Though they exhibited the most undaunted courage, they met with an opposition which called for its greatest exertions. The Americans here, in like manner, reserved their fire till the enemy were near, and then poured in their shot upon the light infantry with such a true direction and amazing success as mowed down their ranks. The engagement was kept up on both sides with great resolution. The persevering exertions of the British forces could not compel the provincials to retreat, till they observed that their main body had left the hill when they gave way, and which was conducted with more regularity than could be expected from troops who had been no longer under discipline, and in general never before saw an engagement. The retreat exposed them to new danger, for it could not be effected but by marching over Charlestown neck, every part of which was raked by the shot of the Glasgow man of war, and of two floating batteries. The incessant fire kept up across the neck from the beginning of the engagement, prevented any considerable reinforcements getting to the hill; but the few who fell in their retreat over the same ground, proved, that the apprehensions of those provincial officers who declined passing over to aid their countrymen, were without any solid foundation.

"The number of Americans engaged, amounted only to fifteen hundred. It was apprehended that the British would push the advantage they had gained, and march immediately to the American head-quarters at Cambridge, about two miles distant, and which was in no state of defence; but they advanced no farther than Bunker's hill. There they threw up works for their own security. The Americans did the same upon Prospect hill, in front of them, about half way to Cambridge. Both were guarding against an attack; neither of them were in a condition to receive one. The loss of the peninsula depressed the spirits of the provincials, and the loss of men damped the courage of the regulars. There was a continued blaze of fire from the provincials for near half an hour, and the action was hot for about double that period. In this short space the loss of the British amounted to 1054. Nineteen commissioned officers were killed, and 70 more were wounded. The light infantry and grenadiers lost three-fourths of their men. Of one company, not more than five, and of another not more than fourteen escaped. A number of tories served as volunteers, several of whom were killed. That the officers suffered so much, must be imputed to their being aimed at; from their fall much confusion was expected. They were therefore particularly singled out. Most of those who were near the person of general Howe, were either killed or wounded.-It was a wonder that the general himself escaped. The unexpected resistance of the Americans must wipe away all the reproaches of cowardice, which have been cast on them by their enemies. In future, let them no more pronounce the Americans cowards, who will fly at the very sight of a grenadier's cap. The spirited conduct of the British

officers merited great applause, but the Americans were justly entitled to a large portion of the same, for having made the utmost exertions of their adversaries necessary to dislodge them from lines, which were the work only of a few hours. The Americans lost five pieces of cannon out of six. Their killed amounted to 139; their wounded and missing to 314. Among the slain was major general Warren, who was shot in the back part of his head; upon receiving the shot he dropt down dead in the trenches, scarcely four days after his appointment to so distinguished a military command. His death was universally regretted, and would have veiled with cypress the most brilliant victory. In the spring of 1776, after the evacuation of Boston by the British, his body was brought from Breed's hill, where it had lain undistinguished from his fellow soldiers, to be entombed in a Boston burial ground. He was there interred with masonic and civic honours, and an eulogium on his merits was delivered in the Stone Chapel by one of the craft.'

A monument has been erected to his memory on Breed's hill, in Charlestown, on the spot, as nearly as could be ascertained, where the brave Warren fell. It is a pillar of the Tuscan order, the top of which is twenty eight feet from the ground; and is surmounted with a gilt urn, on which are sundry masonic devices, and the letters J. W. Æ. XXXVI. The inscription is on the south side of the pedestal, in the following words:

ERECTED A. D. 1794,

By King Solomon's lodge of Freemasons,
Constituted at Charlestown, 1783, in memory of

MAJOR GENERAL

JOSEPH WARREN,

And his associates, who were slain on this memorable spot,

17th June, 1775.

are

None but they who set a just value on the blessings of liberty, worthy to enjoy her. In vain we toiled, in vain we fought, we bled in vain, if you, our offspring, want valor to repel the assaults of her

invaders.

Charlestown settled, 1628; burnt, 1775; rebuilt, 1776. The inclosed land given by Hon. James Russell.

MAJOR GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE.

This gentleman was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1745. His ancestors were Irish, and his grandfather was a captain under King William, at the battle of the Boyne; but at what time the family emigrated to America, is not precisely known. Our hero had been bred to the profession of a surveyor, to the duties of which he had attended for several years. But as soon as the clouds began to gather in the political hemisphere, he relinquished his private pursuits, and united his efforts with the patriots of 1774 and 1775, in warding off the impending storm. He was successively

honoured with a seat in the Legislature, until he vacated it for the more arduous toils of the tented field, by the acceptance of a colonelcy in the provincial army; and so great was his interest, that, in a few weeks, he raised a regiment in his native county.

In the beginning of the campaign of 1777 he was raised to the rank of brigadier general, and with his brigade was ordered to reinforce general Washington, at the head of Elk.

At the battle of Brandywine, general Kniphausen was posted at Chad's ford, as a feint, general Washington having stationed general Wayne, with an adequate force, as he supposed, to defend the passage of the ford. When Cornwallis, as he had designed, succeeded in turning the right flank of the American army, Kniphausen crossed the ford and attacked Wayne with great vigour. He sustained the shock with much resolution; but, after a severe conflict, was obliged to give way to superior force, leaving in possession of the enemy, his entrenchments, battery and cannon.

During the campaign of 1777, '78, gen. Wayne was attached to the army in the middle states, under the immediate command of Washington, and rendered important services in the military operations of the time.

