1SS4] Bunker Hill. 295
of the Americans that a well -selected such other positions as faced the Amer-
hold upon Charlestown Heights would ican lines, as if to warn them not to
securely tighten the grasp upon the city attempt the city, or endanger their
itself. own lives by sending reinforcements to
BRITISH POLICY. Charlestown.
As a fact, the British contempt for the Americans might have urged them ™e movement. as rashly against Bunker Hill as it did It is not the purpose of this article against the redoubt which they gained, to elaborate the details of preparation, at last, only through failure of the am- which have been so fully discussed by munition of its defenders ; but, in view many writers, but to illustrate the value of the few hours at disposal of the of the action in the light of the relations Americans to prepare against a landing and conduct of the opposing forces, so soon to be attempted, it is certain Colonel William Prescott, of Pep- that the defences were well placed, both perell, Massachusetts, Colonel James to cover the town and force an im- Frye, of Andover, and Colonel mediate issue before the British could Ebenezer Bridge, of Billerica, whose increase their own force. regiments formed most of the original
It is equally certain that the British detail, were members of the council
utterly failed to appreciate the fact that, of war which had been organized
with the control of the Mystic and on the twentieth of April, when
Charles Rivers, they could, within General Ward assumed command of
twenty-four hours, so isolate Charles- the army. Colonel Thomas Knowlton,
town as to secure the same results as of Putnam's regiment, was to lead a
by storming the American position, and detachment from the Connecticut
without appreciable loss. This was the troops. Colonel Richard Gridley,
advice of General Clinton, but he was chief engineer, with a company of
overruled. They did, ultimately, there- artillery, was also assigned to the
by check reinforcements, but suffered moving columns.
so severely in the battle itself that fully To ensure a force of one thousand
two thirds of the Americans retired men, the field order covered nearly
safely to the main land. fourteen hundred, and Mr. Frothing-
The delay of the British to advance ham shows clearly that the actual force
as soon as the landing was effected was as organized, with artificers and drivers
bad tactics. One half of the force of carts, was not less than twelve hun-
could have followed the Mystic and dred men.
turned the American left wing, long Cambridge Common was the place
before Colonel Stark's command came of rendezvous, where, at early twilight
upon the field. The British dined of June 16, the Reverend Samuel Lang-
as leisurely as if they had only to move don, president of Harvard College,
any time and seize the threatening invoked the blessing of Almighty God
position, and thereby lost their chief upon the solemn undertaking,
opportunity. This silent body of earnest men
One single sign of the recognition of crossed Charlestown Neck, and halted
any possible risk to themselves was the for a clear definition of the impend-
opening of fire from Boston Neck and ing duty. ]\Iajor Brooks, of Colonel
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