The New York Herald Newspaper, June 8, 1875, Page 3

a ——— WHO WAS THE EKO ? George E. Ellis’ Letter on the Battle of Bunker Hill. Colonel Prescott Entitled to the Principal Honor. THE ENGAGEMENT. ‘Why the Commandant Gave an Order to Retreat. —_— fe rae Eorros ov rus Henarp:— At the time of the skirmishes at Lexington and Copcord, om April 19, ITT, there were 4,000 British troops in Heston, Mutual rancor, Insoit and ridl- f boLR parties. it re- quired bat little forem@nt to perceive thar the nee end outrage On the par or througe the t sistance on the part of the Prov: Governor huving dismoived the tated provimcial Assembiy, the poopie organ: setablished and recoguized one of their o which made provisios for legisiatuve and execu- live imoctions, Several witnor acts of open de- | Sance were boldly ventured. Toe people in the Country towns reconstructed their mititia Companies, formed themscives into corps « “mmute mea,” cleaned op thelr fowl img pieces, and beat what bits of oid jead or iron they could Mad sbout their farms Or Workshops into luge to salt the calibre of their guns, The provinee horities meanwhile | began to di together such resources as they | fad in the shape Of military stores, Ibese were thought vo be in safe amd central places, at Worcester and Concord, It was to destroy those im Concord that the enterprige of April 19 Was un. | dertaken. A description of localities is necessary for 6 foll understanding of what ts to follow by those ‘who live at 4 distance irom the scene and even by many who live near to tt, ae Ite features have been essentially changed. Any one Who a ly dred years ago could have risen in a balloon some two of three bundred feet above the waters of Boston harbor would have jooked down upon & very striking configuration of land beneath him, The sight would have somewhat resembled the atreteved- fingers of a gigantic hand, save that the fogers were thickest at tocir extremities. ‘The bottom of Massachuseti# Bay, tm the centre of which is Bostou, presented @ fringe of Promontories or peniusuias, attacbed to the maine land by narrow broad’ margin of salt mares, surfaces rising im their centres to eon- erable eminences, Uf these the sites vi Boston and Charlestown resembied each other enough to be twins. The area of solid iaud in bos ton was then @ hitle more than 1,000 acres: oy Charlestown a little less. Charles Kiver, wholly free from bridges and causeways, and more than double ite present width, rollea between them, Ginding there tts mouth, On the other side of Charlestown fowed the Mystic, making a junction with the Charles, One might stand on the narrow neck which untted Cparicstown to the solid jand leading to Cambridge and Medford and tossa stone into the waters of either river, In the same way Boston was united to the maimiand of Rox- bigh tides washed, and which had a wide border Dn eltner side of oozy and impassable marsh. These two pear-shaped peninsulas, by their pecul- lar features and configuration, bad quite ao im- portant bearing on tne character of the battle, THE BRITISH ARMY OF POUR THOUSAND TROOPS nd marines, with transports, armed ships, gun boats, gondolas #14@ varges in fuil supply, Bad thosen Bostoa for its fleld of operations. The neck Attaching it to Roxpurg was strongly fortified. ‘The most aesiraole object to the Provincials was, of course, to be wholly rid of the presence of tae overawing representative Of & bateiul, despotic Ruthority, The next object to be secured was, if | they would not go off by the pater, to prevent their making an enlargement of their close quar- ters by an inroad into the country at any point. Their camp in Boston was overlooked by heights on the north side, In Charlestown, and on the south side, in Dorchester, while several bliis, ad- mitting effective strengthening, rose at @ short distance beyond their intrenchmenws on Roxbury Neck. None of these surrounding beigntws had been occupied by either party at the time when the British sent the detachment to Concord to destroy the Provincial stores, The Continental Congress, then sitting in Potladel- phia, had not yet ruptured the bond of allegiance to Britain, bat was still trifing over debates on remonstrances, supplications and pacificatory measures. When the demoralized Britisn forces Were straggling back, exhausted by their excur- sion to Concord, fired on by the outraged iarmers and mechanics from behind walis, iences and bushes, along the whole line of their retreat, they made @ temporary stand for the night on the Heights of Charlestown under the protection of ‘heir armed vessels, Perhaps, as the event proved, it might have been wiser for them wo have remained ti and held their position, Bome of these redco: however, were to revisit the spot under @ change of circumstances. Tne Pxpedition to Concord had put the maten tothe arain. THR OUTRAGED PARMERS AND MECHANICS, with their ministers and local orators, under their spontaneous organization as minute men, Assemoled from all the country towns, and by despatch ent by post riders drew like sympa- thizers trom the hills of New Hampshire and the meadows of Rhode Island and Connecticut, An extemporized army, as yet unorganized, without Yegulurly commissioned and ranked officers, Volunteers all of them, rushed to the scene, mak- ing Cambridge a central camp, and stretching its wings nearly rouni the arms of the bay. There Were among them a few men of some military ex- perience and skili wio bad served with the En- | giish forces in the Fretch and Indian wars but Giteen years previously. These were avaiiabio for general and subordinate officers. They Were for the most part courageous, heroic Bnd sternly-resolved men in their patriotic pur- pose, Ti file of the so-called Provincial army Was of such material, elements and character as wight be expected of “minute men.” They were ready to rush loosely together to meet au gency in their own way, measuring their responsibility by their own wil and means, not yet enlisted, as {ree to leave any particular place as they bad been to come to it, without accoatre- Ments or military supplies, bringing their owa food or having it sent to them from time to time by their respective towne, and knowing that they had hurriedly lett their farms, workshops and families at the very season of the year when they Were most needed for labor at their own homes, The Provincial Congress of Massachusetts nad inuing in attempting to organize these jor ite Own army. General Artemas Ward, an old soidier, had been made Commander- in-Culel, others had beea appointed to yeneral command—among them the pairiot, Joseph W. ren, though not yet commissioned—and had at- tewpted to fii subordinate fleid positions with erence to the preferences and partialities of men, Who had been Wont to chouse their own oMcers. At the time o/ the battle in Charlestown there may havo been some 16,000 of these Provin- tai soldiers stretched im the lines between Rox- cury aud Chelsea. It sevms to have been uncer stood that the allies from New Hampsnire, Con- Decticut and Roode Island, who had their own officers, would, while Wituin tais province, be un- der the orders of its Commander-in-Onie The 4000 British troops in Boston at tue time of the affair at Concord hau increased to at Toast 10,000 at the time of the battle in Cuaries- | | | been put under the protection of their armed ves- | ing upon the He | wl the members of the Committee of Sarety. NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1875—TRIPLE SHEET. tewn. Many of these were still in the transports iu which they had arrived, some, indeed, having come on the @ky before the engagement, and being landed for the first time to take part in it found their graves on the soll where they first Put.their feet The British General Gage nad allowed such inhabitants of Boston as de- sired Lo do 80 ve it, without their arms, and under @ prot not Yo engage in hostilities against him. , howeve:, remained to wok alter their a, “Perhaps au equal number with ‘those whorieitt, having tory prociivities, weut inyo it for fro nh from the surrounding coun- pay 2a may have been 18,000, suffer- jwding ana the lack of fresh pro- RITISH BLUNDERS. At the close Of the Revolutionary War it was charged and admitted, alike on both sides of the water, that whole management of nearly every action aid campaign on the part of the British War Deparrment and its generals here had been a series of blunders. Reproach, ridicule and official ynvestigations and censures were ‘Visited on all the parties successively responsible tn th iter, These 1eproaches began with the severest strictures upon General Gage in the planning, method and conduct of the engage- ments at Charlestown. Despatches had just been inclosed to him Jor. his future direction in command here when his returns of the affair In Charlestown reached the Ministry, and additional despatches were at once transmitted recalling wim and transierring the command to General Howe, who