In the campaign of 1779, general Washington conceived the design of storming Stoney Point, a strong position on the Hudson, about fifty miles above New York, which had a short time before, fallen into the hands of the British. The object in view, was to withdraw from Connecticut to the defence of their lines, a party of the enemy, who were laying waste a part of that state. The execution of this enterprize was entrusted to general Wayne, who completely effected it. The situation of this post was of much importance in another point of view, as it commanded a pass of the river, essential to the British shipping, for the attack on the forts above. The garrison, which consisted of about 600 men, under a col. Johnson, was part of the force which had bayonetted his troops in cool blood, at Paoli. His parole on this occasion, recalled to the remembrance of his troops, that sanguinary affair. Although the enterprize was effected with the bayonet, the flints having been taken out of their firelocks, and the storming of the fort might have justified complete retaliation, yet the moment the enemy submitted, he spared the further effusion of blood. This enterprize completely effected its object, by compelling the British general to withdraw his forces from Connecticut to defend his own posts.

In the commencement of this attack, which was of short duration, a ball discharged by one of the sentinels, grazed the general's head, and knocked him down. He laid a few moments, apparently lifeless, but soon rose, and so far recovered, as to rest on one knee. Supposing himself mortally wounded, he desired one of his aids to carry him forward, and let him die in the fort.

During the campaigns of 1779 and 1780, general Wayne was with

the grand army under Washington, in which period nothing occurred of moment. By the new disposition of the army in 1781, general Wayne's division was thrown into the southern army. Here, though engaged in no brilliant action, he rendered very important services in defeating the measures of the enemy.

For his eminent services, the legislature of the state of Georgia made him a donation of a handsome plantation. At the close of the war he retired to enjoy the repose of domestic life. He was chosen a delegate to the Pennsylvania convention, in 1787, and was one of those who signed the acceptance of the present constitution of the United States, in behalf of his native state. Subsequent to this period he left his family and went to Georgia to look after the property which had been bestowed upon him by that state. Here he was induced to allow himself to be held up as a candidate for a seat in Congress, and was returned to that honourable body as being duly elected, in 1792. But certain irregularities having taken place in regard to some of the votes, the legality of his election was called in question by his opponent, general James Jackson. The business was, accordingly, taken up in the House of Representatives, who, after a patient investigation, determined in favour of Jackson; while they at the same time, declared, that no dishonour could be attached to general Wayne, and that the informalities which had induced them to decide that he could no longer retain his place in their body, could not, in the slightest degree, be attributed to him. Wayne employed counsel; but his antagonist plead his own cause. Jackson might forthwith have taken his seat; but he declined that honour till after a new election the will of the majority of his constituents was fully expressed in his behalf.

Immediately after this disappointment, he was consoled by his being promoted to the command of the western army, which had been successively defeated under Harman and St. Clair. Here he continued the warfare with success against the Indians, whom he defeated and compelled to sue for peace. He remained in this command, watching over the conduct of his savage foe, until the 15th of December, 1796, when he died at Presque-Isle, on lake Erie, of a malignant disease, in the fifty-first year of his age, and was buried there with all the honours due to his rank and high merits. A few years ago his remains were taken up and removed to his native county, where they were, with much ceremony and military parade, deposited along with those of his ancestors.

BRIGADIER GENERAL DANIEL MORGAN.

This gentleman's father was a native of Wales, who emigrated to this country, and settled in New Jersey, where the general was born; whence, in early life, he removed to Virginia, and pursued the avocation of a wagoner for his subsistence. Between the ages

of twenty and thirty, he was much addicted to gaming and drinking, which involved him in many combats, wherein he evinced that daring and adventurous spirit, which marked the career of his future life.

In the commencement of the revolutionary contest between Great Britain and her colonies, he was appointed to command a troop of cavalry, raised in defence of the rights of the latter, against the usurpation of the mother country. With it he joined the American army at Boston, whence he was detached by general Washington, to the expedition of general Arnold against Quebec, to co-operate with general Montgomery, in the reduction of that capital.

The combined operations against that city were begun under the angry auspices of a December sky. In the early part of the attack on that city, Arnold was wounded in the arm, and carried off the field, when his command devolved on Morgan, who, with his little Spartan band, passed the first barrier, and had mounted the second, when the fall of the lamented Montgomery checked his career of expected glory. Colonel Campbell, second in command to that general, after his fall, made no farther effort at conquest, but drew off his troops, which left the enemy undisturbed, to direct his whole attention towards the troops under Morgan, who was compelled to surrender to superior force. While a prisoner, he was offered the rank and emolument of a colonel in the British service. He begged the officer who made him the offer, never again to insult his misfortunes in so degrading a manner.

Soon afterwards he was exchanged, when he repaired to the American standard, and received the command of a select rifle corps, by gen. Washington's recommendation, who, although in want of his services, judged it prudent to detach him to the assistance of gen. Gates. That general having after the fall of Ticonderoga, succeeded gen. St. Clair, appeared unable to check the career of Burgoyne, in whose subsequent capture Morgan particularly distinguished himself, notwithstanding which, Gates, in his official communication of that event to the American government, passed his services over unnoticed. The cause was this-Gates was connected with a party who wished to take away the chief command from Washington, and sounded Morgan on the subject. Morgan treated the attempt with disdain, and declared he would serve under no other commander. Hence intimacies ceased to exist between them, and Gates treated him with studied neglect. The latter, after Burgoyne's capture, having invited several British and American officers to dine with him, purposely neglected Morgan. Having, however, some business to transact with him, he called on the general at his dining-room in the evening; but upon his entrance was not announced to the guests. His business finished, he withdrew, and the British officers having learnt his name, followed him out of Gates's presence, and paid him individually their respects.