The Minute Boys of Boston

Now up to this point I can speak with considerable of certainty, having Hiram at my elbow to point out this movement or that; but once we were fronting the Britishers, and the fumes of burning powder assailed my nostrils, I lost all knowledge of what was being done save immediately around me, and there were times, when the fight grew hottest, that I could not for the life of me have told you what I did or said.

This much I must set down in justice to our Minute Boys of Boston: It was not a cheerful position even for tried soldiers to be in, this seeing the flower of the king's troops marching up the hill, well fed and well armed, outnumbering us two to one, while we who had never even seen warfare, hungry and thirsty to such point that our tongues were parched dry, and with but a scanty supply of ammunition, stood behind our breastworks awaiting what surely seemed must be little less than a slaughter of us all who loved the Cause.

I dare venture to say that every fellow in my company understood full well all the danger that menaced, and yet not one of them flinched; each lad did a man's full duty, and performed, I might say, more than is demanded of a soldier.

It was near to three of the clock in the afternoon before General Gage was ready to wipe us out. Then we saw those long lines of red moving steadily forward, and my heart leaped within me when our fifers blew all their breath into the tune of Yankee Doodle, while an hundred or more of us sang that song which the Britishers had written as a cheap way of showing their contempt for those people who had been loyal to the king until he and his ministers, by cruel oppression, drove them to this so-called rebellion.

"Don't fire until they are within seven or eight rods," I heard officer after officer caution us as we stood there with muskets ready for that oncoming line of red. "When you can see the whites of their eyes, aim at their waistbands, and remember that the finest coats cover the commanders, who it were better to pick off than if you shot half a dozen men."

Again and again was that command repeated, and even while it was being dinned into our ears so emphatically, Doctor Warren, seeming to think we Minute Boys might show the white feather, came up to us as we stood where we could peer over the breastwork, and said:

"Steady, lads, it is not the number that counts, but the spirit. Remember that every British bullet does not find its billet; but see to it that all of yours strike the target. You lads smelled burning powder off Hog island when the odds against you were greater than they are now, and came off victorious, as you will this day if you hold true to your training."

"Never fear, doctor, but that the lads will give a good account of themselves!" Hiram cried in a cheery tone. "A little bit of red acts on them much the same as it does on a bull, and the Minute Boys won't be the first to turn tail, that I promise you."

"There is no need of a promise, my lad. I know it full well; but between now and when you open fire is a vexing time, during which many a good man has lost his head, therefore have a care just at this moment."

Now despite all the warnings that had been given, there were some in the redoubt who could not stand inactive while those lines of red were coming so steadily upon us, and I know full well how the men who disobeyed the command must have felt, for it was only by the greatest exercise of my will that I could prevent myself from pulling the trigger as I stood there, peering over the intrenchments, my musket leveled full at a fellow who had seemingly more of gold lace than cloth in his uniform.

The Britishers were well within gunshot when three or four men at my right, overcome most like by nervous excitement, discharged their weapons.

Then it was that Colonel Prescott, leaping from the platform on which he had been standing, cried out that he would shoot the first man who fired before word was given, and at the same moment Colonel Robinson ran around the top of the works knocking up the leveled muskets so that we might not be tempted to fire.

It seemed as if we were wasting time in allowing the enemy to come so near before giving them a taste of our quality; but because of the rating which Colonel Prescott had given those who offended, I no longer had any desire save to await the word of command.

Steadily but surely the red-coated lines advanced until it was as if they would literally over-run us while we remained inactive. I had again leveled my musket at the man who wore such a plentiful supply of gold lace, and it seemed to me as if he was no more than two yards away, although as a matter of course the distance was much greater, when Colonel Prescott shouted:

"Fire! my men, take aim and fire!"

Never before nor since have I seen such effective results. It seemed to me as if whole squads went down. There were great gaps in the line through which I could see as far as Morton's point, and the grass was strewn with blotches of red until it was like as if a carpet of crimson had suddenly been thrown over it.

Immediately our muskets were discharged we reloaded, firing whensoever we could, and by this time such of the Britishers as were yet on their feet answered us with a volley that did little or no execution, because of being aimed over our heads.

There was the rattle of musketry close about us; the heavy booming of cannon from the king's ships, and from the guns General Howe had brought with him. It was as if all the shore of Boston town had suddenly been lined with great guns belching forth fire and shot, while the smoke settled down over us and over those scattered ranks in front of the intrenchments, parching our throats and burning our eyes until we could no longer see anything before us.

Then it was that the fever of battle took possession of us; I was conscious only of loading and discharging my musket as rapidly as possible. Now and then shrieks of agony came to my ears, mingled with the volleys of great guns and the rattle of small arms, which seemed only a natural accompaniment to the din, and to the blood-thirstiness which assails one at such times.

