The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-14

I
incidents. the little ordinary narratives q TIE last
century and the early years Of the present, as an
rue 01s 70 H p'n Tss as 1Ss
man. 50 far as we are aware. who ever attempted
70 wire out full and minute account OF the bat
buryport, but during mucn OF his active life resi-
dent IN Boston. lie was born IN 1852, before the
10 his youth win the early traditions. In 1918 he
published MS Historical and Iopograpnical
published as appendix TO General David Hum
phrey's "Laie OF General Putnam In tho prepa-
o. wa. W0rA oo0neI ,,a ma xng
men-eye witnesses OF The battle or actors IN ".
Moreover, ne was military man, an onlcer In TIE
war or 1872 aud understood the laws or mill airy
life. He makes General Putnam the COMMANDER,
and does so apparently, without any thought Of
Ing what he supposed co be the simple facts OF his
tor.
rockingham, OF Cnarlestown, published his
siege Oh BOst0u.u That was mnen luller and
SWEET and IN respec: TO the localities and the
general facts OF the battle Is by lar the pest work
that has ever been published on the subject II
man wishes 20 Investigate tAts nIstory he natu-
rally turns 10 TINS book his chief source OF IN
formation. L. took the place at once OF a classic,
Irving, In DTS Life Of Washington, - ami Bancroft,
IN pls "HIstory Of tue United States" under
TELL rHR STORY OF THE BATTLE
they are guided cAieay ~ FIotalnghsm. lnoeed'
irving, To note confesses his special indebted
ness 10 fr0thiRgnam's siege Of Boston," But
rockingham, without doing violence 10 truth IN
the general narrative, had pet theory TO man
taln-TA.. that Prescott Has the commander-in-
chief-and 50 Bancroft ami Irving follow in tue
same Inc. Colonel SWEET was alive when the
'.>iegs VI BosgOnn appeared in lS4g; and In 1850
ne issued vigorous pamphlet on the question,
"WaO was the commander at Bunker Hill ~
on the violence which has been done
10 history, as ne believed, in Mr.. Frotnlngham's
volume. lie utters himself IN no measured terms
OF Indignation. lie says;-"Aecording to him
tFroLhlngnaml, the great battle OF Bunker Han
was fought, on our AIDE, by headless mob.n And
again:-''he has treated General Putnam's char
acter with the utmost candor and Kindness as
animals destined Tor the altar are pampered, 70
De sacrlnced ~ the last" Ana stlll agsln-"To
prove that Putnam was not the commander the
autaor alleges that IN some cases ne was not
oeeyed as suca. Nov, We say, with the ut
most confidence, that-any few cases OF cow
arace out Of the queslon-no military des-
pot ever was ooeyed with more implicit
Subsection than Futnam was, throughout the
battle ~ every one, ofleers or men, rom their
enthusiastic love aud admiration OF MIN. and
bOundless confidence IN MIN as great, expert
enced ana fortunate hero and patr0t.n And as he
draws toward ais conclusion he says :-'General
Putnam Was the actual. and on Warren declining,
tbs authorized commander OF the battle OF
Bunker hil. he Was the bright particular star TO
every eye Was turned for guidance ana for
vlctoryn Let 1t be clearly understood, then, that
THE PROMINENCE GIVEN TO PRESCOTT
In this matter Goes not belong, to any great ex-
tent, to the early acc UNITS and traditions, out y
manly an episode D! our later history. And II any
one win now ST. down and read carefully, IN BaA-
croft Irving, In Frolhlnghan or Ellis, the story
tue battle as tOlu by tnem, Win PreSCOtt IN
iront as the great leader-lf ne ~ minute ana
tnoughtful ia ais reading. he will sooa hnd MS
mud lnquiring. VINO, then, Is THIS elderly gentle
man, riding back and forth over the whole fed,
the only man on horseback now ordering the IN
Eenchlng tools away nom the redouot up to
Bunker Hl!l; now turning aside some 200 New
Hampshire troops as they come in TO the work
or entrenching; now threatening an artillery on
Ger with immaculate death II he does not return 10
AIS duty ~ he VIII nnd himself utterly confused
TO the central Wan and l1ea OF the battle,
and Wln be compelled to say, as Colonel
theory is slought by q heaaess mob.u
who had the pieces OF a Chinese puzzle
tnroWn down before ann With directions TO make
Them into a RECT square, and, after working
be done, hnds, ~ last that the most lm portant
piece or the whole mas been distracted fake
"headless moo.p but give him his real place as
commander ana the parts all come together.
sense or something Ike this seems 10 have bur-
dened Iry1ngs mind all the while he was writing
the hIstory OF THIS battle, under the general lead
Of MT. Ero.ningnam Inis account MAKES ..a the
Washington aud when the task Is finished, ere
he lays down his pen, he stops 70 bestow hearty
word Of GENERALIZATION upon frescotL ana then
breaks out INTO tue following
MAGNIFICENT EULoGY OF PUTNAM.
futnam also VS. rs. leading spirit tnrSSagnou ths az
tam he appears % have eeen aeuve aud efficient
lag lhs rs,alorssm sas inspiritias the msa oy b,
aud ngang CALAMITY at the outpost 70 cover their
treat Ine brave od man ridng about IN the heat Q,
across his brawuv shoulders over wssteoat without
mHes er 70 os ssa bsSd o. sskis mea - aiteaers
than musketeersn But his very description illustrates
service A yeoman warrior fresh nom the plough ia
sss F :as q aas o9T no ko! a
q essssr eat eye rssay e serys ~ any r- an Y
Of he cause lie u emiaendy soldier for ana coca
"a name nss ,oqg ss,D e w wh Young and
very mention o. whlch y ilks ne sSuLa q ulmDeI
suen names are ne precious ewel; q our hoty = %
immacuate from &c furnishing bfeaa " inc cy nc aud
the douDtsr.
An which reads 10 us very much a. thouqn
Irving had SAID within hinselt II have thus lar
followed the siege " Boston rather tesCnaDiy
ike an opportunity 10 express myself and say
lev wsrds On my own responslolllty.p
GENERAL ARrEMts WARDS LETTER.
The only otHeT point wBicn We Will notice IN
connection vita this question, Who was COM
mandsr &C. relates 70 a letter whica General
Der following lOctooer 70 l776l In ssis etter 30
says
some nave said hard things u the officers belonging
~ this colony and d~splse1 them, but N nk, mean
they have Represented them = Dc, there nas been
one acton vita ne enemy when aas not been con.
chelsea, which wa conducted By General Putnam.
Now this letter. IN the nrst place, plainly reveals
the fact that. a the common puonc TAX OF that
day, the Leading ofncers or Massachusetts, had
oeen cnarKea with want OF enersy and spirit,
tage, with certain Oncers rom the other colonies.
but tolls letter nas been greatly relied upon TO
Hi. We claim taat sucn an Interpretation can.
not stana IN the ight OF historical facts suca as
general character that we might bring. And tue
query rises 10 our minds. Did rot General Ward
m that sentence mean 10 say, - had the geacral
cnarze myself OF the battle OF Bunker HII.u
Vsroas writers nave said that Ia a general
way wara sssa Sa5os6n s1ss
Al Cambridge, instead or Gsneral WArd, no'one
uould ever have thought ot tettlng nlm aslae
a. cnlef commander. Ii r. well known .hat GEN.
eral Putnam mad TO ride back ana forth that day