ied the British forces in the assault upon Breed’s Hill. It wag very easy to subject the method and the disastrous results. of that affair on the part of the British to sarcastic and censorious criticism. But, however mueh of reason there may have been 1a charging biunde: ad Mismanagement upon the mode of assatling Provincial works, it seemed as if Gage bad been unpardonably delinquent in not bavi ticipated the Provineials in the occupa- thon of ti is. AS already suggested there had been an opportunity to do this when the red coats returned from their inglorious excursion to Con- eord, The heights could at any moment have Provinciais were artillery that sels, a8 the provided with have offered little hindrances, Gage had, % seems, waked up to the necessity ofenlarging and extending the area of his camp and of preventiog the rebela irom having the ob- so poorly they could another lower summit, now marked by the monument as the scene of the principal action, the slope of which brought it the nearest to Bos ton, the river fowilng between it and Copp’s Hill, Boston, distant about haifa mile. The peainsuia of Charlestown terminated near the mouth of the Mystic, where the bridge to Chelsea wow opens, in @ still lower elevation known a8 Mouiton’s Hilt and Moulion’s Point, {t would seem that while residents distinguished these three summits by tueir respective names they were called by ote by the general designation of Chariestowa Heights or Bunker Hill, If the Provjncials could have occupied and In- trenched both Bunker and Breed’s Hill, it would of course have been for their advantage. But evidently it was essential that the summit nearer to Boston should have been first secured. 1t does not appeur that the object of the enterprise wi to give the Provincials the means of assaulting the enemy in Loston, but to prevent their atrain- ing possession of the Heights. Mucu precious ume, however, Was spent alter the detachment had crossed the Neck iu deliberating at what ele- vation they should construct their first works, BARTHWORKKS ON BRERD’S HILI. Decision being reached, the lines were drawn on Breed’s Hill for a redoubt abont eight rods square, and the digging began at midnight. The sally port, with its blind, was on the Mystic side, and an earthen breastwork was begun on a line with the Boston side of the redoubt, This was supplemented by an outwork 600 teet to the rear of it and with @ gap of 700 teet betwen them which there was not time to fill. The outwork Wasa stone wall, about two feet high, with posts supporting two rails. Other fencing matter was hastlly gathered, and, being set parallel to this, the space between was filled with the new mown hay on the ground, This ran down toward the river, and proved of great service during the day and also in aiding the final retreitof the Pro- vincials when dilven from the redoubt, A few straggling trees and one or two barns were also turned to account. It is remarkable how effective these works were, considering how little time and how scant the material afforded for them. ‘They served for protecting the legs, of wuich our soldiers were especially thoughsiul, J. was even more remarkable that these prepa- rations should have been made on a quiet, star- lignt night, with a waning moon about midnight, while the enemy had no knowledge of what was going on in such close proximity, At least four of their armed vesseis were floating in the channel A PLAN OF THE AETI HUSEEZS HILL, on the 17" of June 1775. BETWEEW HISMAJESTYS TROOPS. UNDER THE COMMAND OF UY GENERAL HO AND THE REBEL FORCES. By Lieut PAGE of the Engine Whe acted 24 hide ‘cusewny “Harrow Pass ineers. Generatifowe in that Acson- Breeds ill a Hoston Were soon vivihic, theugh it was not tii! after the meridian that Weir barges, leavi Whert with their tuliy equipped men and their ebundant armaments, crossed tae barber and ade @ landing at Moulton's Point, By # viuader of (heir marter of ordnance the shot waicn he sent over was too large for their ca’ The error, Whick Was wot rectified ia season to ald thetr first Provinetais, yards, and the inirencoments, also impeded their move- ments. ‘The regulars, to the number of about two thou- sand, were nader the commana of General lowe. As #002 a8 he perceived the streagth of the Pro- vincial Works and the Bature of the impediments vefore him he sent & request to Geserai Gave for reinforcements. These isaded at the present site of the Navy Yard. Burgoy nd Clinton, from the battery oo