Once I understood, as if looking down upon two figures with whom I had no connection, that Archie was speaking; but I neither heard the words nor made any answer, and could not tell whether he turned away, or remained there talking, when suddenly a great shout went up, and everywhere around me men were crying:

"The lobster backs have turned tail! They have got all of Yankee Doodle they needed!"

Our people cheered wildly. Some even threw down their weapons to dance about as do children, and, coming fairly to my senses, I leaned over the breastwork seeing, as the smoke cleared away, those men who had so lately come up to over-run us, fleeing like frightened sheep, leaving behind them here and there squads of dead or wounded comrades, some of whom shrieked with pain, and others, striving to follow in the retreat, crawling on hands and knees, dragging after them shattered limbs, staining the grass with crimson, until one could almost fancy that even amid the fumes of powder it was possible to detect that acrid odor which comes from blood.

In my delirium it was as if I had lived a whole life-time fighting, struggling to force back those soldiers of the king who fought only for the wage they received, caring naught for the righteousness of their cause, and yet, as I was told, we had not been at the work above ten minutes.

Ten minutes! and in that time we had forced back full twice our number! We, the rag-tag of the colonies, had in fair fight against great odds beaten all the men they had sent to slay us, and this in the face of that furious fire from ships, and from the batteries in town!

While I stood there craning my neck to view the results of our own blood-thirstiness, I gave heed only to the victory which we had won, never thinking what might be the cost until Hiram plucked me from behind, and, turning, I saw lying here and there within the redoubt one and another of our people writhing in pain, or lying stark and still in death.

Strange though it may seem, until that moment I had not believed our friends might have suffered. In my foolishness I fancied, if indeed I gave it a thought, that we had come out from that storm of lead without a scratch, and all my exultation vanished beneath a chill that was like unto fear.

"How many of our poor fellows have been cut down?" I cried, and there must have been in my voice that which told Hiram I was near to showing the white feather, for he shouted harshly, and as if in anger:

"It's no affair of yours, Luke Wright, how many have paid for the love they bear the colonies! The battle is but just begun, and many another among us will follow them before the day has come to a close!"

"But just begun?" I repeated stupidly. "We have whipped them, Hiram! Look yonder, not a man remains on the hill who can run or crawl about."

"Don't flatter yourself as to that. These men who have been hired to take the chances of death will be forced back upon us. Look yonder," and he pointed toward Boston town. "One, two, three, four, five barges, and filled with marines, if so be I can make out the color they wear after all the glare of red that has been before my eyes. Howe has called for yet more reinforcements! The coward dares not meet us again two to one; but must make the odds yet greater!"

I do not understand how it was; but when Hiram thus pointed out to me that which, under other circumstances, would have made my heart more cowardly, it was as if all my waning courage came back to me, and instead of shrinking on seeing the shattered lines reformed for assault, I was eager to have them come, gluttonous to have more share in the cutting down of those who counted on killing us of the colony.

After taking my station on the platform I suddenly bethought myself of Archie and Silas, and turning, failed to see but two of our Minute Boys near at hand.

"Where have they gone?" I cried, fearing more than I ever feared aught on this earth, that they had run away.

"Look over the intrenchment nearby where those red-coats are lying, and you will see not only the Minute Boys, but many a man," Hiram shouted.

When I did as he told me, I saw mayhap fifty of our people searching the bodies of the dead lobster backs for powder and balls in order that their own scanty store might be replenished. I also saw one of our men raise a Britisher's canteen to his lips and drink, and then all my desire for water came once more, until it seemed as if my tongue was like a dry stick clicking against the roof of my mouth.

Perspiration was streaming down my face and from my hands, and in my desire for moisture I scraped it from my cheek, finding it hot and salty, causing soreness of the tongue and a certain nausea of the stomach.

Then there was no longer any opportunity for me to consider my own desires or suffering. The marines in the barges had landed, and forming in line with those ranks of red, were advancing once more, this time, as I understood full well, with greater fury than at the first assault because of having the deaths of their comrades to avenge.

At this moment the cannonading from the ships seemed to be redoubled, and I could see thrown from the guns on Copp's hill great pieces of something, larger than three or four cannon balls together, which fell among the houses in the town, and, bursting open, set fire in all directions until it seemed to me that every building on the main street was in flames, while the smoke drifted over our fortification until it shut out from view even the enemy.

"Stand by your muskets, lads; this is but a trick to prevent us from seeing what the troops are doing!" some one shouted, and just then, as if God himself was aiding us of the colonies, the first breeze of wind I had felt that day came up from the west, sweeping away the smoke until we could see line after line of the Britishers marching steadily up the hill, but not coming in such close formation, being forced to turn aside here and there lest they trample upon the bodies of those who were left behind during the first retreat.

