The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-09-26
BUNKER HILLBATTLE
TENSE FEELING OF THE PATRIOTS
BEFORE THE GREAT EVENT.

Ny great grandmother, F;lrneH
Brooks, whose maiden name was
Boylston, in the year 1920 sold her
homestead. on which now stands
Bunker Hill monument, to the city OF
Boston for $4,000 At the time OF the
battle of that name she was little
Girl of seven and 4 half years living
with her parents, Richard and Parnell
Bovlston, in the old homestead resi-
dence. which then stood on the very
SPOT where the monument now stands.
She retained to the end of her days
most vivid recollection of events there,
especially on the day and night pre-
ccding that memorable battle, the vari-
Gus incidents of which she never tired
Of telling and retelling.
AS nearly as can, I shall give these
little items as she used to relate them,
as follows:
"N1y father, Richard Boylston, was
the grandson Of the celebrated Dr.
Zabdiel Boylston Of Brookline, who
was the first to introduce Gin IT'D vac
cination into the civilized world and
which he did against great opposition,
preceding Dr.. Edward Jenner's fur
ther development of the practice in
England by about fifty years. At the
above date, during the epidemic Of
smallpox in Boston. DR.. Boylston III
ocn,aied 2S6 persons, of whom only six
died.
My father, grandson Of this IA
NOUS physician, wlS ! prosperous mer-
chant of CharlcStewn. Our home was
on Breeds hill, i little less than half
q mile from the village, my father
owning that and much Of the adjacent
land down to the waters edge.
For months things had been very
unsettled, and had heard much talk
among my elders about oppression,
tyranny and taxation. Up in the gar
ret, hidden behind the big loom, We're
a chest Of tea, a teakettle, teacups,
saucers, ETC., carefully covered with
q heap Of fax. Every afternoon my
mother would retire to this garnet
with any guest she might have to
brew and drink cup of that forbid
den beverage How often had I been
told to stay near the door and play,
but to run quickly and tell my moth
er if I saw any one coming up the
hill!
'.For days out in the harbor mother
and the servants had been watching
and discussing the big ships which
were anchored there. There We're so
many and so different from the little
fishing and harbor boats had been
accustomed to see there.
II was too young to fully under
stand exactly what it ell meant, but l
had a vague idea that something aw-
full was going to happen. =
'The day before the battle, June lG,
we children, my brother Richard, Sis
ter Ann and myself, had been playing
in the newly gathered hay which the
farm hands had left in little cocks
ready for carting to the barn These
we had seen fit to scatter mostly in
all directions.
.'My father, returning for midday
dinner. looked very serious, and we
thought him exceedingly cross, for he
commanded that We should rake up
every particle of the hay into cocks
again Immediately.
"At dinner there was much talk OF
war and the British, and the ships
were watched closer than ever. They
seemed now to be teeming with con-
stantly moving red coated men. At
supper the family talked with bated
breath, and afterward father Went
back to the village, which mother did
not seem to like him to do and was
rery unusual for him. We were not
put to bed at the usual time. They
seemed to forget US, and we huddled
around mother as she talked anxiously
with neighbors who had called to see
father.
"At 10 o'clock, when father returned,
he said orders had been issued to Colo
nei Prescott to fortify Bunker Hill, as
every evidence showed the British
were intending to land. Our callers
departed, and we retired.
'It must have been nearly midnight
when the whole household was aroused
by terrible knocking at our doors and
the tramping Of horses in the yard.
Father, hastily throwing up his win
dow, demanded who was there. The
answer was: General Putnam. Get
the women and children out Of the
house as quickly as possible. We are
fortifying the hill and must have the
house
"Instantly candles were lighted and
ali was excitement and for some time
confusion. Some big chests were got
down from the garret, however, and
clothing, silver, jewelry, everything al
hand promiscuously flung in, my father
assuring US that we probably should
never again look upon anything left
behind
Horses were quickly hitched to the
carriage and others to q big farm
wagon. Mother and we children-Anr
clinging to her pet kitten and I huggins
my dear old dog Bose, both crying fol
we knew not what-were put into the
carriage, the women servants anC
chests into the wagon, and away We
went down the hill among hundred:
Of men now moving up from all direc
tions. It was an awful experience
that of being called up In the night ant
being hurried away, as It seemed, TO-
our lives. I shall never forget it. W.
were driven to q friends house at Rox
bury.
IN the midst Of the commotion, be
fore we got started from our yard
General Putnam, who had dismountet
md stood for a moment with his han'