to shoot any man who
diSDbevcd; his lieutenant-cOlonel, Robin
son. sprang upon the top OF the works and
knocked up the levcled muskets. At the
rail fence it was the same; the enemy was
steadily approaching but had not yet tr.
ed. when the Americans behind the fence
began to pick them off. Putnam instant
IL threatened 20 cut down any man who
should fire before the order was given.
On came General PIgOt, marching
steadily 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 II
mnrderous shower of balls into the adj
vancing lines. Down fell the first rank,
swept by the terrible discharge; the next
advanced. and that too s.ewed the ground;
and rs the enemy staggered forward over
the dead and dying, they were met by the
same deliberate aim. General PIgot or
drred "A retreat, and shout of triumph
burst forth from the redOubt.
|, was answered from the rail fence.
The cnemys artillery, stuck fast in the
clav-pits and furnished with balls too
large Tor the pieces, had been eft be-
hind, and the troops had advanced, fir
ing with precision and doing no damage
To the Americans, but only to the branch
es of the trees above. 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, shouting to one an
other, "Thcre, see that officer Let Us
have a shot at him" They used the
fence AS a rest; the British could not
get over that strange, rustic brcaStwork
of green grass packed between rail fences.
They began to lose terribly, and the or
der was given to retreat. The Ameri.
cans set up Il shout, some Of them leaping
over the barricadc, and eagerly attacking
the foe even before they retreatcd. ln
the retreat the flying enemy left behind
the dead and dying, and some even ran
tothe boats for security.
The attack had been made and repul-
scd