THE BLOODY BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL.

General Gage lost one thousand fifty-four men in killed and wounded at Bunker Hill.

The Americans had one hundred and fifteen killed, three hundred and five wounded, while thirty-two were taken prisoners.

Three thousand of England's best troops charged the American breastworks, which were defended by twelve hundred raw recruits, and the latter killed or wounded nearly as many of the British as the total of the American force.

About noon the Americans saw twenty-eight barges cross from Boston in parallel lines. They contained British grenadiers, rangers and light infantry, admirably equipped, and commanded by Major-General Howe. The British made a formidable appearance with their scarlet uniforms, the sun flashing upon muskets and bayonets, and brass field-pieces.

A heavy fire from the ships and batteries covered their advance, but no attempt was made to oppose them, and they landed about one o'clock at Moulton's Point, to the north of Breed's Hill. Here General Howe made a pause. On reconnoitering the works from this point, the Americans appeared to be much more strongly posted than he had imagined. He also saw troops hastening to their assistance.

These were the New Hampshires, led by Stark. Howe immediately sent to General Gage for re-enforcements and a supply of cannon-balls, those brought by him being too large for his guns. While waiting their arrival, refreshments were served out to the British troops. There was "grog" by the bucketful-to stimulate the men who were about to hurl themselves against patriots who knew how to handle their old rifles and fowling-pieces. The Americans took advantage of the delay, while the enemy rested, to strengthen their position. The breastwork on the left of the redoubt extended to what was called the Slough, but beyond this the ridge of the hill and the slope toward the Mystic River, were undefended, leaving a pass by which the enemy might turn the left flank of the position and seize Bunker Hill. Putnam ordered Captain Knowlton to cover this pass with the Connecticut troops.

About six hundred feet in the rear of the redoubt, and one hundred feet to the left, was a post-and-rail fence, set in a footwall of stone, extending down to the Mystic River. The posts and rails of another fence were hastily pulled up, and set a few feet behind this, the intermediate space being filled

with new-mown hay from the adjacent meadows. This double fence, it was found, proved an important protection to the redoubt, although there still remained an unprotected interval of seven hundred feet.

About two o'clock Warren arrived to engage in the defense, although he had opposed the scheme. He had recently been elected a major-general, but he came to serve in the ranks with a musket on his shoulder. Putnam offered him the command at the fence, but he declined, and asked where he could be of most service as a volunteer. Putnam pointed to the redoubt, observing that there he would be under cover.

"Don't think I seek a place of safety," replied Warren, quickly; "where will the attack be hottest?"

Putnam still pointed to the redoubt.

"That is the enemy's object; if that can be maintained the day is ours."

BRITISH DRIVEN BACK WITH GREAT SLAUGHTER.

The British now made a general assault, General Pigot in command. They advanced up the hill under cover of a fire from field-pieces and howitzers planted on a small height near the landing on Moulton's Point. His troops began discharges of musketry while yet at a long distance from the redoubts.

The Americans within the works, obedient to strict command, retained their fire until the enemy were within thirty or forty paces, when they opened upon them with a tremendous volley. Being marksmen, accustomed to take deliberate aim, the slaughter of the British was immense, the fire being specially fatal to officers.

The assailants fell back in confusion, but, rallied by their officers, again advanced within pistol shot. Another volley, more effective than the first, made them again recoil. To add to their confusion, they were galled by a flanking fire from the handful of Provincials posted in Charlestown.

Shocked at the carnage, and seeing the confusion of his troops, General Pigot was urged to retreat. General Howe, with the right wing, advanced along the Mystic River toward the fence where Stark, Read and Knowlton were stationed, thinking to carry this slight breastwork with ease, and get in the rear of the defenders.

The Americans had received orders not to fire until the enemy should be within thirty paces. Some few transgressed the command. Putnam rode up and swore he would cut down the next man that fired contrary to orders. When the British arrived within the stated distance a sheeted fire

opened upon them from rifles, muskets and fowling-pieces, all leveled with deadly aim. The British fell back; some even retreated to the boats.

Finally the British began their second attack, again ascended the hill to storm the redoubt, their advance covered by discharges of artillery. Charlestown, which had annoyed them on their first attack by a flanking fire, was in flames, by shells thrown from Copp's Hill and by marines from the ships. Being built of wood, the place was soon wrapped in a general conflagration.

The thunder of artillery from batteries and ships, the bursting of bombshells; the sharp discharges of musketry; the shouts and yells of the combatants; the crash of burning buildings, and the dense volumes of smoke, which obscured the summer sun, all formed a tremendous spectacle.

The Americans stood undismayed amidst a scene where it was bursting upon them with all its horrors. Reserving their fire, as before, until the enemy was close at hand, they again poured forth repeated volleys with the fatal aim of sharpshooters.

