The New York Herald Newspaper, June 16, 1875, Page 4

4 JUNE 17, W. W. Wheildon on the Rise and | Progress of the Revolution, A Comprehensive View of the Siruggle | at Bunker Hill. =~ BOSTON AND NEW YORK. sheesh ; all oMecers, | doub:ed) How Gage Was Surprised and the British Driven Out. NE Seaheen General Warren's Death a Sign of V tory for the Colonies BEGINNING OF THE WAR, fo THe EpiToR oF THR HBRAL! Governor Everett, who waa familiar with History Of the times, says “the actual ecimen ment of hostilities in the war of the American Revolution might be satd to be accidental.” But the truth is the thrilling news of the expedition to Concord to destroy the military stores oi the colons, amd the bloody conflicts of the 19th of April, ifaccidenta! in themselves, produced effects which were serious and well considered, Partia Ment had been distinc'ly ant emphatically told that tke Port act would prodmce the unton of the colonies; ani Bancroft says, in three weeks after it reached bostan, ‘the Continent, &3 onc great Commonwealth, made the cause of Boston tts own; bor the blood spilled and the outrages committed on the 19th of April indicated war, ana the colonies so understood if, The state of the case Was most tersely and strongly expressed in @ little note from George Bancroft, in 1350, In Whick he said, “the deeds of that day made con- elilation Impossible and independence certain.” CULMINATION OF REX The batule of Bunker Hill was the clear, certain and legitimate conctusion of thet long and inter- esting chain of even 1765 to 1775, beginning with the destruction ¢ Stamp Office in Bosion, and followed successively | vy the shooting of young Snyver, the Boston mas- gacre, the desiruction of the tea, ihe excursion to Salem and the expedition te Concord, which was the culmination of the difficulties, and when Gea- eral Gage said rebellion was now ‘‘ro0 open and Mauifest to necd the opinion of law oiMcers.” | In fact It was now revoiation.”” TRE PEOPLE AROUSRD. The murderous jroceedings of Gage on tho eth of April, aroused the whole country. This was one of the most unjustifiable and barbarous io roads ever made bya civil'zed army into a civi- lized country, characterized from beginning to end by murder, acts of rapine, rebbery, theft and incendiarism, without a single feature, even that Of a lawiess and successful rald, to reteem tt. It was in no respect creditable to tue British nation or its representatives, and was censured as <e- verely in & ud as in America; bat Itexcitea | und aronsed the spirit, energy and determination Of tke people. Their military ardor was awakened and the Provincta! Coagress, which bad just con cluged te session at Concord, Immediately siterward called the people to arms; aa before ® month haa elapsed there was, in fact, am army, such as it waa, nearly equal in numvers to that of General Gage, assemvied at Cambridge, determined, a8 they were, to revence the conduct of the cnemies | of the country—whose presence they had already too long endured—and drive them out of th MATTERS TN BOSTON. Boson, which hed been denounced tn Pariia- Ment as toe “ringlead in the rebdelilon, and de- | served to be “punished” and “knocked about ng the example to New York of ¢ the tes crerboard, was at this time @ MILITARY GARRISON. There bad been Prittsh troops in Boston, more or jess, from 1 the time of the Port Act, under an execeding)y offensive act of Parilament of 1764, which authorized the King to sena troops into aay o! the colonies and quarter them om the er the Portect (June 1, 1774) went into operation the town was simply @ military garrisou, containing at the ciose of tne first year of that act at jeact 10,000 troops of all arins, sua- 4 and pro 3 by @ fleet of ships of the avy, under Admiral Graves, ali of whicn it leved wok part ip the assault apeo the littie redoubt and bav¢fa! of men on Breed’s Hill. The sbips Were the Somerset, 68 guns; Cerberus, 36; Gavgow, 24; Lively, 26; Faleom, %; Symmetry, 20—aud they must have had at ieast 1,200 wen and | beatly 200 guns, RRECTION OF FORTIFICATIONS—REMONSTR ANCES. One of the early movements unger tuis military régime was the erection of fortifications on Bos- ton Neck—the only entrance to the town except ing by means of the ferries—and this excited the utmost indignation of the people wh vhey saw vhe “vig capnons” which were mounted there. Yhe authorities of Boston protested earnestiy | against the work; the county assem! against it; the Continental Congress at Phu phia (September, 1774) remonstrated against Mt, and «the Provincial Congress of Massa- chasetts (October, 1774) protested against it. Communications, messages and committees 2 sent to General Gage concerning the matier—all wittout efect. To the Provincial Congress he sata the menaces and warlike preparation made it what you cail a foriress, wt! annoy nobody.” prised the Congress, and ency very sharpiy, necessary to construct which, anless enneyed This tast cxpresmon they reterted upon Bis Exe and claimed that tue fc whatever ue was pleased to cail it, “cutoff communication between tue country and the capital, taprisoned the many thousand inhabitamts of tne town of Bostoo,” and was a continua! amporance to that oppressed com- mualty. The letter from the Contiaeatal Con gress, comprising (#8 they took the opportunity to inform Gen sage) representatives from “ali the coiontes from Nova Scotia to Georg: very strong and decided—based upon the resolu- tion which they had adopted, that Boston and the provines of Massachusetts Nay are couridered by ali Ameri¢a as suffering in the com- mon cane tress, 0 . here Is nota single gan polnicd he town, and no men’s property bas Lesa