The daily Alaskan., 1913-02-06
HISTORIC SWORDS
.A Pair That Did Duty at the Bat
 tie of Bunker Hill
ENEMIES IN THAT CONFLICT.

Now They Are ciaspsd In Peace Ia ths
 Massachusetts historical Society
 suiIdins--A Legacy From the His
 torian Prescott and His Wife.
 The most impressive memorials or the battle of Bunker HIll are Che hnge shaft over in Charlestown and pair of swords which hang crossed Ike pair Of clasped hands over the door or the building Of the Massachusetts HIS torical society
 Both these swords were used in the heroic duel of June I7. lTT5, the one by the commander of the patriot forces, | the other by the captain Of one or the | British war vessels which bomharded | Charlestown and protected the cross ing of the English troops And Tor many years these swords. which bad 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 was to these weapons that ThacS cray referred lu the very first para pranb of his novel "The NlrElul0nS which reads thus:
 "On the library wall of one oi the most famous writers Of AmerlCn there hang two crossed swords, which his relatives wore ln the great War of ln | dependence The one sword was gal Iantly drawn in the service Of the king. and the other was the weapon or tbe brave and honOrcd republican sol dier. The pnSscSsor of the harmless trophy has earned for himself name alike honored In hls ancestors country and his own. where genius such 6s hls has always peaceful welcome
 William Hickling Prescott author of 'gThe Conquest Of Mexico" "Ferdlnand and Isabella" and other fascinating histories, the grandson in his paternal line of Colonel William Prescott, who held the hin against the British Crena- diers and gave the world the first taste of the valor of the CuutInentals and whose wife was the granddaughter Of CaptaIn John LInzee of the royal navy, who commanded the sloop of war Fol- con during the battle wRs the writer Co whom Thackeray referred.
 The only son of Colonel Prescott or Bunker 4iI. named for bis father, was born thirteen years before the batue was fought In Charlcstowu This SOD was educated at Harvard. graduating with the class ot l7S3. Admitted Co the bar in lTS7, he became eminent in bis profession and accumulated a fortune His wife was Catherine Green Hick- ling, the daughter of a Boston mer- chant who was afterwOrd consul in the Azores. The future historian was their son.
 Captain John Llnzee on that April day In l7T5 was charged with the duty of CannOuading 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, & ITS, the Falcon was sunk ou Newport, R. l., tO prevent It's capture by the French feet under Admiral D'EstainG
 This Captain Llnzce's daughter, Han nah IJDgce. 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 Fl. Prescott married. Thus the two swords came into the possession of one family.
 The historian had a degree of pride in his ancestry and liked to discourse upon occasion about these swords. To this respect he resembled SIT Walter Scott. The weapons used to hang over the recess Of the great window In ms library used commonly as reception room. where they were the more con spicuous because of the thousands e books. the busts and the pictures oY which they were surrounded. lt was from the room of the scholar that thee ancestral memorials were removed to the quarters of the historical s"cisU That happened In this wise:
 upon the death of the historian H was found that the thirteenth Item ln his will read thus: The sword ot Colonel William Prescott, worn by him in the battle of Bunker Hlli, ! give 10 the Massachusetts Historical society as curiosity suitable Go DC preserved among their eoIlecuonh' and tbe sword which belonged Co my vlfe's grandfather. Captain LfnEse or the British royal navy, who command cd one of the enemy's ships during tne same battle, give to my wlte''
 When William n. Gardiner on ApTll 14. 1889. sent letter to Robert .. winthrop. president of the Historica' society. formally conveying the infor- nation that the swords were to be- come the property of the institution he said as to the Linzee sword, "Mra. Prescott and the other heirs Of cap tain I,luzee unite in requesting noe 70 present at the same time in their oe- ! half the sword of their ancestor aiso' ., , A. .--t,heH by all thn mem