Copp's Hill, aided the Gre irom the snipe, The latter, at @ critical polot im the con- flict, mortided by what he bad seen in two pulses of the reguiara, came over him#el! as a vol- unteer witn more reinforcements. Taking Ito account with the rank and file of the Buglies army on the ground, the mari vessels and the battery on Copj abie force of the enemy actu, the day, it is fair to ass 5,009 as their numoers, There certainly were not more than 3,000 serviceadie men engaged on the aide of the Provincials, We nad but six pieces lery, and these were poorly served and little execution, THE ACTION. Without going into details, it is sumMlcient to make a general summury of tie eveni# of the day. While the first detachment of tne | regulars were waiting the arrival of their reinforcements, they rested leisurely on Moulton’s Hill and partook of a hearty lune with some comforting draughts. The sicht was an aggravation to the wearied men in the re- doubt, who bad no food and no water, under a scorching sun. There had been two barrels of water in the redoubt, but these had been stove by ashot from one of the ships. General Warren arrived at the intrenchments just as the action was to commence and avowed his purpose tp serve asa volunteer. A noble act, especially as he had thought the enterprise anadvisable. ‘There were two points ior attack and defence to divide the attention of the British com- mander—ihe redoubt and the rail fence. Oar VIEW OF CHARLESTOWN 4. PROM BEACON HILL.BOSTON. Froviingham # Siege at Buston ge of possessing the heights on | teuful spies and iniormers, a few service. vious adv either side of of tne evemy And to communicate intelligence by signals or by crossing the river in skit, and ev at night, In this way it come to the the Provincials that the British forers we attempt the occupation of the Hegtts of Dorene teron June is. It waste anticipate this move. | ment that the Provincials resolved to give the enemy business on the other side of them by seiz- ts Of Charlestown. THE AMERICAN PLana, | Thus the whole movement om our part was a | hurried one, unprepared, Without opportunity jor celiberate and the provision Of resources, aud more t Gil, it was not approved by @ of OUT oMeers nor | Warren, tae most couspicuons victim on our sige, had not countenanced it. Prescott snd Puna were ardentiy in (aver of it, These fee are to be kept in View as sccousting for and to o large extent palliating, the lack of concert, tae conm- Sion, the disorder ani characterized tue condac’ On oUF part, HOtW:thstanding (he berole setiow of the mea who wrougnt 6nd defeaded tne intrenen ments on Breed’s fid, There hag wot been © one whole vay for preparavion. On the aftergoun of Jane 16 General Ward issues an order to Colonel Willem Prescott, of Groton, woo bad been an officer tn the Frenen war, to take With bin @ detachment of about oceupy, intrem town. Alter @ preyer from the present of college on Cambridge Common the expeditic started at about Hine w'clock, Deeding the -ecresy carts laden With tae intrenching tools town Neck, The orde the Coma which had ¢tree “Bunker Hil.” as tae spot for the imtrencomenrs, | tu the o@ciai report of Occupancy of tae other summit, Vis., Breed’s Mul, Was & mistake, The | Teasou and pertinency of this opera vn pear to us. §=Of tm ¢ elevations Pevianale of | Chariestowa, three are involved im the affair on | Pi 17, 1776, The bighest o/ these, called bunker Hii, wae jartbest from Boaton, A valley of low ground Bad some pasture jand separated tals trom of the Charles. Prescott, with a guard, went down to the shore to make sure against a surprise. Me heard the cries of the sentries, “All's well,” and went back (o keep his men vigorously at ‘work on the loose earth of their defences. The morsing “ght broke early on that, one of the jongest days of the year. Almost with its first beams, Which exposed the Intrepid laborers on Bree Mul and the nature of their midnight work, a booming gun irom one of the vessels, iy followed by a voliey, arouved eping population of Boston, citizens and soldiers, to come forth and contemplate the scene. t and consternation seized upon them, as from housevops, trees and every height of ground that admitted ofa y realized that pregnant with some vital lesues. ‘The earthworks had been raised to between six and seven d already afforde | so suMicient & protection that the shot irom the vessels had ba @ eect. The men continued to work en trenchmen(s undi near noon. They bad come