seized; ont he admitted that “two works of eartl bad been raised, and guns put ip tpem; oid Works have been stresgshened and guna placed there likewise," and he exensed mimacif with the pie that 1s was his ¢ the bwiding and arming of these fortifications Waseem great annoyance to the proviaciais, and wuite it was In part the work of tne defene was one of the immediate moas on the battle of Bunker HNL They were tne talk mt COMp a6 indicated ina letter from @ poor soldier's wife, who wae to be feared—“tney are building & ‘ows aud so are we. We are exneoti to be barat down every day, and | veleve we sold against ITS DISTRESSED CONDITION. In the meantime the coudition of Boston Kis ‘enor twenty thonsand imbabitauss, and t64 eArrison of more than Heit as many solulers, was wetting to be depleratie, dreadiui. There are no- wero ters from #0, provincial, tory, mtit- tary and other sources Which might be quoted im Proof of this statement, All. trade, commerce, ae of ali kinds, building, mawufactoring, ac. (of by Whatever other terme ihe cocupations of @ people are 0 be descrived), were at amend. Vart- ous things were ted Aad persisted tn, such a6 rickmaking, to cmploy and occupy tne peop! bat the t 1s, a8 Money. provisions and sup pites of every (escription grew scarce ta ‘Was almost solely dependent upon denations—at first trom tee nearest towne a8 a flock of suerp Com ove tows Mbcimeford). #9ll Gum igom Mary Hea protested | towa | head, ANd 80 on from every quarter of the country va Scotia to Georgia; four and bread w York, four from Alexandria, rice from South Carolina, It came in yessel loads to the port of Salem, and in some cases, when the right } zg port could not be reached, or reached in season, | the cargoes were eold aud the money seni to the Donation Committee in Boston, Virginia, Peun- syivania and Maryiand covtributed very liberally to the relief of Boston ; ani Charlestown, as “being in the same predicament,” a8 the committee ex- pressed it, received seven per cent of all dona- tlons, IT MORAT, AND SOCIAL CONDITION. This may well be left to the tmagination of the reader when he considers the condition of things deacribed. Gage, who hat received orders (rom | the King that you “de make the town of Salem the place of your residence; that you do require &o., to attend you there,” &c., un- umd that place tacompatibie with bis safety, as tt certainly wis with lis comfort and Pleasure, So ho soon found an excuse, after the General Court bad distinctly insulted him, for re- moving to Boston and bringing the soldiers he had there with him, There wasa stateiy Prov- ince Mouse in Boston, which was doubtless some- thing in the eyes of Mrs, Gage, and there was un- questionadly some society of position ia charac- ler among the army oMcers, end more especiaily perhaps in the familtes of the mandamus council- lors, Who were tn Boston, with other tnduential tories, | But af! there was of fashion, elegance, | taste, inxury or style—Giage left at least three carriages behind him when he went to England and Howe declined to take# them away—or evon Christian wor- ship in ono portion of the city and among one | despa’ch thts in portion of the peopie, it may well be believed, | found its fall counterpart in the other, Still Gage and his retinue did the best they could toward an eojoyabie and jaxuriogs iife in the colomtal man- | sion, The discipline of the soldiers yould oc- casionauy be loose, the parades became monot- | Congress of New York the Continental Congres: | voked by this or a future Con; ports from Ireland, with troops destined to this city, t© proceed immediately to Boston, and did on Taesday | yout three leagues to the south f deliver thoae orders to the el (now @ transpert, with a part o Forty-fourth regimemt on board), Wao imme- iP d this information both from the oMicers of the troops on board of tae Spy and from some of the oMicers of the Mercury man-ol-war, From this tMlormation we are induced to con- clude that some capital stroke is meditated avainst our brethren of the Massachusetts Bay. Woe snerefore, rmation to you, that it may be kKoown to the Continental Congress. We are, geutlemen, your very huwbie servant, P. V. B. LIVINGSTON, President. To THE NeW YORK DELEGATBS IN CRNTENSIAL CON- * GRESS These delegates were Philip Livingston, James | Duane and Jona Also; PATRIOTIC COINCIDENCE. very hour this letter was written tn the Provin it is worthy of remark that propably at ba | Philadelphia was adopting tee commission of Neorge Washington, and the extemporized Pro- vincial army around Boston were Aghting wl ret | battle of tne American Revolution. It was “read by paragraphs, and aebated, 8 agreed to, and (the record says) {3 as foliows. It begins :— “THE CONGRESS, “The delegates of the United Colosies (naming the twelve) in Congress assembied, “70 GKORGE WASHINGTON, BQ. “We, reposing special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, conduct and fidelity, do by these presouts, e. “This commission to continue in force unit! re- is. By order of the Congress, JOMUN HANCOCK, President. “PHILADELPHIA, June 17, 1775."