The mirror., 1919-06-26
BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL
What the Historic Battle Meant to the Revolutionary
Cause-Won Struggle for Colonists

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Cbarlestown. at Dorchester and
adjacent points.
The arrival of such formidable
force of the enemy caused the
gravest concern to the colohists.
1t was rumored that the British
would sally forth from Boston and
burn the neighboring towns. 1t
was to prevent this that the Amer
cans 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, the continental position
would be made untenable.
Not an unnecessary sound was
made during the long hours of the
night of June 16, 1875. 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 ships and by the
buttery on Copp's hill the Ameri-
cans kept steadily at work COM
pleting their intrenchments and,
when there was slight show of
faltering after shot better
directed than the others had done
some execution in the trenches,
Prescott himself mounted the
works and marched to and fro
with drawn sword, regardless of
the fact that he was mark for
the British. He thus preserved
the courage of his men who had
never before been under fire.
1t was about three O clock in the
afternoon when the British troops,
supported by a terrific lombard
advanced in solid column against
the Notifications. Confidently they
approached the works of the
Americans, constituting the silence
on the hilltop as timidity. They
changed their attitude on this
point when they arrived within
few hundred feet of the redoubt.
The Americans had been ordered
to refrain from firing until the
command was given. Thus it was
the British advancing over the
open stretch of ground, painting
from the heat and the weight of
their knapsacks, heard the word
@''Fire!'' at the moment of their
supreme confidence, and recoiled
before volley that moved down
many of their number. i.
A deadly fire was poured into
the British columns, the marks
men of the Americans picking off
the officers. Along the whole line
of Notifications, from the rail
fence to the redoubt, the British
columns advanced a second time
and once more we're met with
deadly fire. Now. however, they
were prepared for it; although
staggered by the shock, they
soon rallied and continued their
advance. The Americans fired
with such rapidity that it seemed
as if a continuous stream of fire
poured out from the redoubt.
Although the field was strewn
with their dead, the British again
. attempted to take the American
position. Prescott had sent for re-
endorsements early in the day and
John Stark, with his New Hamp-
/ shire company, had courageously
/ crossed Charlestown neck under a
severe fire from the enemy. But
the hazard of the attempt deferred
, other commanders from bringing
troops to the support of the brave
i. Prescott.
: With ammunition almost ex-
: hausted and troops tired out from
4 the strain to which they had been
! subjected, Prescott realized the
t fultility of holding his position in
9 the face of repeated attacks by the
: reformed and REINFORCED British
i lines. Nevertheless, he determined
0 lagain to measure his strength with
RI Continued on pag 5. column s.,