uyor the growed toe previous nignt with the aqderstanding or expectation that they eed tm the merning. some of them seemed to talk that afer their exhausting toll they Ooght to be relieved by a frown force tur the delence of the works, A portion o! the oMice ie & COUnEH called by Prescott, were of th Opiates, and ev otesies against the exaction of the DOURLE DOTY 10" WEARIED MEY. Bat Prescott was Grm io insisting that the men whe had reteea the works were best fitted and ve ftuparted to most 9 teem bis own ard tion and courage, set. them that ¢ Woud not ve hkely to attempt a direct Tee CoW.Urlow ana disiraction Whica characterized a t# of the Provineials outside ot the intr the rematoder of the d: were lary able to doubt and anxiey on (et part G Genera! Werd as to the provabie plane of Md the neck © town aod mace au Com- Heaton Sue Camoriuge terribly hagarauus, and Gut of be centre of comp. $0 it was alike naz aréoas to sabject reinforcing parties to the perle of the causeway and to reduce the force that mighi be neeied at Camuridg as was, the @hemy Kept Gp taroeugh the day a Vigorous Dombarament of Koxbury to engage at- With ther armed vessels they | weak point was the undefended gap between them, Our mein defetency was the lack of am- munition and bayonets. The enemy made three distinct assaults on both parts of our works. In the first two they were repulsed with great loss, our men, by direction and the stern oversight of Prescott and Stark, reserving their fire till the foe waswithin x or eight rods, After the second assault and Its repuise Howe sent over orders to Burgoyne, on Copp'’s Hill, to set fire vo the town. He was obeyed, and tne thickly settled part of Charlestown, the ho of which had been mostly deserted, was laid in ashes, The Britisa officers were mortified and maddened at seeing “the finest soldiery in the world’ compelled twice to show their backs to @ handful of rustics whom they had represented as Mere poitroons, Some of the regulars were so stricken with panic as even to make ior their boats, Their officers we: en to goad them on and prick them witn their sworas for the second and third assaults. The third assault was successtul. There were then less than two hundred men in the redoubt, their ammunition was speat, and not fifty of them had oayonets. But they made a gullant stand to the last, They clubbed their muskets and evea threw the loose bivody stones around them at the invaders, Howe had discovered the weak point in our defences, and vy a vigorous rush behind the breastwork he carried it, ‘Tne men ielt in it, now im effect unarmed, retreated by leave of Prescott, A little tonger defence at the rati fence protected this retreat, though Warren jell jast after ne jelt the redonoe, TH HEROIC PROVINCIAL COMMANDER of the day, taouga conspicuously exposiug himself aod in peril during the wholes action, escaped un- harmed, his apparel pierced and rorn. Prescott had beea #0 undaunted by the scene and its re- suit that, on his retwru to Camoridge, he im- plored General Ward to give tim two fresh regi- mente, promising to retake the ground that night. He complained bitterly tha: he had not Been reimiorced, as he Nad sent an urgent appeal im the forenoon by Major Brooks, afterward Governor of the State, for such reitef The cir- curdstances already referred to, wnien jeft Ward so uncertain about the movements of the enemy and the extreme difficulty of passing any large companies Of Men &cross Charlestown Neck, must, at least, account jor the seeming ineficiency of ¢ Provincial Commandaer-iu-Cuiel As to y bdiunders committe on either side ring the wrole action it would bo difl- tention Io tat direction, Their preparations in | cult to say on which side thoy wore the more aggravated and mortifying. The burly figare of F am on horset haa been seen coursing Over the whole fleld, except perhaps at the redouvt, during the «ay. | Twice, at least, he roge between Cam- | bridge and Coarlestown. His consuming wish and purpose were to have banker Hul tutrenehed and occupied, ani even alter the retreat from the redoubt and rail fence began he implored the men to make a stand on that higner summit, Bur what eouid they nave Gone there? There was notat the time powder enough in the Cambridge camp, | hardly even in the Province, to have enadied the men to hoid that summit, even had it been fortl- Sed, against the regiments and the marines of the | Uritish, There were otmer hills close by in Charlestown, Cambridge and