The British stood the first shock, and continued to advance, but the incessant stream of fire staggered them. Their officers remonstrated, threatened and goaded them on with their swords, but the havoc was too deadly. The British again gave way and retreated down the hill.

The British soldiery in Boston gazed with astonishment at the resolute and protracted stand of raw militia whom they had been taught to despise, and at the havoc made among their own veteran troops. Every convoy of wounded brought over to the town increased their consternation, and General Clinton, who had watched the action from Copp's Hill, embarked in a boat, taking with him reinforcements.

THE THIRD AND LAST ASSAULT.

A third attack was determined upon, but a different plan was adopted. Instead of advancing in front of the redoubt, it was to be taken in flank on the left, where the open space between the breastwork and the fortified fence presented a weak point. It having been discovered that the ammunition of the Americans was nearly expended, preparations were made to carry the works at the point of the bayonet.

General Howe, with the main body, made a feint of attacking the fortified fence, and the rest brought some field-pieces to enfilade the breastwork on the left. A raking fire soon drove the Americans out of this exposed place into the inclosure.

When the British troops assaulted the works for the last time the Americans again reserved their fire until their assailants were close at hand, and then sent a murderous volley, several officers being laid low; General Howe was wounded. The British reserved their fire and rushed on with fixed bayonets.

Clinton and Pigot reached the southern and eastern sides of the redoubt, and it was now assailed on three sides at once. The Americans had fired the last round; their ammunition was exhausted, and now succeeded a desperate and deadly struggle, hand to hand, with bayonets, stones and the stocks of muskets.

At length, as the British continued to pour in, Prescott gave the order to retreat. His men had to cut their way through two divisions of the enemy in rear of the redoubt, and received a destructive volley from those who had formed on the captured works. The Americans, however, at no time showed panic.

Their retreat was no rout, but they had to give up the hill they had so stoutly defended.

WASHINGTON DISAPPOINTED IN THE TROOPS.

Washington was disappointed in the American troops when he took command at Cambridge. He had expected to find eighteen or twenty thousand men under arms, but there were not much more than fourteen thousand. He had expected to find some degree of system and discipline, whereas all were raw militia. He had expected to find works scientifically constructed, and proofs of knowledge and skill in engineering; whereas, what he saw of the latter was very imperfect.

There was abundant evidence of aptness at trenching and throwing up rough defenses. In that way General Thomas had fortified Roxbury Neck, and Putnam had strengthened Prospect Hill. But the semi-circular line which linked the extreme posts, was formed of rudely constructed works, far too extensive for the troops which were at hand to man them.

Within this attenuated semi-circle, the British forces lay concentrated and compact; and having command of the water, might suddenly bring their main strength to bear upon some weak point, force it, and sever the American camp.

In fact, when he considered the scanty, ill-conditioned and irregular force thus stretched out to beleaguer a town and harbor defended by ships and

floating batteries, garrisoned by eleven thousand strongly posted veterans, he was at a loss whether to attribute this to ignorance or to that daring selfconfidence which at times in our military history has snatched success in defiance of scientific rules.

One of the encampments, however, was in striking contrast with the rest. It was that of a body of Rhode Island troops, raised, drilled and brought to the camp by Brigadier-General Greene of that province.

Washington wrote to the President of Congress, representing the various deficiencies and urging the army's appointment of a commissary-general, a quartermaster-general, a commissary of musters and a commissary of artillery. Above all things, he requested a supply of money as soon as possible. Said he: "I find myself already much embarrassed for want of a military chest."

In one of his recommendations was an instance of frontier expediency, learned in his early campaigns. Speaking of the ragged condition of the army, and the difficulty of procuring clothing, he advised that a number of hunting shirts, not less than ten thousand, be provided, as the cheapest and quickest mode of supplying this necessity.

Among the troops most destitute were those belonging to Massachusetts, which formed the larger part of the army, but Washington made a noble apology for them. "This unhappy and devoted Province," said he, “has been so long in a state of anarchy, and the yoke has been laid so heavily upon it, that great allowances are to be made for troops raised under such circumstances."

"The deficiency of numbers, discipline and stores can only lead to this confusion, that their spirits had exceeded their strength," he concluded.

The hazardous position of the army pressed upon the immediate attention of Washington, and he hastened to improve the defenses of the camp, strengthen the weak parts of the line and throw up additional works around the main forts.

The army was distributed by Washington into three grand divisions. One, forming the right wing, was stationed on the heights of Roxbury, commanded by Major-General Ward, who had under him Brigadier-Generals Spencer and Thomas; another, forming the left wing, under Major-General Lee, having with him Brigadier-Generals Sullivan and Greene, was stationed on Winter and Prospect Hills; the center, under Major-General Putnam and Brigadier-General Heath, was stationed at Cambridge.