Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-12-06 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE BATTLE OF BUNKERS BILL.  The Americans reserved their fire till the English were nearly at the entrenchments, when they opened with each a deadly discharge of cannon ant musketry as astonished and perplexed the British. The musketry continued one unintermitted blaze, for the men in the rear banded up to the front loaded guns as fast as the others were discharged. The English lines, amid smoke and slaughter, were swept back, numbers of the Americans shouting, in memory of past taunts, "Well, are the Yankees cowards?" Most of the men and the staff standing around !General Howe were killed, and he eared for a moment almost alone. Some of the newer troops never stopped till they reached the bottom of the hill. To add to the misery of the soldiers, they were op. presoed by their knapsacks, loaded with three days' provisions, with their muskets, one hundred and twenty-five pounds weight! though only about to scale a hill in face of their own camp, and should have been as lightly equipped as possible. This stupid management and the broiling sun doubled the arduous labour of climbing a rugged steep, up to the knees in grass, and amongst inclosures. The officers, however, speedily rallied the broken lines, and led them a second time against the murderous batteries. But here was discovered one of those disastrous pieces of mismanagement which so often disgrace our service. The balls sent from the ordenanoe department at Boston were too large for tee field pieces, and they were useless! Against the artillery and musketry of the Americans our men lead only muskets to return the fire with. A second time they gave way. But General Clinton, seeing the unequal strife, without waiting for orders, and attended by a number of resolute officers, hastened across the water in boats, and, rallying the fugitives, led them a third time up the hill. By this time the fire of tne Americans began to slacken, for their powder was failing, and the English, slurred as they were, rushed up the hill, and carried the entrenchments at the point of the bayonet. There was a loud hurrah, and the next moment the Americans were seen running for their Ewe drain the easy descent of the hill towards the blazing ruins of Charlestown. Had Gage had a proper reserve ready to rush upon the flying rout on the Neck, few of them would have remained to join their fellows. But the inconceivable imbecility which distinguished the English commanders in this war looks mere like a benumbing agency of Providence than anything in the long and glorious annals of England under usual circumstances. The flying Americans were pretty sharply enfiladed, in passing Charlestown Neck, from the Gloucester man-of-war and two floating batteries; but there the pursuit ended, and the Americans were let off with a loss of fear hundred and fifty killed and wounded, whilst we had one thousand and fifty killed and wounded, including eighty-nine commissioned officers. On our side, LieutenantColonel Abercrombie, Major Pitcairn, Major Williams, and Major Spendlove fell. The chief officer on the American side who was killed was Dr. Warren. The Americans though driven from the hill, and leaving the victorious English there, spread everywhere the boast of a splendid victory on their part; and they did not hesitate to declare that they had only five hundred men engaged against a British force of five thousand. The most correct of the American historians estimate their troops engaged that day at four thousand; but General Gage declared that the Americans were three times the number of the English, or nearly seven thousand. The battle was called the battle of Banker's Hill, though really fought on the lower, or Breed's Hill.—From " Cassell's Illustrated History of England" for December. •