Medfora whicn answered the purpose of the Provinciais for their further work as well or better than would bave been an exposed occupancy of Bunker | Mill afver they had lost Breea’s Hill, THE CASUALTIES of the day’s action on the side of the Provinclals were—1i6 killed, 805 wounded dnd 30 taken prison- ers—to 411 460, Im his return to tue British War Department General Gage acknowledged a loss of 1,064 men, among whom were 13 commissioned of- fieers killed and 70 wounded, Of course !t was thongit by the Provincials that he would under- | state wis loss, which they estimated at 1,500, His owy gain to the Mair was in the privilege of occu pying and detending Charlestown, a8 weil as Bos- ton, strong fortifications were raised: by him on both bills, During the heats of summer, while toe pumber of the sick and wounded in Boston aimost bred a@ pestilence there, the enlarge- ment of bis quarters, to even go slight a& degree, was a gain to bim, but the winter's cold and storms were an equivalent offset, In the meanwhile the Provinciala strength- ened “their lines through their whole circuit. Wasbingion arrived at the camp as the nation’s chief military oficer on July 3, and superin- tended ail the measures tor organizing the army, closely beleaguering the enemy, In tne follow. ing March Geueral Howe, who succeeded Gage, uaving strangely neglected to occupy the heights of Dorchester, these, after much secret prepara- tion, were deliberately secured by the Provincials, many circumstances favoring them. Howe was then beneath their guns, which, however, could not be turned upon Boston without injury to our property. Time therefore was allowed the un- welcome visitors to pack up and take to their sbipa, GEORGE E. ELLIS. | | | { PLAW OF REDOUNT 8O OF DUNKERS HILL NEW JERSEY AND THE CENTENNIAL, The Centennial Commissioners of New Jersey have issued the following circular under the date of June 10, 1875:— First—Toe Iniernauonal Centennial Exhibition to be held next year, in Vitiadelphia, will be opened on May 10, 1876, and continue for six ng Novemper 10 of the same year. xnibition will bring thousands of visitors daily, not ouly fiom all parts of our own country, but from every part of tne civilized pho offering a rare opportunity of snowing gvods. Third—It is twportent, therefore, that New Jer- sey Snould be re.resented in every department of productive industries, as weil as her choice nat- Ural products, aud by this means open new mar- Kets for her muitiplicity of maanusactured articles, Fourth—In order to take ull advautage of tots uneqnaile chance of displaying goods, It Is of he Ut O8t Importance that applications Jor apsee be made ut the eariest possiole moment. FPiUA—A paupalet giving full directions about the c.asstfication of goods for exbivition will be Matied to ail appitcauts from’ this office, Sizih—The exhiottion of biooded stock and bor- ticultural products will tuke place during the Moutus of September and Octever, 18" Pall ai- rections for these will be sent out of tuis office at an eariy date. is imveuded for exhibition | Must be grown in 1875. | Seventh—Yae reception of goods for exhibition | at tho vutldings wii begin on January close three mouths later, April 6. Ali occupied by April 9 will be forfeited. Bighih—Avaress the Sec; Centennial Commission Oflce, Trentou; or box 19 Newark Post UMce. Any communications may also be forwarded through the District Commissioners. SAMUEL C, BROWK, President, | P, T. QuINN, Secretary. ~ A REVOLUTIONARY RELIC. RESTORATION TO INDEPENDENCE MALL OF THE INKSTAND USED BY THE SIGNENS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. PHILADELPHIA, June 7 An interesting ceremony took piace at Inte- pendence Hall this morning, Standing beside the table on which ine Deciaration of Inde; nee signed Mayor Stokley received (rem the hands of Major Etting, the indosatigabie geaueman who has charge of the restoration of the old hall, an Anctent silver mkstand, which there is every reason jor believing Was the one used by the im- Mortal siguers on the 4th of July, 1 Taols in- Faluable und authenticated relic consists of & sil- | ver tray, With a#agd box in the middie and an | inkuo.der on e@@h side, it Was made by Philip | Syng, silversmith, and cost £25 16s, Ite use, first by the Generai Assembly, then by the President of Congress, tien by the signors of the Declaration, tuea by General | parently enjoying the adventure, | Of the sterner sex seeking shelter as Jast as thelt Wasuington aod