University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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The President was coming! Would they be able to clear the bridge in only 45 minutes . . . llxsskuiis 1wL..:,.3:'.! c ,Q -- V172-'1 ' . ' W ,U . i.,.,9. - 5. -' --un -A5 ',.',- .' -U ,: iw? .9,alY1'st?f' -ff? - H if . --1' Q-fab .. ' ' ' - , -- -'l-1 . -.r:'fl3' KKQS1-'5ii'5' fd5? T, . -f -inf' K i-:'i3'i '1 .-ge - ,iz , I -as ' '- f ,- 1 msn. '-. ' - ' -zz'--.ft .sl :P 1 . , 4- is -i f A I ge'-i .W . . .-:E .5 .4 . ,,. ' ..-'- K . ,i. sandwiches and it seemed more likely that they were headed for an afternoon at an amuse- ment park than to see the Pre- sident ofthe United States. All areas near the river were jammed. Mounted police and guards of every description were out watching the area. Choppers roared overhead. People were tense and tired. The public address system was tested. Members of the press swapped information. Photo- graphers practiced their angles, looking for the best position. Press passes were checked in- termittently. People were asked to clear the area, stand behind the ropes and clear the bridge. Across the river, members of the PBC and those who were just there because they wanted to send a message to Wa- shington shouted and waved their signs while setting up their plan of action for the Pre- sident's arrival. The entire hill was blue denim with yellow- slicker polka-dots. Hours passed. The time was near. The choppers flew lower, frogmen secured the bridge, and boats finished dragging the Concord River. Secret Service men hurried around in their most officious manner, holding hushed conferences with one an- other and passing suspicious glances. They politely checked our bags one by one and fo- cused their discerning eyes on any unfamiliar object. The Presidental seal was at- tached tothe podium. The area was cleaned, the carpet was swept where the shoes of the President would walk. Ever- ything was timed, concise, smooth and very, very profes- sional. Cannons were fired across the river. A huge parade of brightly clad Minutemen marched across the rude bridge. A flint lock went off and Secret Service men quickly pulled the responsible man out of the parade, and when con- vinced it was just powder, al- lowed the man to return to his group. The Concord Minute- men marched in and stood be- fore us, directly in front of the President's platform. We heard the Secret Service Man's walkie-talkie announce, He's on his way. The noise level of the crowd got higher and

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By the middle of June, the Mass. committee of safety had learned that the British were about to fortify Dor- chester Heights, which overlook Bos- ton. The rebels sought to counteract this by beating the British to it, and fortifying Breed's Hill on the Charles- town Peninsula. Henry Hulton is the Commissioner of Customs in Boston. His loyalities and his superiors are in England. He is a Bureaucrat, a white collar worker. But he is a sincere man who loves his country and his king. Massachusetts is his home, but this is not his war. Henry Hulton's letters provide us with a unique opportunity to view the first major battle of the war, from the Tory's point of view. Commonly known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, we are all well aware of how the militia supposedly held their fire until they could see the whites of the redcoat's eyes. Well, Henry's version of the events is not as glorious a picture as our history books would have us believe. Henry Hultong June 20, 1775 Northampton took no part in the Battle of Bunker Hill, except for one man. The Northampton Minutemen had marched home when the news of Bunker Hill reached the town. General Seth Pomeroy, a gentleman farmer of 69 years old, borrowed a horse and rode straight to the battle. He found the commanding officier, General Putnam. Putnam, who knew how committed Po- meroy was to the Revolution, said, You're here, Pomeroy! God, I believe a Cannonball would wake you up if you slept in your grave! Northampton sent some men to Can- ada to join the troops up there. These men wrote home of all the difficulties with their expedition. There were no doctors or nurses. One French woman watched over them and tried to nurse them when they were ill. The men fond- ly referred to her as Aunt Sarah . The men brought no medical reme- dies for any illness, so all they had was a syrup and some homemade pills from boiled buttcrnut bark. food was also a problem. It became so scarce that they were forced to kill and cat ratllesnakes. For these two months past our situation has been critical and alarming. The town is blockaded, and the whole country is in arms all around us. The people have not only cut us off from all supplies, but they do their utmost to prevent any kind of' provi- sion form being brought to us from neighboring ports. As wewere surprised into these circumstances, it's a wonder that we have held out as long as we have. We are now very anxious for the arrival of the second division, and I am afraid it will be necessary to add another to that, before the army can operate effectively around this place. The country is very rugged by anture, and the rebels have possessed themselves of all the advantageous posts. They have thrown up intrenchments in many parts. From the heights of this place, we have a view of the whole town, the harbor, and the countryside. And last saturday, I was a spectator of a most awful scene. On the morning of the 17th, it was observed that the rebels had thrown up a breastwork, and were preparing to open fire upon the heights above Charlestown. There they could obstruct the shipping, and destroy the north part of Boston. Immediately, a cannonading began from the battery in the north part of town and from the ships of war, on those works, and on the enemy, wherever they could be discovered. Soon after eleven o'clock, two battalions marched out of their encampments, and embarked in boats. Before high water, they were landed to the eastward of Charles- town. Great are our fears that they would be attacked by superior numbers, before they could be all assembled and properly prepared, but more boats arrived and they all advanced, some on the other side, round the hill where the cannon was erected, and some through part of Charles- town. On the side of the hill which was not visible from Boston, it seems very strong lines were thrown up. and were occupied by thousands of rebels. The