? Thos were the three great cities of the United Colenies of (hat day, Boston, New York and Phila- deiphia, variously occupied, upkeown to each other, on the 17th of June, 1775, one hundred years ago. THE COMING WAR. GAGE MUST BE DRIVEN FROM BOSTON. The question very naturally began to be consid- ered and asked—in fact had been some: time considered among vhe provinclals—how long 18 ‘uis condition of things to last? | Goston felt, and in fact wore told, that tne coun- onous, the marches outside the town, whick were | sometimes induiged tn, lacked excitement, as the | peoplt would not even look at them. There were forays snd foraging parties in ail directions, by land and wa to help out tho salt provisions. There was litue firing beyond the morning and evening gua. All else was waste of powder, and even this was sometimes indulged tn. Church and Scate were closely united, and there was preaching for the people and prayers for the | King in King's chal exclusively by lis Majesty's army and navy oMeers, no doubt with mest punctilious etiquette, sure to be kept up by the bigh offictals ana imi- on Sundays, attended aimost | tated by all who were clothed in a little brief | authority below thom, while on all other days of the week the usual monotony of camp life pre- vailed, THINGS IN NEW YORK. COMMITIER OF CORRESPONDENCE ~CONTINENTAL CONGRESS. Long vefore the battie of Bunker Hill, New York, State, county and ety, a3 in full communion with Boston, and Bancro‘t gives special credit to New York for her early, if not actually first, mov ment in the assembling of a Continental Vongress, and deciares that she anticipated Boston in this important matter. The ‘Sons of Liberty’ in New York were very active and very patriotic, and were composed qnite largely of the middling class, | asin Boston, not inciuding the wealih and real estate of the city. In May, 1774, the merchants, real estate owners and other wealthy citizens, not alto- getnersatisied with the proceedings of the Sons of Liberty, called 4 public meeting, and appointed fiity gentionen as @ committee of correspondence, ‘or the Important and salutary purpose of keeping up ® correspondence witn our sisier colonies,” | &c., thus supersecing the Sons ot Liberty, bat, as On the 19th of | it seems, not extinguishing teem. May, three days later, another moeticg was neld (there being some dissatisiaction with the preced- ing one), st whick the doiugs were confirmed and | one more added to the committee The Assembly a committes of correspondence, tuirteon members. CONTINENTAL CONGRESS. Ata meeting of the Committee oF Filiy-one on the 234 of May a letter from the Bosion commit- consisting of | at Albany bad previously, in January, appoluted | tee was read and referred to a committee, and at | ight o’ciock the same evening the coramittee re- | | ported a reply to the’ Boston letter, in which the snhject of nov-importation was referrea to and briefiy considered, and then the committee say, | “Upon these reasona we conclade that a Congress | of Deputies from the colonies in geperal is of the utmost moment, and that 1t ought to be assembied without Celar,” aading, ‘We request your speedy opimton of the proposed Congreas’—a measare which Joan Hancock earnestly suggested in his oration Boston on the Sth of March preceding. WARREN PEARS NEW YORK. On the 24 of Jane New Yorx, still adhering to her opinions, renewed her proposition for a gea- eral Congress, but, we think, did not at this time | select ber delegates. Toent Was made by the patriots, headed by Sam. In the Meantime a move- — Adams, in the General Assembly at Salem, toward | a general Congress, and Dr. Warren, still naving some misgivings in regard to the merchants of | New York, wrote to Adams, urging bis attention | to the matser, and saying, “I fear New York wiil atst ith a Very goou grace; be ashamed to desert ua, but i lem @i the whole country), said Warr f mechanics will forpid the suction.” TRUK TO THE CAUSE, Rut the trosh is, as the British Ministry seon dis- covered, they could pot rely upom New York whether Bostom could or not. Ine Assembiy at Salem. on the ittm of June, 1774, elected their delegates to the Contineatal Congress, and on tne | 13th of July New York elected as her Duane, Livingson, Alsop, In October the committec c: the prices of goods beyond @ reasonab’ and declared if any resatier an one mi decline deal y responsible fer “all the dieturbv- | be consequent thereon,” NON-IMPORTATION ADOPTED. In October the Continenral Congress determined upon, “for the present,” certain peace’ul meas ures, the Mrstofanch was, ‘lo enter into a pon- importation, non-consamption and now-exporta- toa agreement or association.” This was seon after adopted by aii the colonies. One section from the text of tus association, very curious in icself, Will also show the spirit of the times wae people. wilt MPEASUMES OF ECONOMY. . especially all bors Oo: gaming. cCock-Gghting, exhibitions of st plays and Other expecsive diversions tainments;andon the death of avy itiena none of us, mor any of f into any further mourning d crape or ribbon on the arm or bat for @ black ribbon or necklace for ladie niinue the giv cnerala.” BOLD ACT BY THR SONS OF LIMERTY. General Gage, during the winter of | hardly been ubi¢ to Susttin bis troops ia Br nolwilistandiug ali the foraging of the soldi and the cutters of the men-vl-war, and had cured early in the spring two cargo:s of prea flour and other supplies in New York, a9 provably Be he4 “en in the habit of doing. There i the whart when the affulr at Lexington On receivimty tee partio- and en relation or noord happened. | wlare of (Rese events the Sons of LAverty pro- eded (o (ne Whart and, oaded DoW vessels. THE CITY ALARMED. when the battie of Bunker Hill was near, was much excitement in New Yor, on hearing thas Rritive troop: uncounted numbets, Were to be landed aibiy Boston, whi aid from New jr! » War by its transfer to t uty. € Congress, in whieh New York bad pinned her faivn, betag tm session, ication was made to it for aaviee, Congress promptiy replied, advising them to put their women and CWildren ta some , aillew the troops to occupy the barracks butin mo event allow them te throw up bat ft now tarned out that the war w