Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-07-31
BILL NYE.
He Pays a Visit to Bunker Hill
Monument.

=
DRY serves me correctly, General La
Fayettc, since deceased, laid the cor
ner-stone, and Daniel Webster made
Il few desultory remarks which
can not now recall. Eighteen years
later it was formally dedicated, and
spoke a good piece composed mostly
of things that he had thought up
himself. There has never been a
feature of the early history and I'M
ccasing struggle for American free
dom which has so reused my admir-
alton as this custom, quite prevail Mt
among Congressman in those days,
of writing their own speeches.
Many of Webster's most powerful
speeches were written by himself or
at his own suggestion. He was a
plain, unassuming man, and did not
feel above writing his own speeches.
l have always had the greatest res
pect and admiration for Mr.. Webster
Us II citizen, as scholar and as an
cxtemporaneous speaker, and had he
not allowed his portrait to appear
last year in the Century, wearing an
air of intense gloom and plug hat
entirely out of style, my respect and
admiration would have continued in
definitely.
Bunker Hill Monument is q great
success as a monument and the view
from its summit is said to be well
worth the price of admission. did
not ascend the obelisk because the
inner staircase was closed to visitors
on the day of my visit and the light
ming rod on the outside looked to lne
as though it had been recently oiled.
On the following day, however, |
= engaged a man to ascend the momu-
ment and tell me his sensation. lie
assured me that they were tirst-rate.
At the feet of the spectator Boston
and its environments are spread out
i'll the glad sunshine. Every day
Boston spreads out her environment.
just that way.
Bunker Hill Monument is two
hundred and twcnty-one feet in
height, and has been entirely ad
for. The spectator may look at the
monument with perfect impunity
without being solicited to buy some
of its first mortgage bonds. Thi,
adds much to the genuine thrill Of
pleasure while gazing at it.
There is Bunker Hill in Macou.
pin county, ILL.,, also in Ingham coun.
ty, Mich, and in Russell county
Kan, but General Warren was moi
killed at either of these points.
One hundred and ten years ago
one of Americas most noted battles
with the British was fought neal
where Bunker Hill monument now
stands. In that battle the British
lost 1850 in killed and wounded
while the American loss numbered
but $50. While the people of this
country are showing such an inter-
est in our war history | am surprised
that something has not been said
about Bunker Hill. The Federal
forces from RoXbury to cambridge
were under command of General
ARENAS Ward, the great American
humorist. When the American hu.
morist really puts on his war paint
and sounds the tocsin, he can organ
ize a great deal of mourning.
General ward was assisted by Put.
nam, Starke, Prescott, Gridley and
Pomeroy. Colonel William Prescott
was sent over from cambridge tC
CharlestOwn for the purpose of for
tifying Bunker Hill. So redoubt
was thrown up during the night on
the ground where the monument
now stands.
The British landed large force
under Generals Howe and Pigot,
and at two p. IN. the Americans
were reinforced by Generals Warren
and Pomeroy. General Warren was
of literary turn of mind and during
the battle took his hat off and recited
a little poem beginning:
"Stand, the grounds your own, my braves!
win ye give it up to slavcsf"
A man who could deliver an i'm.
promptu and extcmporaneous addres,
like that i'll Public, and while there
was such bitter feeling of hospital
ity on the part of the audience, mus
have been good scholar. In oul
great fratricidal strife twenty years
ago the inferiority of our Generals il
this respect was painfully noticeable
We did not have commander who
could address his troops in rhyme to
save his neck. Several of them were
pretty good III blank verse, but il
was so blank that it was not Just tho
thing to fork over to PROSPERITY and
speak in school atterward.
Colonel Prescott's statue now
stands where he is supposed to have
stood when he told his men to re.
serve their fire till they saw the
whites of the enemy's eyes. Those
who have examined the cast-iroi
tlint-lock weapon used in those days
will admit that this order was wise
Those guns were injurious to health
of course, when used to excess, but
not necessarily or Immediately fatal
AT the time of the third attack by
the British the Americans were out
Of ammunition, but they met the enc.
my with dubbed muskets, and it was
found that one end of the rebel flint
lock was about as fatal as the other
if not more so.
Boston still meets the invader with
its club. The Mayor saws to the citi.
zens of Boston: "Wait till you see
the whites of the visitors eyes, and
then 90 for him with your clubs
Then the visitor surrcnders.
| hope that many years may pass
before il will again be necessary fol
us to soak this fair land in British
blood. The boundaries of our land
are now more extended, and so il
would take more blood to soak it.
Boston has just reason to be proud
of Bunker Hill, and it was certainly
great stroke of enterprise to have
the battle located there. Bunker
Hill is dear to every American heart
and there are none of us who would
not have cheerfully gone into the
battle then if we had known about il
in time.-Bill Nye, in Boston Globe.