The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1912-08-30
HISTORIC SWORDS.
A Pair That Did Duty at the Bat.
tie Of Bunker Hill.
ENEMIES IN THAT CONFLICT.
Now They Are clasped In Peace In the
Massachusetts, Historical Society
BuiIdina--A Legacy From the His
torian Prescott and His Wife.

- ~. u,s.
so''A" ro'' .'1 - -
The most impressive memorials OF
the battle Of Bunker Hill are the huge
shaft over ia Charlestown and pair
of swords which hang crossed like q
mir of clasped hands over the door OF
the building Of the Massachusetts, His.
torical society.
Both these swords were used in the
heroic duel Of June II. 171,:I,. the one by
the commander Of the patriot forces,
the other by the captain Of one of the
British war vessels which bombnrded
Charlestown and protected the cross
Ing of the English troops. And for
many years these swords. which had
not been beaten Into plowshares after
the Script,ral prophecy. but which had
become the symbols of peace neverthe-
less. hung upon the wall Of a great
American historian whose father was
the son of the American commander
and whose wife was the granddaugh-
Ter of the British captain.
It was to these weapons that Thack-
cray referred In tho very first para
graph of his novel THE Virg1nians'
which reads thus:
"Op the library wall OF one OF the
most famous writer's OF America tnere
hang two crossed swords. wnich nis
relatives wore in the great War OF IN
dependence. The one SWORD was gar
lantly drawn In the service OF the
king. and the other was the weapon Of
the brave and honored republican SOL
der. The possessor OF the narln'ess
trophy has earned FOR himseii halne
alil,' = ''~"' !" h's ancestors country
and his own. where genius sucn az ui'
mas always i'eaee'm' "e -
William Kicking frescott. hutnor =,
"The Conquest OF Mexico. feru'nunu
and Isabella" and other Iascinatins
histories. the grandson IN MS paterna'
line Of Colonel william pfescot. wno
held the hill against the brltlsh srena,
diers and gave the worid tne nls. us'e
of the valor OF the Conunentuls unu
whose wife was the granuoa usn'el "
| Captain John Linzee OF the royai navy
who commanded the s'oop Oh war ~.
con during tne Dattie' was VIC
to whom Thackeray rererreo-
| The only son OF Colonei rresco'. "
Bunker Hill. named TOT MS lutne!' was
born thirteen years before tne Datt't
was fought In Charlestown' In'S sol
was educated at Harvard, graauaunt
with the class of 1888. Admitted 10 tne
bar in 1887. he became eminent IN MI
profession ana accunu'"'eu -"u ,I,a,.
| His wife was Catherine Green hich
ling. the daughter of Boston mer
| chant who was aftcrward consul IN tn'
| Azores The future historian was tneil
| son.
Captain John Linzee on that Aprl
day In 1915 was charged with tne uu''
of cnnnonading the rebels ana cover
ing the passage OF tine brltisn so'uie's
The British ships OF war were moore'
at various points In front OF 'n'
Charlestown peninsula.
Three years after the battle. on aug
8, 1778, the Falcon was SUNK OF
Newport. II. L.. to prevent It's captur'
by the French feet under Admira
D'Estaing.
This Captain Linzee's daughter han
nah LInzee, became the wife or ON
of the leading merchants OF Boston
Thomas G. Amory. and 1t was tn
daughter of Thomas and Hannal
Amory, Susan Amory. whom william
n. Prescott married. Thus the wv
swords came into the possession of on
family.
The historian had degree OF prid
in his ancestry and liked to discours
upon occasion about these swords. II
tbis respect he resembled Sir Waite
scott. The weapons used to hang owe
the recess of the great window in hi
uhrarv used commonly as n reception
room where they were the more cor
snicuous because Of the thousands o
hoots the busts and the pictures b
, which tbey were surrounded. 1t wa
from, the room of the scholar that thes
oncostra, memorials were removed
the oua rters of the historical society
Thot honnened in this wise:
nnon the death Of the historian
,vo. found that the thirteenth item i
. Me viii road thus: "The sword Q
Cc,oneI william Prescott, worn b
MIN IN the battle of Bunker Hill,
, a,vs r. the Massachusetts Histories
societv as curiosity suitable to b