The daily Alaskan., 1912-09-18
HISTORIC SWORDS
4 Pair That Did Duty at the Bat
 tie of Bunker Hill.
ENEMIES IN THAT CONFLICT.
Now They Are clssped In Peace In the Massachusetts Historical Society euadins-A Legacy From the His torisn Prescott and His Wife.

The most impressive memorials or the battle of Bunker Hili are the huge shaft over In Charlestown and pair of swords which hang crossed ike a pair 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 Jnne 11. iT75, the one by the commander of the patriot forces. the other by the captain of one of the British war vessels which bombarded Charlestowu and protected the cross lng of the English troops. And for many years these swords. which had not been beaten Into plowshares after the Scriptural prophecy. but which had become the symbols of peace neverthe- less. hung upon the wall of great American historian whose father was the son of the American commander and whose wife was the granddaugh' ter of the British captain.
 It wns to these weapons that Thack cray referred in the very first para graph of his novel The virginIans.' which reads thus:
 "on the library wall of one of the most famous writers of America therp hang two crossed swords, which bis relatives wore In the great War of In dependence. The one sword was gal lautiy drawn in the service Of the king. and the other was the weapon of the brave and honorcd republican sol dier. The possessor of the harmless trophy has earned for himself name alike honored in hts ancestors country and bis own. where genius such as his has always a peaceful welcome"
 William Hickling Prescott author of 'erhe Conquest of Mexico" Ferdinand and Isabella" and other fascinating histories. the grandson iu his paternal line Of Colonel William Prescott who held the hill against the British grena- diers md gave the world the first taste of the valor of the Coutincutals and whose wife was the granddaughter of Captain John Linzee of the royal navy. who commanded the slcor of war Fal con during the battle. was the writer to whom Thaekeray referred
 The only son of Colonel Prescott Of Bunker tIItl. named for his father. was horn thirteen years before the battle was tough, in Chariestown. This son was educated at Haryard. graduating with the class of i7S3. Admitted to the bar in lTST. he became eminent in his profession and accumulated fortune Ills wife was Catherine Green Bick- ling, tho daughter of . Boston mer chant who was aftorward cpnsuI ln the Azores. The future historian was their son,
 Captain John LInzee on that April day iu iTT5 was charged with the duty Of caunouading tue rebels and cover ing the passage of the British soldiers The British ships of war were moored at various points In front of the CharlcStown peninsula
 Three years after the battle, on Aug. &. ITS the Falcon was sunk on Newport. R. l.. 10 prevent Its capture by the French feet under Admiral D'Estaing.
 This Captain Llnzees daughter, Han nah Llnsee. became the wife of one of the leading merchants of Boston, Thomas C. Amory. and it was the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Amory, Susan Amory, whom William IT. Prescott married. Thus the two swords came into the possession of one family.
 The historian had degree of pride in his ancestry and liked to discourse upon occasion about these swords. In this respect be reSembled Sir Walter Scott The weapons used 10 hang over the recess of the great window in his library used commonly us q reception room. where they were the more con spicuous because of the thousands of books. the busts and the pictures by which they were surrounded. It was from the room of the scholar that these ancestral memorials were removed to the quarters of the historical society. That happened in this wise:
 Upon the death of the historian It was found that the thirteenth item In his will read thus: The sword Of Colonel William Prescott. worn by him in the battle of Bunker Hiii, ] give to the Massachusetts Historical society as curiosity suitable to be preserved among their collections and the sword which belonged to my wife's grandfather. Captain Linzee of the British royal navy. who command cd one of the enemy's ships during the same battle. 1 give to my wife"
 When William Fl. Gardiner on April I4. IS59. vent letter to Robert c Winthrop. president of the Historical society. formally conveying the inforN nation that the swords were to be- come the property of the institution he said as to the Linzee sword. Mrs Prescott and the other heirs of Cap tain Iinzee unite in requesting me to present at the same time Ia their be- half the sword of their ancestor also. that the two. enriched by all the Dem- ories which now belong to them. may still hang together on it's walls"
 The letter read. a cover was re- moved from a packet ou the officers tohle and tfrre were the swords.