PRESCOTT OCCUPIES BREED'S HILL. June 16-17, 1775. Condition of the army round Boston, 404-Want of order, 404—And of subordination, 405-Prudence of Ward, 405-Expectations in England, 406— Heights of Dorchester and Charlestown, 407-His design to occupy Charles- town, 408-The committee of safety anticipate him, 408-Prescott marches to Charlestown, 409--Breed's Hill fortified, 410-Daybreak, 410-Surprise of the British, 410-Prescott strengthens his defences, 411-Gage orders an attack, 411-Courage of Prescott and his band, 412-Putnam on Breed's Hill, 412-Embarkation of British troops, 413-They land in Charlestown 413-Prescott prepares to oppose them, 414-State of his defences, 414—The Ward avoids a general action, 416-Spirit of the army, 416-Seth Pome- roy volunteers, 417-Joseph Warren, 417-Men of Worcester, Middlesex, and Essex counties, 418-Stark marches to Charlestown, 419-He completes the line to the Mystic, 419-Putnam gives orders to Chester's company to march, 420-Number of Howe's forces, 420-Further orders of Ward, 421— Number of the Americans, 421-Free negroes in the battle, 421-Charlestown burned, 422-Howe's first attack, 422-Conduct of Prescott, 423-The British advance, 423-Their reception, 424-Their retreat, 424-The British at the rail fence, 424—Joy of the Americans, 424-Second attack of the British, 425 -They are driven again from the redoubt, 425—Great slaughter of the British right wing, 425-The spectators of the battle, 426-Prescott has no more THE RESULT OF BUNKER HILL BATTLE. June 17, 1775. The third attack on the redoubt, 428-Resistance of the Americans, 429 -Fall of Pitcairn, 429-Prescott gave the word to retreat, 429-Knowlton and Stark retreat, 430-Putnam takes possession of Prospect Hill, 431-Pres- cott at head quarters, 431-The British make no pursuit, 431-The British loss in the battle, 431-Howe not wounded, 432-Loss of the Americans, 432 -Parker, Moore, Buckminster, Nixon, McLary, Gardner, 432-Death and character of Warren, 433-Gage's opinion of the battle, 434-Opinion of AMERICA DECLARES ITSELF INDEPENDENT. CHAPTER I. AMERICA, BRITAIN AND FRANCE, IN MAY, 1774. MAY, 1774. May. THE hour of the American Revolution was come. CHAP. The people of the continent with irresistible energy obeyed one general impulse, as the earth in spring 1774. listens to the command of nature, and without the appearance of effort bursts forth to life in perfect harmony. The change which Divine wisdom ordained, and which no human policy or force could hold back, proceeded as uniformly and as majestically as the laws of being, and was as certain as the decrees of eternity. The movement was quickened, even when it was most resisted; and its fiercest adversaries worked together effectually for its fulfilment. The indestructible elements of freedom in the colonies asked room for expansion and growth. Standing in manifold relations with the governments, the culture, and the experience of the past, the Americans seized I. May. CHAP. as their peculiar inheritance the traditions of liberty. Beyond any other nation they had made trial of the possible forms of popular representation; and respected the activity of individual conscience and thought. The resources of the vast country in agriculture and commerce, forests and fisheries, mines and materials for manufactures, were so diversified and complete, that their development could neither be guided nor circumscribed by a government beyond the ocean; the numbers, purity, culture, industry, and daring of its inhabitants proclaimed the existence of a people, rich in creative energy, and ripe for institutions of their own. They were rushing towards revolution, and they knew it not. They refused to acknowledge even to themselves the hope that was swelling within them; and yet they were possessed by the truth, that man holds inherent and indefeasible rights; and as their religion had its witness coeval and coextensive with intelligence, so in their political aspirations they deduced from universal principles a bill of rights, as old as creation and as wide as humanity. The idea of freedom had never been wholly unknown; it had always revealed itself at least to a few of the wise, whose prophetic instincts were quickened by love of their kind; its rising light flashed joy across the darkest centuries; and its growing energy can be traced in the tendency of the ages. In America it was the breath of life to the people. For the first time it found a region and a race, where it could be professed with the earnestness of an indwelling conviction, and be defended with the enthusiasm that heretofore had marked no wars but those for religion. When all Europe slumbered over questions |