. The history of our country from its discovery by Columbus to the celebration of the centennial anniversary of its declaration of independence ... aited fifteen hundred men, crouched be-hind the embankment, silent as death. They had no bullets andpowder to waste, till the British were close at hand. Aim low, boys, whispered Colonel Prescott, the patriot com-mander, fire at their waistbands, and wait till you see the whitesof their eyes. Waste no powder. When the redcoats were almost up the hill, their plumes nearlylevel with its crest, Bang! bang ! went the fifteen hundred muskets 210 STORY O
. The history of our country from its discovery by Columbus to the celebration of the centennial anniversary of its declaration of independence ... aited fifteen hundred men, crouched be-hind the embankment, silent as death. They had no bullets andpowder to waste, till the British were close at hand. Aim low, boys, whispered Colonel Prescott, the patriot com-mander, fire at their waistbands, and wait till you see the whitesof their eyes. Waste no powder. When the redcoats were almost up the hill, their plumes nearlylevel with its crest, Bang! bang ! went the fifteen hundred muskets 210 STORY OF OUR COUNTRY. at once, and down went scores of brave Britishers, cut down as tliescythe cuts the waving grain. At this moment, great volumes offlame and smoke rose from Charlestown in eight or ten phices atonce. It had been set on fire by the soldiers as they marchedthrough the town. The British fell back at the first fire, then they rallied again, andthe Americans sent another volley among them. A second timethey fell back in dismay. This time they waited long before renew-ing the attack, and hope beat high in the breasts of the men behind. Joseph Warren. the intrenchment. But the third time the British pressed on morefirmly; they scaled the intrenchment; the Americans, many ofthem without powder, tried to beat them back with clubbed muskets, TICONDEROGA AND BUNKER IIILL. 211 and volleys of stones caught up from the redoubt; but their lastresistance was in vain, the British had gained the suuimit, and theAmericans, beaten backwards, fled down the hill, and retreated be-yond Charlestown Neck. The last man to leave the field wasJoseph Warren, one of the bravest and noblest of all who hadgathered there that day. As he turned to follow his retreating com-panions, he was shot through the head and killed instantly. Thebattle had lasted two hours, and when the day ended, 1,100 menfrom the British ranks, 450 men from the Americans, were found tobe lost in the encounter. To-day, a gra
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectuniteds, bookyear1881