a@iterward at | Was aimost instantly IG Harrisburg by a long suceession of Speakers of thé Legisiatu: owi to isda, invests this Revolu- unary relic Witn & pecudar interest, THE LerTes. The (ollowing letter gives the history of thig curiosity :— ‘To His Kxeelieney Joun F. Mantraxrr, Governors— Ihave the hohor to place in your hands au anéient i lund aud saad Lox, the history ot which Is as tol- there om uaa nin; uh was pla an be an t time. tr t Vuksiaiad Us ¥ the Pre o tivental Com sat the time the Veclarativa of Ameri cau Invepeudence was signed. | wok great interest te obtain as muca information as Was possible to i wud made inquiries on the subject, daring Seeding 1849, from then aged publat os (i 3 suc and the sult of my investigations re: in ecoavivemy me of the wentuty of this with that used by the first Comgress. Tne ~ venerable Thowas . Burrows, aticrwards su perintendeat of Com told’ ime that be had Made minute inquirs this stand many years previously, and tha 9 doubt that it wis Sune that held the uk used by tho signers of the Declarar tion. The iate Hoa. | homas Nicholson, Who will Te. monibered as 4 mua who required the most posiave and conclusive evidence to cot ee his pn .. ‘ that this wa tbe “inde. cident will show how e eit on the subject. When thusiastic believer in the pendence inkstand,’? much Harrisburg wat tureatencd by tue revel army in, 1865 ue came rrouully to me and said, “If the Fel into Harrisourg be sure and hide im ¢ Place “independence Inasiand.”) | Tule im stand has been in my custod: uninierruptedly ever since i849, and I can vouch for it being the one re. ferred to by the gentlemen 1 have named. It was used ‘years prior to 1549 by Speakers of the House itatives. Ihave been particular in thus es 3 identity in order that otners who may ation r rding it, from 1776 to 184%, may be gi Uuis is the saine’ oue used to my! certala t that period by the speakers of the House, 1 to be the ‘Independence Tokstand.’ The the Centennial anniversary of our tue fers it particulirly appropriate that ced tn your custody il oem proper. Wi ogiloney may doem a koe YY SUMS A SM ULL Gisposition as xour much respect J am yours, £c., Haunissuna, April 19, 1875. WEST POINT. A RAINSTORM AND A CAVALRY DRILL—A MAG NIFICENT SCENE AMONG THE CLOUDS. JUNE 7, 1875, it was quite a stormy day to-day in the High Jands, a storm day of that kind which can only be witnessed in the Old Cro’ Nest Gorge. The gre: black ¢louds swept from the northward, rashing down the hills, urged on by @ roaring wind, which rufied the waters of the river into a perfect seething mass of milk-like foam. When the wind struck the hotel the trees about bent almost double, and the building seemed to fairly quiver under THE MIGUTY WEIGHT. ‘The clouds as driven fought savagely for mastery over one another, and during the struggle there Went up smati feecy clouds, ligater in appearance than the great ones beneath. For @ moment the darkness was intense, but suddenly the rain came down in torrents, and there went up on all sides bright GOLD-EDGED CLOUDS, which seemed to dance with joy ior the brightne: thrown upon them. Then there was @ calmaess of tue Waters far to the north, and the strange sight was seeh of @ rainstorm at one place and Ciear sky With the sun shining brightly at anocnel simultaneously, The Board of Visitors were de lighted wita . THE STRANGENESS OF TUR SIGHT. Owing to the storm the drill was a cavalry dril and, of course, clicited the applause of even t jadies, Who had been driven bejore the wind on the plains 12 @ muco less graceful way than had the Vassar girls before toe bayonets of the cadets. The wind in its capers had one advantage over the Women that the oudets had not—it did not care whether it wus talked at or uot, The ex- aminations are still progressing finely. THE VASSAR LADIES AT WEST POINT—CADETS INDIGNANT— UNFAIR CRITICISMS BY “ONE OF BENNY HAVENS’ BOYS” AND ‘‘A GRAY CADET.” Wese Pout, N, Y., June 6, 1875, To Tug Eprron or Tuk HeRALD:~ We ask tie privilege of a few words concerning the articles lately pablished in your columus, signed “Que of Benny Havens’ boys” apd “A Gray Cadet.” There is general indignation among cadets at the tone assumed in tuese commudica- tions; and we feel sure that no one of our aumber isthe ungailant author of them. If we cannot disown them, we will at least their sentiments, We hope the fair students of Vassar will not for a moment believe us guilty of them and will allow no outside scribblers to