troops advanced with great zeal towards the intrenchments, but were met with both artillery and small arms tire. Many brave officers and men were killed and wounded. As soon as they got to the entrench- ments, the rebels fled. Many of them were killed in the trenches and in their flight. The marines, in marching through part of Charlestown, were fired at from the houses. Because of the firing from the houses, the town was immediately set in flames. At four o'clock, we saw the fire and the sword, all the horrors of war raging. The town was burning all the nightg the rebels sheltered themselves in the adjacent hills, and the neighborhood of Cambridge. The army possessed themselves of Charlestown neck. We were exulting in seeing the flight of our enemies, but in an hour or two we had occasion to mourn and lament. In the evening, the streets were filled with the wounded and the dyingg the sight of which along with the crying of the women and children over their husbands and fathers, pierced one to the soul. Through the night, we heard of some officer, or one of our friends, who had fallen in our defense, and in supporting the honor of our country. The rebels have now occupied a hill about a mile from Charlestown neckg they are very numerous, and have thrown up intrenchments. The ships and troops cannonade them wherever they can reach them. In the same manner, on the other side of Boston neck, on the high ground above the Roxbury metting house, the rebels are intrenching. It grieves me, that gentlemen, brave british sholdiers, should fall by the hands of such dispi- cable wretches as compose the rebels of the country. They are a most rude, depraved, degenerate race, and it is a mortification to us that they speak english, and can trace themselves from that stock. Since Adams went to Philadelphia, A Dr. Warren, who is a patriot and apothecary of this town, has had the lead in the provincial congress. He signed commissions, and acted as the president. This fellow happily was killed, in coming out of the trenches the other day, where he had commanded and spirited the people to defend the lines which he assured them were impregnable. You may judge what the herd must be when such a one is their leader. Pray the lord deliver us. I remain your faithful and obedient servant. ll I 28

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The wife of John Adams gives us an equally distorted view of the ,same events, but one that we are more familiar with. Equally as personal, her account reflects the concerns and emotions of patriot households in Boston. Abigail Adamsg June 25, 1775 Lieutenant Solomon Allen, a North- ampton man, was sent to General Ben- edict Arnold with dispatches of the an- nouncement of the capture of General Andre. Greenfield Minutemen did not really get involved with the Revolution right away. This town sent a large percentage of its men to fight in the battle at Fort Ticonderoga. - 14 'FN H 'x I: - I ax 2 le-4 gijii 9 1 A 4 'W - Q.. 'D ff at The day - perhaps the decisive day - is come, the one the fate of America depends on. My bursting heart must find vent at my pen. I have just heard, that our dear friend, Dr. Warren, is no more, but he fell gloriously fighting for his country: saying, better to die honorably in the field, than dishonorably hang upon the gallows. Great is our loss. He has distinguished himself in every engagement, by his courage and fortitude, by inspiring the soldiers, and leading them on by his own example. Charlestown is laid in ashes. The battle began upon our intrenchments on Bunker's Hill, saturday morning about three o'clock. It has not-ceased yet, and it is now three o'clock sabbath afternoon. How many have fallen, we don't know. The constant roar of the cannon is so distressing, that we can't eat, drink, or sleep. I shall stay here till it is thought unsafe by my friends, then I have secured myself a retreat at your brother's, who has kindly offered me part of his house. When I say that ten thousand reports are given, vague and uncertain as the wind, I believe I speak the truth. I'm unable to give you any authentic account of last saturday, but you won't lack information. I wish I could contradict the report of the doctor's death, but it is a lamentable truth. Those favorite lines of Collins sound in my ears: How sleep the brave. - , My father has been more afflicted by the destruction of Charlestown than by anything which has yet taken place. Why shouldn't his face be sad, when the city, the place of his father's birth, lies in waste. Scarcely one stone remains upon anotherg but in the midst of sorrow we have abundant cause for thankfulness - that so few of our friends are among the slain, while our enemies were cut down like the grass before the scythe. Many poor wretches died for want of proper assistance and care of their wounds. f Every account agrees that fourteen of fifteen hundred were slain and wounded upon the other side, and I can't find out if they falsified the number themselves. We had some heroes that day, who fought with amazing courage. When we consider all the circumstances, we're astonished that our people weren't all cut off. They were only one hundred intrenched, and the numbers lighting didn't exceed eight hundred. They hadnlt even half enough ammunition, and the reinforcement wasn't able to get to them in time. The tide was up, and high, so that their floating batteries were on each side of the causeway, and their row- galleys kept a constant fire. Add to this - the fire from Cops Hill and from the shipsg the town in flames, all around them, and the heat from the flames so intense it couldn't be bearedg the day was one of the hottest we have had this season, and the wind was blowing the smoke in their faces - only figure to yourself all of these circumstances, and then consider that we haven't lost sixty men. My heart overflows at the recollection. We live in continual expectation of hostilities . . . with scarcely a day that does not produce some. In a contest like this, constant reports are circulated by our enemies. They catch with the unwary and the gaping crowd, who are ready to listen to the marvelous, without considering the consequences, even though their best friends are injured. l haven't ventured to inquire one word of you about your return. I don't know whether l ought to wish for itg it seems as if your sitting together in congress was absolutely necessary, while every day is big with events. g L Q , , 95 si .9 , 9 Q' -ya