The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 Part 8

the 12. Major Tupper and his company returned to Roxbury with their prisoners and the same day their was a Party draughted out to go to Long island to burn the Buildings their when they were atacked by the Kings troops and had a smart engagement[132] but we Lost but one man and he belonged to Captain Persons company of Stoughton.[133]

[Footnote 132. The party under Colonel Greaton, mentioned in a preceding note.]

[Footnote 133: Twenty miles south from Boston.]

the 13. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 14. Nothing remarkable untill night and then their was a man killed at the main guard with a canon Ball.

the 15-17. Nothing remarkable.

the 18. Nothing remarkable this day.[134]

[Footnote 134: A strong party of Americans took possession of an advanced post in Roxbury, upon which the British kept up an incessant fire.]

the 19. We had an alarm and we went to our alarm Post and stayed their about one hour and could not discover any thing and so we returned to our Baracks again.

the 20. Their was a man killed who belonged to captain Bachelors company in Col Reeds Regiment he was killed by a guns going accidentely of, he was shot about Seven o clock and died about nine o clock the same night his name was Wood Belonged to upton[135] he was about 24 or 25 years of age.[136]

[Footnote 135: Upton is thirty-five miles southwest from Boston.]

[Footnote 136: The 20th was observed throughout the camps as a day of fasting and prayer. Before daylight that morning, a party from Heath's regiment landed on Nantasket point, set fire to the lighthouse, and brought away a thousand bushels of barley and a quant.i.ty of hay.]

the 21-24. Nothing remarkable.

the 25. Our Regement with four more were under arms and marched towards cambridg to meet general Ward.

the 26. General Heaths regement moved from Dorchester to cambridg and Jeneral Wards regement moved from cambridg to Dorchester and took general Heath's Baracks.

the 27. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 28. Dito.

the 29. Nothing bad.

the 30. Being Sunday we had an alarm and went to our Fort[137] the same day there was a party of men draughted out to go to the Light house and major tupper was comander of the party.[138]

[Footnote 137: This was a very strong quadrangular work, on the highest eminence in Roxbury. It had four bastions, and in every respect was a regular work. It is now well preserved, the embankments being from six to fifteen feet in height from without.]

[Footnote 138: On that day the British, five hundred strong, marched over the neck, and built a slight breastwork to cover their guard. The American camp was in alarm all the day, and that night the troops lay on their arms. The tories in Boston were also alarmed, for they dreaded an invasion of the city by their exasperated countrymen.]

the 31. This day major tupper and his men returned to Roxbury with between thirty and forty prisoners some regulars and some torys and some mariens[139] and had something of a battle and we lost one man and another wounded and our men Burnt the Light house and took some plunder[140] thar was an alarm the firing began first at the floating Battery and then at the Brest Work and then the troops marched out and set the george tavern[141] on fire our men took one prisoner and the same night one of the enemy deserted and came to our centrys at Dorchester point and brought away with him too guns and too cartridg Boxes and 60 rounds of cartridgs all in good order and their was several more deserted to cambridg the same night.

[Footnote 139: Marines.]

[Footnote 140: The British commenced rebuilding the lighthouse on Nantasket point. Major Tupper, with three hundred men, attacked the working-party, killed ten or twelve men, and took the rest prisoners. He then demolished the works, but, before he could leave, some armed boats came to oppose him. In the skirmishing that ensued, fifty-three of the British were killed or captured.

Tupper lost one man killed, and two wounded.]

[Footnote 141: A party of British troops sallied out toward Roxbury, drove in the American pickets, and burned the tavern which was situated upon the portion of the neck nearest Roxbury.]

AUGUST DOMINA 1775.

the 1. The floating Battery[142] went up towards Brookline fort[143]

then our men perceiving her move they began to fire at her out of colonel Reeds fort untill they drove her back to her old place the same day they fired from Roxbury hill fort and it was said that they fired through their Baracks.

[Footnote 142: When the British built their breastwork on the neck, the Sunday previous, they had a floating battery brought into Charles river, and moored it within three hundred yards of Sewall's point.]

[Footnote 143: The Brookline fort was on Sewall's point, between Roxbury and Cambridge. It commanded the entrance to Charles river.]

the 2. Nothing remarkable this day.

the 3. Dito.

the 4. Nothing remarkable to day only I went to the main guard and the enemy fired at us as we came up.

the 5. Dito.

the 6. Being Sunday nothing remarkable at night I went on the piquet guard.

the 7. Nothing strange.

the 8. Dito.

the 9. Nothing remarkable this day only I went upon fatigue.

the 10. Nothing strange We had a great rain.

the 11. Their was three men whipt for deserting they were whipt ten stripes apiece they belonged to the conecticut forces.

the 12. Nothing remarkable to day I went upon fatigue to Dorchester.[144]

[Footnote 144: The village and church of Dorchester was four miles from Boston. The heights of Dorchester are in what is now called South Boston.]

the 13. Being Sunday we went to Hear Mr. Willard[145] and after Meting our Men went to Entrench down at the George tavern and About Brake of day they got Hom.

[Footnote 145: Joseph Willard, D.D., who was made president of Harvard college in December, 1781. He died in New Bedford, in 1804, at the age of sixty-four years.]

14. Their was Nothing Remarcable I went upon fatigue down to the George tavern.

15. Two Oclock this Afternoon when the Lobsters[146] fired on our guards which was returned by our Roxbury fort the fireing was continued for some time but how much to their Damag we dont know one of our men was slitely wounded their fireing was from a floating Batery and it is thought would have killed one or too men if they had not have Lain down for the Ball pa.s.sed within about 4 foot of our Barack the night pa.s.sed without any alarm.

[Footnote 146: A nickname given to the British regulars, on account of their red suits. They were so called in England, as early as the time of Queen Anne.]

the 16. This day they fired at our main guard but no material Damage was done the remaining part of their mallice seemed to be postponed to a future season our american guard kept their ground and the night pa.s.sed without any alarm &c. &c.

the 17. About nine Oclock the enemy fired upon our main guard and fatigue men they through 4 b.a.l.l.s and 2 Bombs and one of the b.a.l.l.s struck 2 guns which belonged to the main guard and the men had them on their Shoulders but did not hurt them much.

the 18. Behold their Spite this morning before the sun rise the enemy fired at our working party on the neck this side the george tavern our rifle men fired at them and it is thought killed too of them but notwithstanding all their fireing of b.a.l.l.s and bombs though some of them came so near that it could hardly be called an escape yet their was not one man wounded on our side one bomb was thrown in the evening but did no Damage one of the enemy came to our centrys and is now in our guard house.