affect in any way the friendly feeling which we are sure exists between them | and the corps of cadets, The writer, being # member of the Bachelor Club, is pot personally imterested except to see fair play, and desires t remove the false impressions conveyed by tnt articles reierred to. Firet, with respect to tht charge. “Oneof Benny Havens’ Boys” wishes i understood that the young ladies ran and were “scared to deatn.”” " Now we have heard their conduct spoken of with admiration by many cadets, and, moreover, it was our jortune to be in their immediate vicin- ity during. the bottest of the firing, Althougt nearly surrounded and almost deafened vy we nose we did not see a single young lady run, but many of them were laughing and ape We did see two legs could carry teem. occurs to us that ite bly they were tne gullant so-styled “Woe of Benny Haveus’ Boys” and “A Gray Cadet,” for such duet only could be expected of those so ungel ous as the above have shown themselves to be their communications. We know the ladies were den charge, as anybody natu- been under jar cireume students did nos veing barmed Jor an instant entertain an, by the charging battalion. We jorry, ludeed, to place them in such a trying position, but a to charge was given, and for no alternative. Not # plece wat re assured that Vassar was safe ited | tired until we trom barm. on their conduct was no holiday soldier, out Kne The officer wuo complim ‘hereof he spoke, and, moreover, is not given t¢ empty compliments, “A Gray Cadet” complains about extra duty Imposed upon as forthe benent of our guests. This 18 One reason why we believe him to vend cadet atall. No one of our number would have been so contemptioie as to make such complaint under any circumstances; but the trath wwe simply Went througn our regular routine of drill and ‘parade. ‘Ihego even did not seem a3 tedious” as usual, owing vo the that we were affording cutertainment to our fair visitors, What he saya about * aisory flirtation” 1s simply aosut id unworthy of no tice, except to Say that the dignified and becom- ing deportment of cur Vassar neighbors was @ sudrject oO: Common remark in the corps, affurded no opportunity tor criticism by outmiad parties. (hat we were disappointed at not being invited on board the Mary Powell is another productiog of his Drilliant imagination, We had m on ta expect suco invitation, and t! occurred to us, We would not a to accept it had such been gi be giad to take uo in de unkind remarks contaimed in the two comma Rications, but fear trespassing on your vab Uavle Space, and Would simply add a word of to the intimation that the Vassar students na¢ received Ho Juvitation to visit us, We are sur prised that such an ungallantry should come irom ope Who has takea tae liberty to him. if “One of Benny Havens’ Boys.” Inthe frst place, we are nol aware that any invitation in such & case Is necessary, and moreover, we know that there Was no foundation for this Vi r will never fail in tt# anoual visit to W Point jor want of invitation irom the corps of cadets. We hope that hereafter any eo iy- lng 0 SOW Gissensions between us eunfine themselves to atiacks om us, largely on their imagioatio) the Hewalo, in this case we promise to ‘With (hed patiently and remain silent, A CADRT, THE COLLEGE OF PHARMACY, THE ELECTION OF A NEW DOARD OF PHARMACY, The State of 1872, “Tegalating the practice of pharmacy and the sale of potsons,” requires that the members Of the College of Pharmacy ot the city of New York sbatl, om che drat Monday is June of each period of taree years aiver 1872, ate id for that purpose, elect Sve | competent pharmacists, three of whom shail be gradaates o some legally constituted tbe city of New Yorks, to form @ Board of m: . ‘There was such a meeting last at. dent, Dr, Ballud, wes in the rt 4 Mad Mh Peixotto acted as secretary, There were twen.y-one members resent out of w Claiming to represent ever 1.109 guts. The secre re report, (rom it appeared that the college represents Lis tered druggis(s, 662 proiessors end G6 Cispensing Wed.clue to OVEF 1,000,000 oF this city. -Duriog last three years amount received (rom a) sogrees Waa the sum expended §L.718 An Board jollowed the reading of this following Damed geotLewen were UusnimoUs Vote @: twenty-one Day, Ur. Benjamia b. Hapa, Dr, Messrs. 7. Frohwein and G. Ral FATAL FALL. Tovesa Murray, aged seventeen montha, sect deutaily fell ines night out of the sume story Wie dow of No, 544 Chores patogt 0 120 sidewalk an@