The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 Part 9

the 19. I went upon fatigue the morning began with fireing from the wicked enemy at our guard but did no hurt in the afternoon they rifle men fired at the enemy and they enemy at them and they wounded one of the rifle men in the foot Slitely but what Damage we did them is uncertain let this Suffice for a short acount of the tranactions of the 19 day.

the 20. I went upon the main guard at night our boats went up with in gun Shot of the comon[147] and alarmed them by fireing Several guns and then returned without any Loss on our side.

[Footnote 147: The large park, known as Boston Common, extended down to the water's edge, before the flats were filled in.]

the 21. Nothing remarkable hapened this day at night one of the enemy deserted and came to us.

the 22. We paraded nothing remarkable I went down to the piquet.

the 23, 24. Nothing remarkable.

the 25. A flag of truce came out of town but for what I dont know.

the 26. This morning their was a man ran away from the floating battery.

the 27. Being Sunday but they make such a fireing over at Bunkers hill that it seems to be more Like the Kings birth day than Sunday but what Sucksess they have had we are not able to determine but we heard that they killed too men and wounded 3 or 4 four more[148]

[Footnote 148: About nine o'clock on Sunday morning, the 27th, the British opened a heavy cannonade from Bunker's hill (where they had built a strong redoubt), and from a s.h.i.+p and floating battery in Mystic river. The firing was directed upon the American works on Winter, Prospect, and Ploughed hills. They continued to bombard these works daily until the 10th of September.]

the 28. But they still hold up their firing at Bunkers hill nothing more remarkable this day.

the 29. I went upon the piquet down to the george tavern and the enemy fired several small arms at us but did us no Damage.

the 30. Very rainy nothing extraordinary this day.

the 31. Nothing extraordinary this day only it was rainy at night Lieutenant Foster and four men went down to the piquet.[149]

[Footnote 149: There was a famous tree in Boston, under which the patriots had often held meetings since the time of the stamp-act excitement. On that account it was called "Liberty-Tree." It was a n.o.ble elm, and stood at the corner of the present Was.h.i.+ngton and Ess.e.x streets. On the 31st of August, 1775, the British cut it down, with no apparent motive but the indulgence of petty spite.

An eye-witness of the event says: "After a long spell of laughing and grinning, sweating, swearing, and foaming, with malice diabolical, they cut down a tree, because it bore the name of liberty." A tory soldier was killed by its fall. A poet of the day wrote:--

"A tory soldier, on its topmost limb-- The Genius of the Shade looked stern at him, And marked him out that same hour to dine Where unsnuffed lamps burn low at Pluto's shrine.

Then tripped his feet from off their cautious stand: Pale turned the wretch--he spread each helpless hand, But spread in vain--with headlong force he fell, Nor stopped descending till he stopped in h.e.l.l!"]

SEPTEM.

the 1. This morning very early just past one o clock the enemy began to fire from their Brest Work and their floating batery which ocationed an alarm their fireing Semed to be at our main guard and piquet they fired a number of guns and threw several bombs and they were permitted to kill too men the one belongd to Col Huntingtons[150]

Regement and the other belonged to col Davidsons Regement and one of the riflemen was slitely wounded but see the Providence of G.o.d in it when 6 or 7 hundred men were before the mouths of their canon there was but too men killed We should not have thought it strange if they had killed 20 considering the Situation that they were in too of the regulars centrys deserted about a hour before the firing began this was the smartest fireing that ever has been this campaign in the afternoon they fired upon our fatigue party but did no Damage also about Sunset there was several guns fired on board the s.h.i.+ps there was several s.h.i.+ps came in to the harbour thus far the proceding of the 1 day.

[Footnote 150: Colonel Jedediah Huntington, of Norwich, Connecticut. The British now seemed determined to make a general a.s.sault upon the besiegers, and a heavy cannonade was opened simultaneously upon the Americans at Roxbury and in the vicinity of Cambridge.]

the 2. I went down to the right hand of the burying place and we had not been their Long before we were ordered of and the canon began to play upon the enemy from Roxbury fort on the hill and the field peices from the brest work in the thicket the ocation of our mens fireing upon them was this they had advanced about 30 or 40 rods this side their other brest work on the neck and were intrenching their[151]

they fired several guns at us but did us no Damage in the afternoon we went down to our work again expecting every moment when they would fire at us but they never fired one gun in the afternoon at night thir was a platform caried down to the thicket in order to mount a canon their Nothing more remarkable to day.

