The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-06-13

the British troops across the Charles until about
5000 had landed. Then they formed in line and
about o'clock in the afternoon marched for
ward TO attack the entertainments held by some
100 Colonials. Such maneuyer was fool
hardy as had been the decision of Prescott 10
fortify the advanced position Of Breeds Hill
For Gage should have known by how well
these COlonials could shoot-Concord and Lex
ington should have taught him that. But it
hadn't. So he sent more than thousand British
solders-men Of the bulldog breed of English
courage-forward to their fate.
Prescott succeeded in holding his men in check
as the lines of the British advanced steadily
toward their breastwork. Even when the front
line halted and poured forth a volley (which did
little harm because these British regulars with
their Brown Bess muskets were far from being
good shots), there was no reply from the Cont
nentals crouching behind the hay-stufed rail-
fence. But when the marching lines of redcoats
reached point less than 80 yards away, they
were met with blast Of fire beyond the power
Of human courage TO endure. The broken lines
retreated hastily down the hill.
Under the flashing tongues and the failing
swords Of their surviving officers, the British
regulars reformed and advanced a second time,
only to be thrown back again with frightful
losses. But this time reinforcements under Sir
Henry Clinton had arrived By now Howe real
lied that another frontal attack by his infantry
meant only more slaughter. Sending the artil-
lery to make a flank attack, his soldiers ad-
vanced again with fixed bayonets. This time
they were successful mainly because the Co
lonials' supply Of ammunition had run out and
they were able to offer only feeble resistance to
the bayonet attack Of the British. They re-
treated across the narrow neck of land, which
was swept by fire from the floating batteries Of
IL l. 49,
only few casualties.
The British held possession Of the field but
they had paid terrible price for it-a total of
1854 killed and wounded. The Continentals'
losses were little over 400 1t was both a VIC
tory and defeat for them. It was victory In
so far as 1t proved that unframed militia, fight
ing behind breastworks and commanded by such
men as William Prescott Israel Putnam and
John Stark could hold their own against British
regulars. Moreover, the news Of how they had
repulsed two assaults and were forced to retire
only when their ammunition was exhausted
greatly stifened the morale Of the Patriots It
the oppression of the British king and his min
listers, and helped sow the seeds of q desire for
independence from the mother country.
1t was a defeat in that the Continentals had
been driven from their position and had lost
heavily-more than 25ec 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
ciplined regular army. They could not then
foresee the bitter years ahead which would prove
otherwise.
So the Battle of Bunker Hill, which was
fought on Breeds Hill and which was both VIC
tory and defeat, became landmark In Amer
lean history. 1t did something more-it gave to
America one of her most famous historical paint
ings and one Of her greatest orations.
On the afternoon Of June It. IT'S the roof
tops of Boston were crowded with her cti-
zens 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 John Trumbun and
he the son of Jonathan Trumbull, the yen-
cradle governor of Connecticut, the only gov
ernor who took the side of the Patriots instead
of the British at the outbreak OF the Revolution.
Incidentally he was the to whom George
Washington referring when, faced by some
perplexing problem he remarked TO his staff Of
fcers I'VE must consult Brother Jonathan" At
ter while Brother Jonathan became the per-
sonifcation Of the United States and continued
TO be that until it replaced by the familiar
figure of Uncle Sam"
Young John Trumbull did not long remain in
the obscurity of a heutenancy. He made
sketch of the disposition of the British forces
around Boston (obtained at great personal risk
for he made il while creeping fat on the ground
near the enemy lines) which won him a position
as aide-decamp on the staff of Washington, soon
after the Virginian was appointed commander
in-chef OF the Continental forces
In June, 1T76. he became deputy adjutant gen.
eral with the rank of colonel under General
Gates at Tieonderoga. There he tried to tell
Gates engineers that Ticonderoga was untenable
unless they fortified certain commanding emil
hence in the neighborhood. But they refused to
listen 10 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 A short time later
angered because the Continental congress had
dated his commission two and a half moths
later than il should have been. he resigned from
the service and returned TO Boston to continue
the painting which he had determined TO make