Connecticut as a colony and as a state; or, One of the original thirteen; (1904) (14593414488)

Identifier: connecticutascol02morg (find matches)
Title: Connecticut as a colony and as a state; or, One of the original thirteen;
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Morgan, Forrest, 1852- ed Hart, Samuel, 1845-1917 Trumbull, Jonathan, 1844-1919 Holmes, Frank R Bartlett, Ellen Strong
Subjects: Connecticut -- History
Publisher: Hartford, The Publishing Society of Connecticut
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



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during this night on the neigh-boring position since known as Breeds Hill. In the battle which followed on the next day, Prescott, incompliance with orders, bravely held the redoubt on BreedsHill, and Putnam, whose provincial rank made him Pres-cotts superior, directed the movements of the forces outsideof Prescotts works, ordering works to be thrown up onBunker Hill on the morning of the 17th, and directing arough line of defense to guard against flanking movementsof the enemy. At this line was stationed, among others, Cap-tain Thomas Knowlton, with two hundred Connecticut men.The breastworks consisted of a rail and stone fence hastilystuffed with hay and such other material as could be gatheredtogether in the emergency. Putnams quick eye saw the im-portance of this position, which can hardly be overestimated;for in the first and second advance of the British, the attackon Prescotts redoubt and Putnams rail fence was simul-taneous. In the third and final advance the attack appears 62
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) J ~ftf c /^ u/y?-c £L ?// CONNECTICUT IN THE REVOLUTION to have been directed entirely upon the redoubt, and in theglorious defeat, the retreat which followed was bravely andsuccessfully protected by the forces at this same rail fence,reinforced by three Connecticut companies under CaptainsJohn Chester, James Clark and William Coit, who had re-ceived orders to march from Cambridge in the afternoon,and came through Charlestown Neck under a heavy firewhich caused some other troops to falter and refuse to ad-vance. Had it not been for the rail fence and its brave de-fenders, the retreat through the narrow pass of CharlestownNeck would have ben cut off, and the result of the battle ofBunker Hill would have been as disastrous to the Americansas to the British. But it was not alone in the field movements of the battlethat Putnam showed his energy and foresight. He seems tohave been ubiquitous, and always at the point where he wasmost needed—now riding post-haste to Cambridge for rein-f