[Footnote 151: They threw up a slight breastwork a little in advance of their lines on the neck, and not far from the George tavern.]

the 3. Being Sunday we turned out about day and went to our alarm post and it rained and we cam home and John coleman drinkt 3 pints cyder at one draught nothing more remarkable this day.

the 4. We turned out this morning before day and went to our alarm post nothing remarkable this day at night I went upon the piquet down to Lambs Dam[152] nothing more remarkable.

[Footnote 152: Lamb's dam was between Roxbury and Dorchester. There the Americans completed a strong work on the 10th of September, and mounted four eighteen-pounders.]

the 5. Nothing remarkable only Benjamin Mc Lain sent home 10 Letters at one draught by Lieutenant Bacon and Lieutenant Foster had Likt to have been put under guard for playing ball.

the 6. Nothing remarkable this day at Night our men went down below the george tavern for a safe guard for the centrys.

the 7. We turned out early this morning and went to our alarm post and had a smart scrimmage[153] with no enemy and this day I went upon the creek guard several s.h.i.+ps sailed out of the harbour old White was buried and their was much joy.[154]

[Footnote 153: Skirmish.]

[Footnote 154: We can not explain this local allusion.]

the 8. Came of the creek guard and nothing remarkable hapned onely they enemy fired at our fatigue party but did no damage at night upon the door guard.

the 9. In the morning the enemy fired upon our fatigue party but did them no Damage in the afternoon I went upon fatigue at night our men caried Several canon down into the thicket to the brest works their.[155]

[Footnote 155: The breastworks in the thicket were the Roxbury lines of fortifications in advance of the fort.]

the 10. Being Sunday our men went on fatigue and the enemy fired upon them and broke three guns that were paraded but hurt no man at night their was a man deserted from cambridg and went to the enemy.

the 11. We turned out and went to our alarm post and Ensign Parot shook one of his men for disobying orders this day their was a boat drove ash.o.r.e belonging to the regulars and a Seargent and 5 men on board and they were all taken prisoners at night I went upon the piquet and was almost frozen to Death.

the 12. Our men went down to Lambs Dam to entrenching not above half a mile from the enemys brest work but nothing remarkable hapened.

the 13. Colonel Clap officer of the day our men took this day 26 prisoners in mistick[156] river as we heard.

[Footnote 156: Mystic.]

the 14. This morning I went upon fatigue down in the Street[157] and the enemy fired one shot at us and struck the brest work but did no Damage captain Pond[158] comanded of the party.

[Footnote 157: The road leading from Roxbury across the neck into Boston.]

[Footnote 158: Captain Pond was from New Hamps.h.i.+re, and was an officer in Colonel Stark's regiment.]

the 15. Their was a regular and too men of wars men[159] ran away Last night and this morning nothing more remarkable their was 3 guns fired on board the s.h.i.+p in cambridg Bay.

[Footnote 159: From the vessels known as men-of-war.]

the 16. Nothing remarkable hapened only the regulars fired several Shot at our men that were upon fatigue but did no Damage.

the 17. Being Sunday I went upon the fatigue and the enemy fired several times at our men but did no Damage and they threw several Bombs.

the 18. I came of the creek guard and the enemy fired several canon at our men but killed none and onely wounded one or too slitely and Last night their was several men ran away from a man of war and toward night the enemy fired several Shots from the s.h.i.+p in cambridg bay and our men fired one Shot from Prospect hill at the s.h.i.+p in the Bay but did not strike her.

the 19. The enemy began to fire about eight oclock into the street but did no damage except slitely wounding one or too at night I went upon the piquet and Nothing remarkable hapened also their was a man put under guard for comeing on to the parade Drunk.

the 20. Nothing remarkable hapened this day the enemy fired one shot at our fatigue party but did no damage they fired over at Bunkers hill and threw several Bombs.