Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-05-05
CENTENNIAL PTCTURES-No. 3.
BY DANIEL WISE, D. D.

THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL.
The blood of the fifty patriots who
had been murdered at Concord and
Lexington by the hireling soldiers of
England proved to be the seed of
American independence. Previous
to that memorable sacrifice the ideas
of separation from the mother coun-
try had not been entertained, except
by few such bold men as Adams
and Hancock. But after that event
full day the thought grew like thrift
ty plant, and everywhere throughout
the thirteen colonies, from the shores
of the Penobscot to the valley of
the Elkhorn, the people thrilled with
the noble impulses of freedom, cried,
Liberty or death!" and began to
whisper that liberty could only be
secured through independence.
For the present, however, their
aim was coneiliation, if England
would only deal justly with them.-
But England's reply to their appeals
came in the shape of large additions
to her fleet and army. 1t SOON be-
came clear that the war must go on.
In May, 1775, Ethan Allen, at the
head of his Green Mountain boys,
surprised the important fort of Ii
conderega, on Lake Champlain. On
the 18th of June following was
fought the celebrated battle of Bun
ker Hill. Let us see why and how
it was fought.
As stated in our last article, the
patriots mad mustered in such force,
after the battle of Lexington, as to
shut the British army within the
walls of Boston. There were two
heights-Dorchester on the south,
and Bunker Hill on the north, which
commanded the city. The patriots
were striving to collect powder and
cannon sufficient to fortify these
heights, when they learned that the
British Generals were forming a plan
for extending their lines over the
latter of these important positions.
June Is was the day fixed upon for
General Howe TO plant the flag of
England on Bunker Hill.
There was, therefore, no time for
further delay or preparation. Ac-
cordingly, shortly after sunset on
June l6, Colonel Prescott mustered
1000 men on Cambridge Common,
They wore no uniforms; their arms
were mostly fowling pieces without
bayonets, and they had but stinted
supply of powder and bullets. They
were liable, if captured, to be hung
as traitors. They were about to un-
dertake movement which was sure
to bring them into stern conflict
with well armed, thoroughly disci-
phned, experienced troops, whose
proud banners bore the names OF
numerous battle-felds on which they
had won the palm of high renown.
But our patriot soldiers, though full.
lv aware of the perils they were
about to encounter, were not afraid
They knew their cause was Just
that consciousness made them strong
heroic men. As they stood in tn,
dim twilight of that summer even
ing, with bowed heads, while theil
chaplain commended them to th,
care of the God of battles, many o
| them, without doubt, joined theil
noble colonel in his grand resOlv,
"never to be taken alive
| After the prayer they began thei
silent march, followed by the wag
ons with intrenohing tools, Thel
arrival on Bunker Hill was undis
covered by the sentiuels of the enc
my. Prescott, aided by his engineer
marked out the lines of redouh
on an eminence in front Of Bunke
Hill, known as Breeds Hill, and hi
stout.armed men set to work wit