New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-11
BUNKER HILL.
u rvc,,sH ACCOUNTS OF THE BATTLE.


SIN. Inst now every one Interested ID the
bstory Of orr country Is refreshing his memory WIN
review OF the incidents connected Win the D"ii'o VI
Bunker Hill. We have, OF course. or Nc'S'o" VI "
affair." nni arc won't, most properly may DE- l" ~,
all credit 10 the courage and unianneh heros'n VI ~
men who dared e. oppose themselves 10 me a''A :" "
cncsh force so well disciplined rs were the men nnner
the command OF Gen Gage. u may grafiy reh7on"''
curosty 70 see how English writers speak OF VIVA" WE
have ALWAYS been accustomed to regard ~ among 'o
most important events OF the Revolutionary ""',
will be found examination that historians u" wv
sides relate the leading facts as they achihy o'ou'"
Dut "a migt reasonably he expected inc hhrfh'"' 0
ccives certain detcrninote coorns rom tne
or tle v,itr give extracts from few OF tieSe VIII
,, ,bcso works nrc no. accessible to the great mass
~ readers The first selection will he maze ir"n ''
Arpenfix OF the /" History OF America by "'''i""i
Russell, esq, OF Grays Inn. published IN l'|o'
The post of Charles Town had hitherto been neg'cc''"
by boih parties, from unaccOunaDlc lehoi - va
military matters The provincals now ., ct o
equally important 10 them, whether they rlose
he offensive or defensive. The necessary lreparhi'n
wore therefore made for that purpose ana uDuJ -
men sent tbither at night, WIN ne g,'.' M, an
Nry I'm order - throw up works upon BunscI III, '
o,m n, is' within the isihmus neck of land tha'
Joins the p,nln sula 10 the continent
After abiding TO the effect produced on the BfiShco
mander by the sight the American works ana 10 'pc
first alta X upon them by inc Lively ""i"' "' VIZ
writer proceeds as follows
snch great and ncessant discharge OF arfiilcry Wouiu
have been shock to the hin'ic's % cen d he
troops and must, doubt have gicat{ u,inI Ihors
hold but raw provincias They continued tnlr Ii" ~
however, with unlemittcd assiuy tni ao ,
tack wa. begun by most severe hie i" Wv -,
under which the trOops advanced very sig"iy ~ ~ ,o
enemy and halted several nfs or I and throw The
proyincias into confusion; put the di'advah,a5c "
as in Some secret Discrimination to the service IN All
a wish avoid IT, seemed at first ~ strike an ,i',S
dang h, ' me- S0jfs res had aTproachd almost
the works, when most dreadinl hrg to9 , paGe ''"
number OF our bravcot men, especially oi'ioc''' Al"
In foot note Russell says:
The provincias have changed tho field OF ostio
from a thcatcr Of general opposition MO SCI nu :"
deliberate murder. They have in every eng'geIen, a
certain number of aIksnen. who armed WIN nheu
pieces. sin out the principal officers anu ae'ote te
F The practice is worthy Of the savage Indians lr"H
whom il seems 20 be borrowed.
In summing ND the results Of tho battle the historian
tells us That
Eoth parties claimed much honor from tho action The
regular flo having beaten near tire. times IcE mum
Der ON o strongly fortified post, and ooDdled various
other disadvantages on the opposite Slde, 'Ilc pon
,l. VINO were by no means dispIrited by the event. rep
resented their number as inferior 20 that 81 tio rcG,s
suuuplt.d by floating batteries, ships OF VIZ ana loI
mtible train Of artillery. Though they had lost a post
they had Acquired, they sal'i almost an ."e % & %
scqu, ncrs Of The most c"hrS'c ficor', az .y n 49,,
tircy put STOP 10 the Offensive Operations o. 1fo
army subdlic them, ANA Nnch the! cohtn'c" ~
Doct ae in u narrow town.
