. A history of the United States for secondary schools . 0 men, whereuponGeneral Gage prepared for a movement to extend hislines. The provincial leaders learned his intention, andundertook to frustrate it by sending Colonel Prescott,with about 1200 men, in the night of the i6th of June,to occupy and fortify a rise of ground near Charlestowncalled Bunker Hill. When Prescott reached the groundBreeds ^^ thought it bcst to advance a little farther, to^^^^- the next eminence, called Breeds Hill, and there his men were set silently to work. The Britishdiscovered nothing till the morning of the 17th
. A history of the United States for secondary schools . 0 men, whereuponGeneral Gage prepared for a movement to extend hislines. The provincial leaders learned his intention, andundertook to frustrate it by sending Colonel Prescott,with about 1200 men, in the night of the i6th of June,to occupy and fortify a rise of ground near Charlestowncalled Bunker Hill. When Prescott reached the groundBreeds ^^ thought it bcst to advance a little farther, to^^^^- the next eminence, called Breeds Hill, and there his men were set silently to work. The Britishdiscovered nothing till the morning of the 17th ; thentheir frigates in the harbor opened fire on the unfinished REVOLUTION AND WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 20I work, without much effect. At noon they had deter-mined to storm the rising fortification, which endangeredthem if the besiegers should be able to bring heavy gunsinto place. About3000 veteran sol-diers were landednear Chariest own,under GeneralHowe, and led intwo columns, oneagainst the en-trenchment onBreeds Hill, theother against asupporting body. of Americans, who plan of the battle of bunker taken position on the flank of the latter, behind a rail fence. Bothcolumns were repulsed, with terrific loss to the assailants,the Americans having reserved their fire until the Britishcame within fifty yards. After some time, during whichthe village of Charlestown was set on fire by shells fromthe fleet, a second assault was made, with the sameresult. By this time the Americans had nearly exhaustedtheir ammunition, and none came to them, though sentfor again and again ; nor did they receive reinforcements,except as many volunteers came over to join them duringthe day. Had the needed men and gunpowder The thirdcome, the third assault, made late in the after- ^^s*^*-noon, would probably have failed. As it was, when thedefenders of the hill had emptied their powder horns,their clubbed muskets were poor weapons against thebayonet, and they gave way. VoY their victory, if it w
Size: 1772px × 1410px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidhistoryofuni, bookyear1903