York, it @ stated, promptiy 177 e will be immediatey to subdue tao others.” THE CITY RELIRVES New York, on tne 17th of June, was relieved of her anxiety, as will be seen oy the following in- teresting document: | ‘Im PROVINCTAL CoNamrss, New Your, June 17, 1775, Centimurs—We are this 4 Jetrey, of the Lord Hyde packet Mercury ahip-of-war was cruising of our coa: and is now at Saudy Hook Ww ordar the trans pia ene colony is ens improved as aa 6 | miseries to which General Gage try was lookiag to them to know what was to be done, Al eyes were turned toward the town, not eimply in sympathy for ber safferings, for with evory cargo of supplies came words of encourage- ment and ope. Hancock, who was on his way to Congress, on the 24tn of April, wrote to the Com- mittee of Safety “For God's sake do not suffer the spirit of the men to subside until they have perfected the re- duction of our enemies. Boston must be entered; the troops must be sont away." Tney had murdered our people; they had burned their houses; they had robped the maga- entiemen, think ft our duty to | The patriots of | see | 4 consultation with his oficers and communicated detachment of theirs, and 200 Connecticut forces, commanded by Captam Knowlton. ‘These were ordered upon the parade ground, | vt d wi raestiy offered in their behalf by t Langdon, of Harvard College, and at about nine o'clock the detachment moved toward Charlestowa, A BREED'S HILL. Colonel Prescott does not say ao, for there was | no need Ol saying 40, according to his account; but other autaorities do say that at the Neck, at the pase of Buuker Hill, or on Bunker Hull, he held to thenr his ordors, and that here General Patnam joyned them, So that whether bis orders said Breed’s Hill; whetaer they agreed to go to Breed’s Hill, or waether they went to Breed’s | fill, ‘by some mistake," as Mr. Thatcher says, It tS imposatble to determine. It 1s certain tmat they went there and commenced tne work they were ordered te do, Colonel Gridley, the en- gineer, Marked out the lines, and “we began the intrenchment about twelve o'clock,” and th work was contioued until daylignt without inter- ruption. A guard had patolied the shores of the town during the night, amd it is said that Colonet Prescott and General Brooks had been down to shore and found ali quiet, But at daylight from “the masihead of the Lively,’’ (or quite as likely | from the cook nonse), the cluster of men at wor was seen On the Dill, Sure enough, there were the rebels! Now what! THE INTRENCHMENT Tt waa twelve o'clock at nizht, bright and clear and silent, when the first spade was put into the ground, The silent. stars were burning bright No cloud obscured the sky; Tho breath of nature e’en was hush'd And oniy see: to sigh, Although It was only about four houra before tho meu were discovered and fired upon, the | work was comtinued until nearly twelve o'clock the day of the batile, The men had worked with @ will in the intrenchment and on the breastwork, which extended some rods down the hill onthe | left of the line, Beyond this, and betweea the breastwork ard the shore of Mystic River, was that redoubtable ana important work, rail fence, whick, however, was not put togetoer un- i late in the day when the engagement was at ‘and, SURPRIAE OF GENERAL GAGE. The information obrained througo the spies em- ployed proved to be true, a3 Genoral Burgoyne di tinctly says the heighis around the town were to be occupied, ‘to begin with Dorchester Heights," and eror tae Was utsposed accordingly ile to be executed on the 18th.” For tits move- ment, therefore, General Sage Was prepared when the cannonading of the Lively began to roll around and wake up the town so early on the morning of the 17th; and tt may easily be con- ceived how much surprised—‘“tnunderstruck” can hardly express 1t—he was when inte ligence | of what had been done by these paltry peasantry | during the night reached him at the Province House, Lord Percy may possibly have expected something 0: the kind, aud perbaps General Gage nimseif did; bat at a'levents ther were not pre- pared for what they sawon Breea’s Ifil, Which one of the English writers absurdly calls “a prodigy.” EXCITEMENT IN ROSTON. Tho excitement which prevatied throngh the town ag {ast as the news ead among the peo- ple, when the battery on Coppa’ Hill followed the | GENERAL WARREN'S cies LAST LETTER. \. © The above is a fnc-simile of a letter written by General Warren to General Heath. General Warren was killed the next day, zines of powder, the isiauds and shores of cattle, and were dally threatening furthor aggressions, | When Connec:icat proposed to send commission- ers to General Gage, with a view torecoaciliation, Warren was indi, that they did pot seem to be sens, army had re- duced the wretched colony.” He sald to them in most emphatic language—not proposing in the least to discuss the matier with them—‘‘Our relief Taust Bow arise from driving General Gage, with bis troepa, out of the country, viessing of God, we are determined to accomplish or perish in the attempt.” ‘This was the feeling at this time, no doubt, of the people of the colonies, It was the feeling of the army, wich had almost gathered itself to- gether at Cambridge. it was the fear of Gage | himself and of Percy, who had written to a friend Justa in England that they were expecting an attack, as the Provincials had now a train of artillery. lt was felt at this time on botn sides that war was inevitable; and the americans were a littie Gieposed to profit, and did so te some extent, by an early recognition of the fect, in the taxing of Tico roga and Crown Point, which supplica them with cannon and implements of