Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-07-04

GERS. The loss of the Americans was
Al, out of 1,500 men engaged So the
number of casualties in this battle
was more than 80 per cent of the num-
Der in action, thus placing it among
the bloodiest battles known to history.
At Waterloo the British loss was less
than 81 per cent. No wonder that
June II is to Boston second Fourth
of July.
Battle Meant Everything.
A gallant Ioyalist of Massachusetts,
who fought so well for King George
that he rose to be full general in the
British army, regarded Bunker Hill as
a transaction which controlled every
thing that followed. "You could not"
he would say to his friends ON the
other side, have succeeded without
it."
Bunker Hill exhibited the Ameri-
cans to all the world as a people to
be courted by allies and counted with
by foes. 1t was a marvel that so many
armed citizens had been got together
so quickly and still greater marvel
that they had stayed together so long.
After the engagement at Lexington
on April 10 the British force under
General Gage was increased to 10000
men by the arrival of Generals Howe,
Clinton and Burgoyne with their COM
mands from England. These occupied
the town of Boston on a peninsula ex-
tending into the harbor The naval
| forces consisted of the Falcon, Lively,
Somerset, Symmetry, Glasgow and
| four floating batteries. Across the
Charles river at Cambridge, and on
the surrounding hills, were encamped
between 10000 and 10000 undici-
plined Americans. The British, thus
+! cut off from communication with the
mainland, were seriously hampered
for provisions, and General Gage con-
| templated a movement to occupy the
several heights near Charlestown, at
Dorchester and adjacent points.
CoIonists Alarmed.
The arrival of such a formidable
force of the enemy caused the gravest
concern to the colonists. 1t was ru-
mored that the British would sally
forth from Boston and burn the neigh
boring towns. 1t was to prevent this
that the Americans determined to
fortify Bunker Hill for if the British
should get out of the city and intrench
upon Dorchester heights to the south
of Boston, tho continental position
would be made untenable.
Not an unnecessary sound was made
during the long hours of the night OF
June 16, 1775, and when dawn came
intrenchments six feet high along the
side of the hill were disclosed. In the
face of the fire from the enemy ship:
and by the battery on Copp's hill the
Americans kept steadily at work com
pleting their intrenchments and, wheI
there was a slight show of falterint
after a shot better directed than tht
others had done some execution in thu
trenches. Prescott himself mounted
the works and marched to and FRI
with drawn sword, regardless of tn,
fact that he was mark for the Brit
ish. He thus preserved the courage O
his men who had never before beel
under fire.
British Began Attack.
1t was about three o'clock in the al
ternoon when the, British troops, SUP
ported by a terrific bombardmen
from the ships in the harbor, ad
vanced in solid column against tn
fortifications. Confidently they az
preached the works of the Americans
constituting the silence on the hillto
7 as timidity. They changed their att
' tude on this point when they arrive
t within a few hundred feet of the II
S doubt The Americans had been ol
: dered to refrain from firing until th
e command was given. Thus it was th
: British advancing over the ope
r stretch of ground, painting from tn
: heat and the weight of their knaI
4 sacks, heard the word "Fire!" at th
: moment of their supreme confidence