Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/383

] It was a matter of very great astonishment to the British general, to find that the Americans had dared to take the bold step of occupying the hill, where they were entrenching themselves. A cannonading was immediately opened upon them by the ships in the harbor and the batteries in Boston. But the provincials, though at first somewhat shaken by the death of one of their party, who had ventured outside the works, labored on, undisturbed by the firing of the British. By noon, they had thrown up a breastwork, extending from the redoubt down the northern slope of the hill toward the water. It was plain, that if the Americans succeeded in mounting cannon in the redoubt, they would command the harbor, and might render it impossible to hold Boston itself. General Gage, therefore, resolved to dislodge the Americans at once. Despising the raw militia, he ordered the troops to land in front of the works, and push directly up the hill, it never having entered his mind that they would stand their ground against veteran soldiers. Three thousand men, picked corps of the British army, led by Generals Howe and Pigot, undertook this service of expelling the Americans from their position. To all appearance this would not be a difficult task; for the provincial troops, jaded with their .severe work through the night just past, hungry and thirsty, having brought but scanty supplies, oppressed by the heat, and unsupported by reinforcements or provisions needful in the emergency, were in but an ill condition to sustain an attack from hearty, vigorous soldiers, such as were now marching up the hill side. Yet they faltered not; they were ready to do and to die in defence of liberty. Just before the action commenced, Stark, with two New Hampshire regiments, reached the battle-ground, and took up a position on the left of the breastwork, but at some considerable distance in the rear, under cover of a novel kind of rampart, made by pulling up the rail fences, placing them in parallel lines some three or four feet apart, and filling the intervening space with new mown hay from the adjacent meadows.

It was about three in the afternoon, when the British troops advanced to the assault. Formed in two lines, and stopping at times to give the artillery opportunities to play, they marched slowly forward, confident of victory, and supported by redoubled fire from the ships and batteries. The hills all about Boston, and the roofs and steeples of the churches, were crowded with spectators, anxiously watching the approaching conflict. Not a single shot was wasted by the Americans. In deep but ominous silence, they allowed the enemy to approach within thirty or forty paces, when they opened upon them with a most deadly discharge; every shot telling upon the British troops. The slaughter was immense, and the regulars fell back in disorder to the landing place. Rallied by their officers, who were equally astounded and angry at the result, they advanced again; and again the same deadly fire, drove them back, some even retreating to the boats. Charlestown was set on