war, which Were so much needed by the improvised army ot Cambridge. PROPOSITION TO FORTIFY PUNKER HILL. On the 12th of May, 1775, the first proposition to fortify Banker Hill came before the Committee of Safety, which waa, in fact, the Execotive Com- mittee of the Provincial Congress, and, after naming other similar measures in the circumvaia. tion around Boston for offensive and defensive purposes, the report says:—"‘Also @ strong re- doubt raised on iker’s Hill, with cannon planted there.” PROCEEDINGS THEREON. ‘The Committee of Safety, who were on'y joint partners in this report, ander furtner considera- tion, referred the whole matter to the Council of War—viz., the oMeers of the army, Ward, Pat- nam, Heath, Henshaw, Prescott and others, The subject was net lost sight of, as we now know {rom other sources, aithougn there waa no farther oficial action until the ism and 16tn of Jane, When the measure was earnestiy advised by the committee, taken before the Council of War and an Sam ORDERS —P ARADE. General Ward, it is said (for w Of the fact in Bis orderly beok), on the eveniny the 16th, acted im the matter, ama Colonel cott say “| received orders to march to Breed’s Hill ia Onariestowa, with &@ party of ab 000 me ‘es ry own regime’ oiouel Bridge and Lieiveuan’ Brickett wae & which, by the of the Lively, may the reader, but coula hardly eye Witness of tha scene, T Was peruaps pot so very rare a thing in siiy be conceive described by firing of cann rr soned town, but so terrific @ roar as that which ensued, until Admiral Graves was wide awake enougn to check it, had certeiniy never been It may well have heard around Boston before. been believed by some of tro of them hoped It bad for the troop: COUNCIL OF WAR, Itseems unaccountable that tt conld have been past eleven o’ciock in the forenoon jer, 80 far as we know, went tot Certainly the people were aroused at oMcers who were to form tne council of war have been dilatory in rising. However, when they did assemble there was the scene before them, not at Dorchester but on the ae of Bunker Hil a of course they must be dislodged. The council, tt is said, recommende: troops. early hour, bur tl landing up the river, in the rear of tne nd certainly this woul ave been an effectual pro- ceeding, The N rrow and of war or batterie: ee either from the Myst jut Gage, who certainly was quick to see som things, as his letters prove, perceived at once that it piaced his forces in a situation to be attacked on bovm sides—i he did not know it, fr must come down from Cambridze, from ford and Preseott irom Bunker Hill. He must Dave rejected the — of his counoti or overruled it, and determined to attack the tn. tenctment seriatim, $0 the councti broke up an) Stark ORDERS ISSTRD FOR TROOPS. Of course these went through ‘cond in comin: t often bi orty their way to Long Wharf at t people at Concord had had th time to prepare for Colonel Smith's visi Months before either ne nor Pitcairn, nor a nment, would ever have returoe: 19th of Aprfi. ATION AND LANDING. r same length of two ver the bow: re brit aoudt, wer must have looked picturesaue and the royal feet of Admiral Graves ay while jay about them with colors fying and iull of ex. cltement, ready to cover tneir landing at the right | moment. We have only space to call the attention of the Bn r to this Magnificent scéme, as it was calmly d by the “repels” io the redouvt om one nd His Excellency rnor of tI ‘al Grav Go colony of Massacausetts Bas, Admi yai Navy, the self-conddent General Citaton, on the ou p's MIL, about redoubs, goyne, a vous ‘These last le a8 watched the terrible followed this briiliagt a Connections tri to op and we presume an order wrs given; batit is certain that no er ta Made to obey it or | carry it out. The Britian accounts say the troops | ianded witeout opposition. and Presco.t save the u sat tl and conflict which soon | from the apper portion of the lige | che only oftica: NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1875—QUADRUPLE SHEET. men left him and he supposed went to Bunks Hill, whenee they returned with Putnam and we! iaced by him at the rail sence. - REPARATORY MOVEMKNTS—DESERTIONS AND EXB- CUTIONS. The troops were ianded under cover of firing from the ahips men brought into ne on Moulton’s Point, near the northerly end of the present Navy Yard, Howe aad Pigot were at their posts, “Rowe surveyed the rebel works, saw more men coming toward the intrenchmen| he supposed—they were going to construct tl emorable rail iewce—and at ouce ordered tho beais to return fer a reinforcoment, as Ris men only numbered two to one at this tims. When the troops arrived they were formed in hollow square. General Howe briefly addressed them, sent out a guard along the river shore, as the ac- counts say, and prepared tweem Lwo and (greg o'clock in the alteraoon, his men ali refreshed with provisions and ram for strength and excitement. The statement 18 made on British authority that seme of tue men attempted to run away, some tried to join the revels, aud of the laiter two were hanzed. ACCOUNTS OF THE BATTLE, There are various accounts of battle of Buoker Hill, contemporary and compilation: mostly well known, Ameng the contemporary accounts the most full and complete, perhaps, is that published under the authority of the Com- mitlee of Salety, writren by Rev. Peter Thatcher, Who had associated with him Kev. Me: Oovoper and Gardner. Following this are the accounts of the Previncial Congress; that of the British An- nual Kegistry for 1775, supposed oF Bamupa Borke; the official account of General Gago; the letters of Burgoyne, Colonel Prescott and many othors; and there are numerous modern