Identifier: oldbostondaysway00craw (find matches)
Title: Old Boston days & ways; from the dawn of the revolution until the town became a city
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Crawford, Mary Caroline, 1874-1932
Subjects: Boston (Mass.) -- History Boston (Mass.) -- Social life and customs
Publisher: Boston, Little, Brown
Contributing Library: Mugar Memorial Library, Boston University
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston University

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ictory.As it was, however, the British were left inpossession of the field, for they had carried theposition at the point of the bayonet and tech-nically the day was theirs. Among the many Americans who distinguishedthemselves at Bunker Hill the names of Pres-cott, Putnam and Warren stand out mostclearly. Prescott was a Groton man, who hadalready had military experience under GeneralWinslow at the capture of Cape Breton. Ofhis intrepidity on the day of the battle manyanecdotes are told, among them that of the wayin which he inspired confidence in his men.A private had been killed by a cannon ball andPrescott, perceiving that this had made someof the soldiers sick at heart, mounted tlie para-pet and walked leisurely around it, cheeringhis soldiers by approbation and humor. Gen-eral Gage, who was reconnoitering the Ameri-cans through his glass, inquired of Councillor OLD BOSTON DAYS & WAYS 145 Willard, near him, who that tall, commandingfigure was. Willard borrowed the glass, looked
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STATUE OF COL. WILLIAM PRESCOTT, BUNKER HILL through it, and said: It is my brother-in-law. Will he fight ? again inquired Gage.* As long as a drop of blood remains in his 146 OLD BOSTON DAYS & Wx\YS veins, answered the other. Prescott had longbefore proved himself a fighter; to him isattributed the excellent advice given to themen at Bunker Hill: Dont fire until you seethe whites of the enemies eyes. Putnam, also, rendered very valuable servicethat day. Accounts of his activities vary greatly,but there is no doubt whatever that he was inthe hottest of the fight at the rail fence, that hewas applied to constantly for orders, — andthat he also gave orders without being applied to.A letter of the period gives us a vivid pictureof the way in which he rallied reinforcements. Just after dinner on Sunday, 17th ult, I waswalking out from my lodgings (in Cambridge)quite calm and composed, and all at once thedrums beat to arms and bells rang and therewas a great noise. Captain Putnam cam

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