With the eNcepion of the somewhat rancorCus expires
sion contained in the foot note referred to about thepdc
tico Of sharp shooting being worthy OF the savage III
d,ns from whom TO be borrowed the accounts
which we lind English historians Of the battle Of Bunker
Hi are both candid and discriminating Thus Hnshes'
summing mp results OF the contest. says:
Each party had well slsaInedits character ana thoush
the royal troop claimed the honor OF the victory II wis
rarl bon and he real advantage renamed WIN 'hci
antagonists: thc,e lad measured their strength a-hnS
the dreaded supcriot Ot regular forces, ana III" no
rri son to be dslnaJ e'i al the result
John Andrews, Ill. d. in his History ofthe war WIN
America" etc. remarks that "thc holiness OF the Pro
yncais increased 10 degree that asonisled the BRUSH
officers, who had unhappny been Taught to believe hem
contemplate enemy, aycrsc to the dangers o Wal ana
Incapable vi the regular operations OF an army I'D the
same spirit Lord Mahon writes:
Then was blown to the winds the silly prediction
Of Lord Sandwich and Col. Grant as Ia The al
which, beside being in this utterly false ana found
les, have always manifest tendency 10 utIeat Ien
selves.
Bissctt in his History OF the Reign OF George
HI."Yol. l., y. 3G2. us,s the following language:
The tile of Bunker Hill cynccd the vaor o the Amcr
vino th0ushsonSh UNI 'cipncu peasant !. MA mlue
81 bold and obstinate stand against regular troops and
demonstrated how Inaccurate L. the ministry had been i'll
formed OF how wcahi they ma reasoned whch 'heJ con
clnd II that the coluniss would not hSht
Gen BurgOvne writing to Lord Stanley under dale OF
June D. i7TJ INDUCES himself in quite lofty rhetorical
fisht in his description of the baitlc:
And now cn,ped of the greatest scenes of war that
can be conceived II we look to the hight lowes corps
ascending tie hill in face OF ntrenchmenl' and III iely
observation-disclosures ground Vas much tnSisd 20 Inc c.t
the enemy pouring fresh troops by thousands over the
lana and in The arm Of the sea. our ships and tOating
batteries c!nnOnang them; staigbt before las, great
and noble town IN one great blaze, and the church
strcprs being OF timber were great pyramids of fire
above the rest behind the church seeples and nights
our arm, %hirh was engaged The hills around the
try also covered with Spectators the enemy all in anxious
suspense the roar OF ciIlOi nortais ana hSHery' 'c
churches, slips IN tho Stocks ana whole streets
falling together IN iulns to MI the ear the stoIng "I
rc,ioibts win the objects above described TO fiji tie
eye. aud the reflection that perhaps defeat was huh
top of the Biiioh empire ia american I? Ill ne nnnd
made the whole picture aud complication ot horrors
and importance beyond thing that ever came to my
lot to witness to.
one Is interested in reading the comments which
made the public prints when the Of the battle
reached England. There large and influential
party who bitterly opposed TO the administration
of Lord North They condemned the war; and believed
that the Cove would ia the end certainly be de
fatcd I'm this country they had correspondents who
Kept them well informed OF what was going on here. In
"Anons Remembrance" in 10 vols whch is in the
John Carter Brown Library very dition. by
thc way-I find in Vol. L. p I27. the following extract
genuine letter from Boston 'laed June 20, 1878:
Believe me- yOu succeed in this mad aud wicked
attempt to conquer. Every nill viii 10 disputed with
you aud every inch OF ground. Two more sloh actions
will destroy your army We can afford To lose ten men
Your aud have three times nambcr al last.
VI are informed you intend To lombard ana burn
s,aporls You may. But we shall destroy the light
houses and beccns AMI in the first Ing wind ali your
nel-Oiwar VIII be wrecked Oh our coast.
Immediately following this letter is an article entitled
observations the Government Account OF the late
Action near Charles TOWN." 1t is most sratling and
sarcastic attack the letter OF Gen Gage giving
count Of the action referred to- One or two extracts,
written in the genuine Junius style OF bitter sarcasm
must suffice:
There two sorts Of persons who always perscvcrc
uniformly and without Shame unvarirO line of
conduct aaess OF the contempt and delcstation Of
mankind. The sorts mean the thorough virtuOus
and the thorough cOnndrc 70 ncof these classes
evidently belong the monsters WHO settled the account
which The. nave given IN last III sdy's Gd-cte The
loss OF The piOVncaS. the letter says must have been
consdihhie YET eSht days after the action tie Gen
Grail though completely victorious. can tell rs only OF
one hundred buried tnd thirty wounded" But they
carried of great numbers during the time of action"
Did thcy SOL That Is no great SIGN of flight, huston,
and defeat. But thcy buried them in holes" Really