xccounts | and compilations, more or less partisan, and moro or leas reliabie. ‘ In the great leading features of the engagement, from the evening of the 16th of June to the even- ing of tho 17th of June, there is tm’ all the centem- porary accoun(s a very reasonable, if nut infact | remarkable, concurrence of statement, yet not Without discrepancies; and owiside of this, it 18 believed, no single authority can be considered as absolutely reliable for any statement, We pr pose, as briefly ag we may, Lt | already given @aketch of preliminary wistory, to give & rapid and we hope clear view and statement of the events of the memorable day, a8 derived from contemporary materials, public documents and | | private authorities, PIGO’S FIRST ATTACK. The first attack was made by General Pigot on the redoubt. “At tats instant,” say the Commit- tee of sulety, “smoke and Names were seen to issue | from the town of Charlestown.” Other accounts represent this to have occurred at the time of the cond attack; but the committee say It was tn- nded “to cover thelr atcack upon our lines, and perhaps with # design to destroy or rout one or two regiments of provinelals who had been posted in that town.” This statement ts inexplicable, Pigot’s men met a warm reception when they | had got near enough to be seen and selected, and they very 500n feil back ‘in some disorder” —that is, {o feariul confusion. ‘The fire of Prescoit’s men slaughtered them, made for the bouts WitA all haste, Pigot had the Fitth, ae: Porty-third, Foriy-seventh and Wifty-aecond regiments, aud Titcaira, with a regiment of marines, Prescott says they marched to the attack In “three col- | umns;" but whether he maans to include the whole force under General Mowe in this remark | or only the ferce coming teward the redoubt | 1s BoMeWhat uncertain. We suppose a simul- taneous movement Was intended; but, undoudt- ediy,4 Pigot did not move iirsi, he commenced the battle with the redoubt some time before Howe became engaged with the leit wiog of our army and tn this way the fight was continued, each act ing independently of ihe orncr. HOWE'S FIRST ATTACK. Howe moved the right flank of hia army for- ward an@ attacked the hay jence, when, to nis surpriso, the mon did not retire, Voy were for a time warmly received by Callender’s field precea nit bis mem absolutely fired at random, and itis said did not lift their guns to their sbeuidera, Taey were a litle annoyed by the marshy lana, which swamped | id their bails went over the heads | their arttilery, of ovr men, The consequonce was that his mea were actually picked out by the Connecticut and Now Hamp- shire marksmen, and the slaugater was so great that the “men of Minden" were giad to ram away, und It {gs @ fttie doubtil, taking the British ac- counts as authority, whether Howe's men or Pigot's got to ine boats firs. Howe was amazed, and (he same authority says lis oficers were shot down around tim and he was left uimost alone, THE SECOND ASSAULT. Toat there was a second asseult made by General Pigot, an@ likewise, alter a while, by General Howe, ts pretty positively erted by the Rev. Mr, liatcaer, With the same result as the fira Ho says: length they were rallied, marched up with apparent reinctance toward tne intreochment. The Americans again reserved rods, and who ran in great confusion tewara ¥ however, about Howe second movement, and some of the accounts thi mention the railying of bts men ofait all reference to the movements of General Pigot, leaving the accountincomplete, Some ofthe British writers try to Make 1t out that there was nota second repulse—Bargoyre posttiveiy so sald in Pariia- ment, On tne other nand it is positively said that Howe did rally his men and made a second attack, from which he was thrown back as before, Stedman, 'a British authority, however, admits that they were stopped twice, and two or three | ne | other contemporary autnorities agree tn the statement. It would appear, from ali the accounta which we have seen, that Putnam, among the pri vincials, and Pitcairn, among the oD horseback im U General Pomeroy, it 1s wel: known, irom but, seeing the balls flying across it so numer- ously, he banded his horse toa sentry, for the | reason that tt was @ borrowed one, aud walked to | the rail fence, THE THIRD ATTACK. Proscott remat at his post in the redond t, which he did pot leave atany Ume during tb engagement; and If, as he says, he had only 150 wen, Wis defence was truly wonderiul. At this ‘ime, of course, Howe must have deen fearfully ro ents, | More importaat, General Cir ton, of his oWn accord, accoraiag to Burge: (provably Gage Was in the church ste at this time, very likely where Paul Revel lamps had been hung out), came also, and Jed them on in wid 01 Pigot againat the nominal breastwork. ‘The figuting now weut on more flerce'y than eve: es the slaughter Was terrible, as described by t stand most reilable British authorities, 1 evemy fired go bi that forty-nine ut of fifty passed from to #iX Jeet ever for I noticed an apple tree some pace: » Which had scarcely @ ball to it as hig j*[t } as a ma head, while the trunk and branches above were literally cat to p! " He a full company, and only ommans kuled and five wounded, wnich wasa i average of the loss we sustained, oxceptin those who fell while sallying from the redoun When it was stormed by the Britisncolumn. “I Gid not see & man quit his post during the ac- tion. GENERAL CLINTON ON THB FIELD, General Clinton was a very important addition in third attack, with lis large force oj fre: troops 'o lead on or push om those who had ready boen inclese action. Tue fire bi dimiuished from the reaoubt, f somewhat found