I heard some one near me say that General Howe was marching in advance of his men; but I failed to single him out. It seemed impossible to center my attention upon any one place; I could see only the blaze of red with the sunlight tipping the steel bayonets until one's eyes ached from the glare.

Then came the command, and as before, the red-coats fell to the earth in dozens and twenties until it seemed to me, who was the same as looking through a veil of red, that those who were upon the ground lay there in sufficient numbers to form a breastwork for the advancing men.

I could see here and there officers beating men onward with the flat of their swords, forcing them toward our intrenchments from which came such a deadly fire.

"Keep it up, lads! Don't waste any time, for they are making ready to turn tail again!" I shouted, and then Archie leaped up on the platform by my side, screaming as if suddenly bereft of his senses, while he discharged his musket again and again.

The lines of red wavered, were broken, or moved back here and there, until it was impossible to make out amid the smoke any definite action, and once more I lost my head, knowing nothing save that I was struggling with all my might to check those who would have over-run us.

And we did check them! For the second time the pride of the king's army ran in utter rout down the hill, despite all their officers could do to check them, and we, the rag-tag, had accomplished that which a few days before Governor Gage had said was impossible.

Once more had we whipped them in fair fight, and once more we gave way to rejoicing, no longer believing that the battle was won; but grown strong in the knowledge that twice had they sent their best men against us, and twice we had driven them back in ignoble defeat, even though during the last assault General Howe himself led the way to give his men courage.

One of our Minute Boys had been killed outright, and lay on his face upon the ground within a few feet of where I stood. How long he had been there no one could say; but we knew that he was alive when we were rejoicing over the first repulse.

Singular as it may seem when so many among us had been killed and wounded, no other of the Minute Boys had fallen, and while we stood inside the redoubt in the first flush of this second victory, we clasped each other by the hands as if congratulating ourselves that we were yet in the land of the living after having, as it were, gone down to the very brink of that dark river which separates this world from the next.

It is not well that I set down very much concerning our lads, for even at this late day it makes my heart ache as I recall to mind their appearance.

One could see hunger and thirst written on their powder-begrimed faces. It seemed to me as I looked at Archie, that his eyes were sunken, and I know full well his lips were drawn apart as are those of one who has been suddenly killed.

Save for the excitement of the battle we would have been in most painful distress; but the mind is so much stronger than the body that even when we had time to think of our condition, little heed was given to anything save the desire to do once more what we had twice done before, and make an end by the final repulse of the lobster backs.

Yet even I, raw recruit as I was, understood with a sinking of the heart which I cannot well explain, that we were far less able to cope with those lines of red now than when they first came upon us.

It was not that we counted our loss in numbers, nor that our bodies were more illy fitted to stand the strain; but we were sorely weakened because of lacking that with which to fight. Our ammunition was well nigh spent; I question if we had fifty bayonets among us all told, with which to resist an attack should the Britishers succeed in scaling the breastworks, and when the last ounce of powder had been burned what would be our plight?

I was not the only one who speculated upon these terrible things. Every man in the redoubt knew that we had not of powder and ball sufficient to repulse the next assault however desperately we might strive. There were many who did not have a single charge for their muskets, and Colonel Prescott gave orders that we should divide, those having considerable sharing with those who had none, until, when this was done, I had mayhap four charges, while those around me could boast of no more.

Some among us gathered up rocks to be used as missiles; others ventured out, even though the enemy was pouring from Copp's hill and the ships of war, volleys of grape and solid shot upon the hillside where the red-coated dead lay in such numbers, and strove to add to their store, more than one losing his life in the attempt to get that which he needed in the hope of saving it.

And now lest it be asked why powder and ball were not sent to us from every American post nearby, I desire to set down that which I afterward read concerning the condition of the forces at Cambridge and elsewhere, and at the same time it must be understood that the Britishers were sweeping that narrow stretch of land which we called Charlestown Neck, with such a heavy fire that it was almost the same as death for any one to venture across. This is what I have seen elsewhere:

"During this gallant work on Breed's hill all was confusion elsewhere. General Ward was at Cambridge without sufficient staff officers to carry his orders. Late in the afternoon the commanding general despatched his own with Patterson's and Gardner's regiments, to the field of action; but to the raw recruits the aspect of the narrow Neck was terrifying, swept as it was by British fire.

"Colonel Gardner succeeded in leading three hundred men to Bunker hill, and was advancing boldly at their head when he was wounded mortally. His men were thrown into confusion, and very few of them engaged in the combat until the retreat commenced. Other regiments failed to reach the lines. Putnam in the meantime was using his utmost exertion to form the confused troops on Bunker hill and get fresh men with bayonets across the Neck."

Now it is easy to understand why we, so sorely pressed and lacking the wherewithal to hold our own, were left on Breed's hill to meet this third assault, which would be made by fresh men, as we understood when we saw yet more barges put out from Boston, and afterward learned that General Clinton was joining Howe as a volunteer, bringing with him additional reinforcements.

