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BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL.

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their fire slackened. The British brought some of their cannon to bear, which raked the inside of the breast work from end to end; the fire from the ships, batteries, and field-artillery, was redoubled; and the redoubt, attacked on three sides at once, was carried at the point of the bayonet. The Americans, though a retreat was ordered, delayed, and made an obstinate resistance with the butts of their guns, until the assailants, who easily mounted the works, had half-filled the redoubt. Meanwhile the breast work had been bravely defended against the light-infantry, who were mowed down in ranks by the close fire of the Americans; but the redoubt being lost, the breastwork was necessarily abandoned. The troops had now to make their way over Charlestown Neck, which was completely raked by the Glasgow man-of-war and two floating batteries; but by the skill and address of the officers, and especially of General Putnam, who commanded the rear, the retreat was effected with little loss. General Warren fell in the battle, fighting like a common soldier.

The New Hampshire troops, under Stark, Dearborn, and others, were in the battle, near the rail-fence. They were marching from their native state towards Cambridge, and came upon the battleground by their own impulses, having received no orders from the commander-in-chief. The British had three thousand men, the Americans fifteen hundred. The former lost one thousand and fiftyfour killed and wounded, the latter one hundred and thirty-nine killed, and three hundred and fourteen wounded and missing. The moral effect of this battle was immense. It had been doubted whether the provincials would fight. That question was now defi nitively settled.

The British held and fortified Breed's Hill. The Americans maintained their original lines of investment, and held the enemy as closely besieged as before the battle.

A second continental congress assembled at Philadelphia, on the 10th of May, under the presidency of Peyton Randolph. They voted addresses to the king, the people of Canada, and the Assembly of Jamaica; they resolved that twenty thousand men should be raised and equipped for the common defence; and they chose George Washington for commander-in-chief. All this was done, and bills of credit emitted in the name of the TWELVE UNITED COLONIES. The Revolution was thus formally organized. Georgia soon after sent in her delegates, and the thirteen colonies were indissolubly united.

The battle of Bunker Hill (so called, although fought on Breed's

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Hill) was followed by active hostilities at sea. Privateers and vessels fitted out by Massachusetts and other colonies captured many merchantmen and transports,-aggressions which were retaliated by the burning of Falmouth, and the sacking of other defenceless towns on the coast.

General Washington joined the army at Cambridge on the 2d of July. He found fifteen thousand men encamped around Boston, illarmed, undisciplined, and disorderly. They were deficient in gunpowder; but the garrison of ten thousand men in Boston were well supplied with munitions of war. The terms of enlistment of many expired during the siege, and their numbers were at one time less than those of the British army. Active operations seemed impracticable; but on the 2d of March, 1776, and on the succeeding nights, a heavy bombardment was kept up on the British lines; and on the 4th, General Thomas, with a strong detachment, took possession of Dorchester Heights, and with the aid of fascines provided by General Ward, they succeeded in erecting works during the night

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sufficient for their defence. Howe was astonished when he saw these works, and he determined to dislodge the Americans. A detachment of about two thousand troops fell down to the castle in transports; but a furious storm scattered them, and they were unable to proceed to the scene of action. The works were soon rendered nearly impracticable; and a council of war, held by the British, decided to evacuate the town as soon as possible. A fortnight afterwards the measure was effected; and at ten in the morning of the 17th of March, the royal troops and their adherents, who had lately held possession of Boston, were sailing away from its shores; and Washington triumphantly entered the city.

Thus terminated the siege of Boston. The British proceeded to Halifax, and Washington withdrew his forces to New York, which he rightly deemed would be the next point of attack.

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