but small oppostit T te toward 4 1s Would se ry 081 eliable, tl must have beem an nd most band to hand fight, on most unequal terms im regard to ammunition and bayonets. ‘The redoudt was carried. Prescott says:—“The enemy, being numerous, surrounded our little fort, began to mount our lines and enter the fort with th bayonets. were opliged through thi while they kept not come up with a. retuforcement of or six hundred men.” if this was really so the compliments bestowed upoa the Britis& troops for maintaining their higu reputation and superiority, by G and Howe and Burgoyne, were utterly absurd and meaningless, The tratn ts the victory, such as it was, Was of no special credit to British arms, aud pretty nearly terminated ali actual British warfare in Massachusetts, The truth is, when the battle ended at night neither party had gained their object; the British troops Bad only got axion of t posse: had not conquered anybody, eto follow the provine nor had the province army to adopt tne ontto them in lite have no recourse to any resou lose Boston, but to go on board wWhieb will be very disagreeable t than threé mouths, however, vised the evacuation of Kosten. INTERESTING NARRATIVE, is In & pamphiet account of the battle, written by Oliver Morsma: of Henderson, Jeterson sounty, N. Y. sold: wh ‘Was publisied at Sackett! the following interesting narrative, whic! trates how some of the men got to tne feild :— & ‘The author bel Colonel Asa Whit- ed cast, mortheast from view of Boston, Cnarios- Hills. About one 7 Tegiment marc’ regiment appeared tous togo. Our Colonel was absent. Tho Major faid tI had orders not to leave the post, but, motwitnstal my Ee Of said 1egimens would turn out, he (+ ajor) would go, There was sometiing like 100 turned out sha mi immediately to Charies- town commoi the Neck, won cannon bal: the Glasgow frigate of 80 gun batteries, jn tue Mystic destroy the board fences and Major ted kis m i Captain Beojaiuia We mp.’ Captain weventy years of who hi French war, steppe a “Boys, (true it al enough we Were boys that turned ont) you that are not afraid, follow me, for I will go on te the Hill, or dio in the attempt." Thirty-tour followed the nord, a rived i= tima Osotete age for @ movement be- | and some of those who escaped | ol ‘ambritge and rode to Ckariestown Neck; | = ed tags ang Ais little spartan batid Was pinged at th rail fence, north of the small reboudt.” Of vn boys five were }, eight wounded, amd amo! foe jt the author, who was bern at Princeton, CASUALTIES OF THE BATTLE. DEATH OF WARREN. “Him! the first great martyr in this great i cause! Kim! the premature victim of his own | selt-devoting heart! Him! tho nead of eur civil | councils and the dostined leader of our military bands, whom nothing brought hither but the un- queuchable fire of bis: own spirit! Him! cut off by Providence in the hour of everwhelmtag anxt- ety aud thick gloom, falling ere jaw the star of | his coautry rise, pouring out his geDereus blood like water bafore he knew whether It would fertti- | Ize a land of treadom or of bondage!” In these eloquent words of Webster who can suppress the | emotions that rise at the mention of his name? Nearly all that history can r late ts toid in these Impressive words, Almost all the particulars of his going to the Meld of battle on the day of the | 17ck of June, of his presence there, of his death and treatment and burial are related by different contemporary writers in essentially varying state- ments. Nearly every contemporary account, | British and American, mentions bis fall, all of them with respect and consideration, save one from a Massachusetts unmitigated tory, who had | made nis escape foto Boston and afterward fod to England, where he was penstoned. The gonerally received account of Warren’s career on that day is that he came from the Oun- gress at Watertown that morning; was suffering | from nervous headache and took to his bad; soon after, while the cannons were roaring about the town, rose and went to headquarters; thence, against remonstrancea, to the field of batt There he declined the command offered to bim both by Prescott and Putnam ta thelr alferent | positions; went iato the fight with a musket (or sword); encouraged the men by his example, and wes subsequently shot on the retreat outside tho redoubt by a British officer in the back of tho head, aithough It is believed ne was bleeding from his wounds at the tm | As the British con"imued to occuny the redoubt it was some time before his death was made cer- | tain and his body diecovered—thrown tuto the gronnd, stripped of his clothes. Ib waa recog: | nlzed by certain marss on one of bis hands and a particular false tooun. Congress, inspired by the patriotic feeling of tha | whole country, on the 8th of April, 1777, voted to ' erect a monument to hismemory in Boston, which never having been fuifilled, the last Congress votea some pieces of cid caunon to his townemen for the purpose of erectlug a statue near the placa of his birth, KILLED AND WOUNDED. PROVINCTAIS.—Killed, 115; wounded, 305; pris- oners, 30, Total, 450, Another account—Killed, 140; wounded, 271; prisoners, 30. Total, 441, OMcers Killed were Major General Warren, Colonel Gardner, cf Cambridge; Lieutenant Colonel Par- ker, of Chelmsford; Major Mcore, of Paxton, a Major McClery. A number of the prisoners died of their wounds in Boston Jail, BritisH.