All this time we were struggling to make such preparations as lay in our power, and as the moments passed without any further movement on the part of the enemy, some of our people began to believe General Howe had had enough of it – that we would be allowed to remain on the field victorious.

Hiram speedily put an end to any such hope, saying to one man who had declared that the lobster backs would not come upon us again:

"Don't count your chickens before they have begun to hatch. If fresh troops are coming across from Boston, think you they will be allowed to remain on the shore idle? Do you believe General Howe is going to take a flogging from the rag-tag and lay down quietly under it? Instead of predicting what you fancy, make ready for the next assault."

"When a man has only three charges for his musket he hasn't much to do in the way of getting ready," the fellow replied as he shook his powder horn to show how nearly empty it was.

"If so be you will, it is possible to bring down three lobster backs with that number of charges, and unless we waste our ammunition by shooting at random, there is yet a chance that you will see the back of the red-coats again as they go scurrying down the hill."

I looked Hiram full in the face, striving to make out if he really meant all he said; but I might as well have stared at the earth, so far as gaining any information was concerned. I have seen many a man who could put on a bold front when he knew mortal danger menaced, but never one who was able to stand up with a smile on his lips and a quip on his tongue when he knew he had been much the same as been driven into a corner, as did Hiram Griffin that day.

I believe we were left a full half-hour waiting for the third assault. Certain it was that the time seemed long to me, and I whispered once to Archie, saying:

"I would they might set upon us without delay, for then I shall be able to forget how sorely I am needing so much of water as will moisten my tongue."

"Don't wish the time away, lad," my comrade said gravely. "It may be that you and I have not overly many minutes of life left."

Hiram heard this dismal speech, and quickly stepping a pace nearer to Archie he said with somewhat of irritation in his tone:

"Are you counting on being the first Minute Boy to show the white feather?"

"In what way am I doing that?"

"By croaking about 'last minutes,' instead of allowing your mind to go on to that time when we can eat and drink our fill, the lobster backs having been driven into the swamp. Thus far the Minute Boys of Boston have shown themselves, if you leave out Seth Jepson, to have all the pluck that is needed, and now being come thus far through the battle with full share of credit, it ill beseems you to make dismal predictions regarding the future."

Before Hiram ceased speaking his tone had grown harsh, and I feared there might be angry words between the two even while we stood much the same as face to face with death.

Before I could break in upon them, however, the enemy had begun to show signs of moving, and on the instant we understood that this third assault was to be different from the first two.

At some time during the battle they must have gotten their artillery into favorable position, for now, suddenly, the whole interior of our breastworks was swept with ball and grape-shot, more blood being shed within five minutes than had been spilled on our side in all the terrible work thus far.

It was no longer possible for any man to remain within the breastwork and live, therefore all were ordered to come into the redoubt, where we were better sheltered, and where the enemy had not as yet found the range.

Forgetting the danger, in my eagerness to know what might follow this new method of attack, I leaned far over the fortification until it was possible for me to see, in the distance, the Britishers coming once more upon us, and that scene was not calculated to give me courage, for I soon understood that the king's soldiers were making better preparations than they had in the past attempts. Instead of climbing the hill laden with heavy knapsacks and sweltering in thick, tightly-fitting uniforms, they had cast aside all that might impede or distress them, and even like the rag-tag, they counted on fighting in their shirt-sleeves as should have been done on such a hot day when they first set the pace.

I cannot set down in military terms the tactics which General Howe now displayed; but certain it is that instead of marching straight up the hill, thus giving us every chance at them, after using their artillery to drive us back into the redoubt, they counted on assaulting us at the weakest point, which was the space between the outworks and the rail fence, as I have already set down.

But whatsoever might be their intentions, certain it was they were coming with as much show of determination as ever before, and we must perforce stand against them so long as our ammunition lasted, and what then?

My heart sank within me as I tried to answer my own question even while making ready to do my share in the faint hope of repulsing the Britishers.

CHAPTER XI

THE RETREAT

I believe of a verity that we on Breed's hill might have driven back the Britishers once more, even though our store of ammunition was so small, had it not been for the enemy's artillery which, as I have already said, swept the interior of the breastwork from end to end, forcing us into the redoubt.

Grimly we awaited the oncoming of those lines of red coats. I believe our people fired with truer aim than at any other time during the action, for each knew only too well how necessary it was that every bullet should count.

As they advanced, and the word for us to fire had been given, among the first that fell was one of their colonels, and then two of their majors, after which Hiram set up a shout of triumph, claiming that he had wounded General Howe himself. Even amid the smoke of the battle I could see that the British leader was moving painfully, yet I must confess bravely, in order to remain at the head of his men.