Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-06-18


1t was now three o'clock, and the hour
ments had arrived, and he had about three
thousand men drawn up in line. He step
ped before them and said:-
"Geutlemen: am very happy in hav-
ing the honor of commanding so fine a
body Of men. do not in the least doub,
but that you will behave like Englishment
and as becometh good soldiers. Ifthe enc
my will not come from their intrench-
| ments, we must drive them out at all
events, otherwise the town OF Boston will
be set on fire by them. l shall not desire
one of you TO go step farther than where
/ go myself at your head. Remember,
gentlemen, we have no recourse TO any re-
sources if we loso Boston, but 10 60 on
board our ships, which will be very dis
agreeable TO us ALL"
There was now a general discharge from
Howe's field pieces, from the Copp's Hill
batteries, and from those on the ships,
while the British columns moved forward
in two divisions the tight 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 retreat from the redoubt; the
left under General Pigot to storm the
breastwork and redoubt. In the redoubt
stood Colonel Prescott, awaiting The attack /;
| behind the rail fence was General Putnam.
Both of these commanders knew how
scanty was the supply of ammunition,
and how needful 1t was that their men
should meet the attack with the courage of
veterans. "wait till the enemy are within
eight rods :" "Save your powder !" "Aim
at the handsome coats;' = "Pick off the
commanders :" "Fire low :" "Aim at the
Wristbands" were the orders passed along
as Prescott and Putnam moved about
among the men. "Men, you are all marks
men," said Putnam 'don't one of. you
fire till you see the whites OF their eyes,"
Tho eager men, their hearts beating at the
approach Of the enemy, who came tramp
| ing up the hill and over the shore, could
not restrain themselves, and here and
there, rs the enemy came within gunshot,
began TO return the fire. Prescott was in
dignant: 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 leveled mus
kets. AT the rail fence it was the same
the enemy was steadily approaching but
had not yet fired, when the Americans be-
hind the fence began 10 pick them of.
Putnam instantly threatened TO cut down
| any man who fired before the order was
given.
On came General Pigot, marching stead
lily up 10 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 advancing lines. Down
fell the first rank, swept by the terrible
discharge the next advanced, and that toe
strewed the ground and as the enemy
staggered forward over the dead and dying
they were met by the same deliberate aim
General Pigot ordered a retreat and (
shout of triumph burst forth from the re-
doubt.
1t was answered from the rail fence
The enemy's artillery, stuck fast in tho
clay pits and furnished with balls too large
for the pieces, had been left behind, ant
the troops had advanced, firing with pre-
cision, and doing no damage to the Ameri
cans, but only TO the branches of the tree,
above them. AS they came within thu
prescribed distance, the word was given
and quickly the marksmen behind th,
fence began taking deadly aim and thin
ming the ranks with their cool, deliberat,
fire, shouting TO one another, "There Sc,
that officer! Let us have a shot at him Z
They used the fence as a rest the British
could not get over that strange, rusti,
breastwork OF green grass packed between
rail fences. They began TO lose terribly
and the order was given to retreat. Th,
Americans set up a shout, some of then
leaping over the barricade, and eagerly at
lacking the foe even before they retreated
In the retreat the flying enemy left behnC
the dead and dying, and some even ran t
the boats for security.
The attack had been made and repulsed
General Clinton, who saw th,
disco MIXTURE of The British forces from
Copp's Hill, crossed the river and tool
command of some five or six hundret
men who stood hesitating, without orders
on the beach. His presence and his rein
forcement were most timely if be had no
come up 1--WE should have been forced l.
retire." says the B ritish report on the Con
duet of the War. General Howe now lie.
his place at the head of the LEFT column
and massed his men on the right, maxim
at the same time demonstration at the raj
fence, chiefly TO cover the movement of tn
artillery, which was placed so as to TAX
advantage OF the gap between the breast
work and fence, where II could rake the in
terror of the redonbt. The extreme lei
was led as before by General Pigot and b.
General Clinton, while Howe led the cen
tire. The men were ordered 10 reserv
their fire, to advance in column with bayo
nets fixed, and to carry the redoubt 1
front.
Prescott took in the situation at once
When he saw the artillery in position, h
knew that a straight, unobstructed line 10
from the mouth Of the guns to the interio
of the redoubt when he saw the solid col
umn advancing without firing, up TO tn
hill, right in face, he knew that the storm
ing OF the redoubt was to follow. Yet th
same resolution and steady nerve held hiI
and his men as before. Again they wait
ed; again the heroic, grimy line of me
rose behind the parapet and swept the en-
: emy's ranks with their concentrated fir,
3 The advancing forces staggered they wer
[ pushed forward by those behind, by th
, swords of the officers, and goaded by thu
fury of discounted men. The artiller,
5 was plOwing up the earth in the redoub
/ stones were falling from within upon tn
desperate British, sure sign that the am
muniiion was gone, aud with shouts the
began to scale the face of the redoub
q Brave men within and brave men without
5 maddened by the conflict, which had bee
raging for more than an hour, were no
engaged in a hand-to-hand fight. Til
Americans dubbed their 'muskets, struc