The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 Part 7

June the 1. Nothing remarkable hapened this day.

the 2-8. Nothing remarkable hapened.

the 9. We pa.s.sed muster Before colonel Robinson[118] and received one months pay.

[Footnote 118: Colonel John Robinson, who was second in command in the skirmish at Concord on the 19th of April. He commanded the detachment that guarded Boston neck, for some time. Speaking of that duty, Gordon remarks: "The colonel was obliged, therefore, for the time mentioned, to patrol the guards every night, which gave him a round of nine miles to traverse."]

the 10. Their was a man Whiped for Stealing.

the 11. Their was a soldier died at the hospittle which was the first that had died of Sickness since we incampt the same day their was two fire Ships[119] drumed out of the rhodisland compy.

[Footnote 119: Harlots.]

the 12. Nothing Strange this day.

the 13. Dito.

the 14. The general[120] seing the reinforcement of the Kings troops come to Boston ordered the comps to be in readeness also ordered that a number of teams be imploid in carting fusheens[121] and other materials for building Brest Works this being on thursday.

[Footnote 120: General Thomas, who had command of the right wing, extending from Roxbury to Dorchester. General Artemas Ward was the commander-in-chief until the arrival of Washington, early in July.]

[Footnote 121: Fascines. See note 74.]

the 15. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 16. Nothing of consiquence this day.

the 17. It being Sat.u.r.day the Kings troops Landed at charlestown and set the whole town on fire and Laid it all in ashes then they proceeded to Bunkers hill[122] where colonel putnam intrenchet and after an engagement which Lasted the afternoon the troops took the Hill and it is said that the nearest computation of the Loss of the enemy was about 1500 is killed and wounded were alarmed about one o clock that day and went down to our alarm post and we lay their all the afternoon and about six o clock the troops fired from their Brest Work on Boston neck at our people in Roxbury and we staid until the firing was over and then our regiment was ordered to cambridge to asist our forces and we reached their about twelve o clock at night and Lodged in the meting house until break of day being Sunday we turned out and marched to prosket hill[123] expecting to come to an ingagement we halted at a house at the bottom of the hill and fixed for a battle then we marched up the hill where we went to intrenching about 12 o clock Some of our men went down the hill towards the troops after Some flower and the troops fired at them and wounded David Trisdale in the shoulder and another in the Leg about 4 o clock colonel Reed[124] ordered his regiment to march to roxbury and we arived their about sunset very weary.

[Footnote 122: This is a mistake. It was Breed's hill, nearer Charlestown and Boston than Bunker's hill. Colonel William Prescott, and not General Putnam, was entrenched there, and was in command during the engagement. He had been sent with a company, the night before, about a thousand strong, to throw up a redoubt on Bunker's hill. He made a mistake, and performed the work on Breed's hill.

The British had no suspicion of the work that went on during that sultry June night, and were greatly alarmed when they saw a formidable breastwork overlooking their shipping in the harbor, and menacing the city. During the engagement, General Putnam was on Bunker's hill, urging on reinforcements for Prescott. Dr. Warren, just appointed major-general, joined Prescott as a volunteer during the battle, and was mortally wounded just as the conflict ended. It must be remembered that the writer of this Journal was in General Thomas's division, which did not partic.i.p.ate in the battle of the 17th of June.]

[Footnote 123: Prospect hill. The Americans retreated from Breed's and Bunker's hills to Winter and Prospect hills, and Cambridge. The remains of the American entrenchments on Prospect hill were demolished in 1817.]

[Footnote 124: Colonel James Reed, of New Hampshire. He was active in the battle of the 17th.

He was a brave officer, and was at the head of a regiment at Ticonderoga the following year.]

the 19. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 20. Dito.

the 21. Nothing worth a mentioning.

the 22. Dito.

the 23. Nothing remarkable to day.

the 24. The enemy fired again upon Roxbury about 3 o clock and the guards fired upon each other and their was one man killed and we were alarmed.[125]

[Footnote 125: The Americans were alarmed on the 24th by indications that the whole British army in Boston was about to force its way across Boston neck. At noon they commenced throwing bombsh.e.l.ls into Roxbury, but the alert soldiers prevented damage from them, and saved the town. Colonel Miller, of Rhode Island, said in a letter--"Such was the courage of our men, that they would go and take up a burning carca.s.s or bomb, and take out the fuse!"]

the 25. Sunday Nothing remarkable.

the 26. This morning very early our men went to set Browns house on fire but did not efect it.[126]

[Footnote 126: The house and barns of Thomas Brown were on the neck, about a mile from Roxbury meeting-house, and were occupied by the British advanced guard. Two Americans tried to set fire to the barn on the 24th, and were killed.]

the 27. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 28. We moved to a little house that capt Bligs formerly Lived in but we Soon moved from there to Slaks house again.

the 29. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 30. Nothing hapened only there was a Smart shower.

JULY.

the 1. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 2. Dito.[127]

[Footnote 127: The British again hurled some sh.e.l.ls into Roxbury on Sunday, the 2d of July, but the extent of the damage was setting fire to one house, which was consumed.]

the 3. Dito.[128]

[Footnote 128: George Washington was chosen commander-in-chief of the continental armies on the 15th of June, 1775. He set out for the headquarters of the army at Cambridge on the 21st, reached there on the 2d of July, and took formal command of the army on the morning of the 3d.]

the 4. Their was a flag of truce come out of town to our centry on the neck.

the 5. Nothing worth a mentioning to day.

the 6. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 7. Early in the morning we were alarmed and all of us repaired to our alarm Post and we had not been their Long before we Saw Browns house and Barn on fire and they were both consumed[129] these were Set on fire by some of our brave ameracans and they took one gun and too Bagonets and one halbert.

[Footnote 129: A party of volunteers, under Majors Tupper and Crane, attacked the British advanced guards, drove them in, and set fire to Brown's house. They took several muskets, and retreated without loss.]

the 8, 9. Nothing remarkable.

the 10. About Eleven o clock their was a party of Soldier sent to germantown[130] to get some whale Boats they marched down their that night the next night being clear they set out for Long island and arived there in a Short time then they Plundred the island and took from thence 19 head of horned cattle and a number of Sheep and three Swine[131] also eighteen priseners and amongst them were three women.

[Footnote 130: It is impossible to identify this place. A letter, dated on the 12th, says, "We have just got, over land from Cape Cod, a large fleet of whaleboats," &c., &c. The place alluded to in the text was probably near Boston.]

[Footnote 131: This party went from Roxbury camp.

The report says that they brought from Long island "fifteen prisoners, two hundred sheep, nineteen cattle, thirteen horses, and three hogs." The prisoners were taken to Concord.]

the 11. Nothing remarkable this day.