—Gage’s accoust—Killed, 226; wounded, 828, many of whom dicd o! their wounds, Of tho officers killed there were 1 Meutenant colonel (Pitcairn), 2 majors, 7 captains 9 lieusenants and 15 sergeants; wounded, 3 majors, 27 captains, 32 leutenants, 8 ensigns, 40 sergeants, 12 drammera. It bas been generaily belirved that Gago's ao- | count did not Milly skow the results ol the battie, ) Asan exampi¢, Captaia Drew’s company (Thirty+ fifth regiment) out of 38 men bad 15 Killed aud 2 wonnded, 8 escaped, aad Gage reports tho | casualties of the regiment as 19 killed ana 50 wounded, | BURNING OF CHARLESTOWN. | As in regard to other features of this remarka- bie battle the detais of this occurrence are va- rious, The statemonts are that it was set on fire by the ships; that it was set on fire by the sol- diers in var.ous places; that itt was set on fire by | a deracnment sent over in boats (either from the alps or (he battery) for tue express purpose. Then as tothe time, whether it was before the action commenced or after the first Ky Li fact, latein the alternoom is uncertaia; so counts say oue thing and some another. goyne Qxpressiy 6) Howe sent word to tha Dabtory to sot Lhe Lown on fire, and they then frea carcassea lato it and did set it on fire; while, on the other li — General Lee, tn the Provinctal council of eclared that the town could not be set on fire and burned by means of cannon, ax he knew by experience. Agein, it is said that Gage had determined to burn the town some time before (posaibly because some of his soldiers swarn over there and got away), and too¥ tals opportu- | nity to carry out bis threat. At all events the town wes burned, and, like some other things whieh the British ofMcors in America did, the people of fngiand, overnment, Were either ashamed O/ or sorry for. ere Wi Hout “Ix hundred buildings in the town, tvo-tolras of tnat number being dwelling houses, It was set on fire in many places (one account specifies the number ten places), and of course ni rt was made iostop the lames or, in /, 0 any property wale the fire waa Tagiva. No doudt coasiderable property bad been removed, and It Is known teat a@ lary mount trom Boston (probably brought out clundestinely), |. Was stored tn it, and this may have been a reason with fe in barming It. Some of tae inhabitants, itis satd, redained in the town until the cagnon bal @ through their houses. A rew = eck Were not burned at the h oatla by the Brit loss of pr orty was ingul: he fire by the inh: itants when (‘ey returned to the town, on ti commendation of Cangre: al od | amount to tavre than $50),000; but they ne’ re | ceived any re te! from the government, Professor Morse was born tn one of the first houses batit | after the fire, and visited it, with his wife ana daugater, in 1470. QUBSTION OF COMMANDER, The question of commander in this notable battle on the provincial as been discussed as diferent times, and seems now to ve, as we should Daniel Phas iter well rr us jasion. very acvive At , July 20, says written all the particulars of the battle he bas been abie to obtain, and adds, “To be plain, it ap- ars to me there never was more confasion aod command.” A great deal of evidence may be produced to show the justice of this conciusion and ho Temarkable pertinency of ter of.) ‘88, partisan writers, who contented with probabilitics @ few yoars ago, | afterward taougat their assertions wero | net to be doubted, now assume the entire fela | and the entire day under the command of | Colonel Pr tt. it id Not possible, we think, | id Candid reader of history to admit | the correctness of tuts conciusion. Ifit could ve | proved by the writtea record of General Ward, or @ written order in possession of tne friends of Colons! Prescott. It would neither be true not ust, but neither of thess things can be done. here is No record, and our own opinion ts that | there uever was any written order issued to any- | bod . The assertion that Prescott received no orders from Put jay Or may not bo true) is suMicientiy m Ma assertion (which we believe is trne) that Putnam received no orders from Prescott. Colonel Prescott, in his letter to Jonn Adams Melon had an idea tnat General 0: | does not say from whom) to march to Breed's | Hul, In Chartestownr, wita a party,” &c. Af this was so what need was there of stopping at tae base of Banker's Ilili to decide where they , Should construct the intrenchment + What doubt | Was there aoout it ? and way do tne Committee of Safety say there was a mistake in this | Matter.. Tae “Presevtt manuscript,” to ; be found in the history of Groton, re- fers to Bunker's Hill, and asserts that tho whole heignt was known by t name, and ono of jost earnest champions declares that “tee { or lesignated fBanker's Hill as the position to ve take: id this ke docs with as mach conf | dence as if had secon the order; but Preseo Bays tt was Breed's Hill. i 1D of ay, Bod we think has, damaged the cause they pres to champloo. ‘DEMOCRATIO FicnT.”? | oe yay 086. ever, without intending to ra» id controversy, thatevery battle was, what it nas %'" In fact, ply 1 he naval battle, tt {a true, was all om one side, and very damaging it ) Hot only upon the men at the redoupt, hut cially at the neck of land, which the abips id which ail reinforcements nad to pass. sho tho left flank of the enemy wad againas the redount and the right against fence. Prescott was in the redowb: and ba tay hf ah Ag Ra outside of it, Pat- nee during the whole Of the fight—so that it was, in fact, Prescott and Pigot, and Patnam and Howe; and between theso Until Clinton joined Pigot ie Dreastwork waicn senge of the * entered the redoubt, Tne men held out act the mom had lets failing back slowly coveret roat, tober following General Gage advized tho ‘acaation of Boston; but ne left the country soon | after, and General Howe remained pent op in Boston during tho winter, leaving it to the care of | Goperal Waanington ta gue ser of 1776. WARILDO