The Coolidge examiner., 1935-06-14

the British troops across the Charles until about
s.ooo had landed Then they formed in line and
about O'Clock In the afternoon marched for.
ward to attack the entrenehments held by some
800 ColonialA
Prescott succeeded In holding his men in check
az the lines OF the British advanced steadily
toward their breastwork. Even when the front
line halted and poured forth a voley (which did
little harm because these British regulars with
their Brown Bess muskets were far from being
good shoisl. there no reply from the Cont.
nentAls crouching behind the hay-stufYed rail-
fence. But when the marching lines OF redcoats
reached a point less than 20 yards away. they
met with a bias, Of Ere beyond the power
Of human courage 10 endure. The broken lines
retreaied hastily down the hill.
Under the ashing tongues and the FALLING
swords OF their surviving officers. the British
regulars reformed and advanced second time.
only TO be thrown back again with frightful
losses But this time reIntorcemenis under Sir
Henry Clinton had arrived. By uow Howe real.
red that another frontal attack by his infantry
meant only more slaughter. Sending the artll
lery to make n nank attack. his soldiers ad-
vnnced again with fixed bayopeis This time
they were successful mainly because the Co
lonlAls supply Of ammunition had out and
they were able 20 offer only feeble resistance 20
the bayonet attack OF the British. They re.
treated across the narrow neck of land. which
was swep, by IRE from the floating batteries Of
the British In the Charles river but which caused
only few casualties.
The British held possession OF the neld but
they had paid n terrible price for It-a total OF
l.054 killed aud wounded. The Continentals'
losses were a little over 900 II was both vic
tory and defeat for them II was n victory In
f.r 4 Fkas F..f.s
ing behind breastworks and commanded by such
men as William Prescott. Israel Putnam and
John stark could hold their against British
regulars
IL was a defeat In that the Continenlas had
been driven from their position and had lost
heayily-more than 25st Of their forces killed or
wounded But even more serious was the fact
that this battle created the impression that vic
tory could be won by partly trained militia and
that II was not necessary To have a well-dIs
clpllned regular army. They could not then
foresee the bitter years ahead which would prove
otherwise.
so the Battle OF Bunker Hlli which was
fought on Breeds Hin and which was both a vic
tory and defeat. became n landmark In Amer
lean history. IL did something more-it gave to
America one OF her most famous historical paint
lngs and one OF her greatest orations.
on the afternoon OF June II. ITT5 the roof
tops OF Boston were crowded with her clti-
who followed with painful intensity the
ebb and flow OF the struggle up and down
Breeds Hill Up on Roxbury heights there was
another watcher OF that stirring scene-a nine
teen-year-old lieutenant In the First Connecticut
regiment His name was John Trumbun.
Young John TrumbuIl did not long remain in
the obscurity of a lleutenancy. He made' a
sketch Of the disposition OF the British forces
around Boston which won him a position as
aide-de-camp on the staff OF Washington.
In June, 17T6. he became deputy adjutant gen.
eral with the rank of colonel under General
Gates at Ticonderoga. There he tried to tell
Gates engineers that Ticonderoga was untenabe
unless they fortified a certain commanding emi.
nence In the neighborhood. But they refused TO
listen TO the young Connecticut officer and did
not fortify the place. As a result the British
forced the evacuation OF Ticonderoga by oc-
cupying that very hill 4 short time later
angered because the Continental congress had
dated his commission two and a half months
later than II should have been. he resigned from
the service and returned to Boston to continue
the painting which he had determined to make
his life-work before the outbreak OF the war In
ierrupted him
But Trumbull could not stay away from the
battlefield long. He next became a volunteer
aide-de-camp under General Sullivan in Rhode
Island and remained until his physical condition
made II imperative that he get away from the
rigors OF army life. In 1850 he went TO Paris
where he told Benjamin Franklin of his desire
TO study painting under the great Benjamin West
In London Through Franklin's influence with
Lord Germain, British foreign minister, Trum-
bull was received In Vests studio and put to
work alongside young american named Gilbert
Stuart destined for future fame as 're painter