The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-08-29
HISTORIC SWORDS
A Pair That Did Duty at the Bat
tie of Bunker Hill.
ENEMIES IN THAT CONFLICT.

ENEMIES IN THAT CONFLICT.
Now They Are cIasped In Peace In the
Massachusetts Historical Society
6uilding-A Legacy From the His
torian Prescott and His Wife.
The most impressive memorials of
the battle of Bunker Hill are the huge
shaft over in Charlestown and a pair
of swords which hang crossed like
pair Of clasped hands over the door of
the building Of the Massachusetts, His
torical society. y.
Both these swords were used in the
heroic duel Of June II, ITS. the one by
the commander of the patriot forces,
the other by the captain Of one Of the
British war vessels which bombarded
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 Scriptural 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 the very first para
graph of his novel 1.-THE Virginians.''
| which reads thus:
ION the library wall of one Of the
most famous writer's of America there
hang two crossed swords. which his
relatives wore in the great War of In
dependence. The one sword was gal
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 harmless
trophy has earned for himself name
alike honored in his ancestors country
and his own. where genius such as his
has always peaceful welcome
William Kicking Prescott, author Of
1.-THE Conquest of Mexico" ''Ferdinand
| and Isabella" and other fascinating
histories. the grandson in his paternal
line Of Colonel William Prescott. who
held the hill against the British grena-
diers and gave the world the first taste
! Of the valor of the Continentals and
whose wife was the granddaughter of
Captain John Linzee Of the royal navy.
who commanded the sloop Of war Fai-
con during the battle. was the writer
to whom Thackeray referred.
The only son Of Colonel Prescott of
Bunker Hill. named for his father, was
born thir teen years before the battle
was fought in Charlestown. This son
was educated at Harvard. graduating
with the class of 1888. Admitted to the
bar in 1887, he became eminent in his
profession and accumulated fortune.
! His wife was Catherine Green Hick-
| ling. the daughter of a Boston mer-
chant who was afterward consul in the
Azores. The future historian was their
son.
Captain John Linzee on that April
day in 1915 was charged with the duty
of cannonading the rebels and cover
! ing the passage of the British soldiers.
The British ships Of war were moored
,, at various points in front of the
Charlestown peninsula.
Three years after the battle. on Aug.
6, 177S, the Falcon was sunk of
Newport. R. l.. to prevent its capture
by the French feet under Admiral
DEstaing.
This Captain Linzee's daughter. Han
nah Linzee, became the wife of one
Of the leading merchants of Boston.
Thomas G. Amory. and it was the
daughter of Thomas and Hannah
Amory. Susan Amory. whom William
81. 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 he resembled Sir Walter
Scott. The weapons used to hang over
the recess Of the great window in his
library used commonly as a 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 Hill, I
give to the Massachusetts Historical
society as curiosity suitable to be
preserved among their collections. and
the sword which belonged to my
wifes grandfather. Captain Linzee of
the British royal navy. who command
ed one of the enemy's ships during the
same battle. give to my WIFE,"
When William 81. Gardiner on April
IA, 1859. sent letter to Robert G.
Winthrop. president of the Historical
society. formally conveying the infor-
nation that the swords were to be-