06/17/2021
246 years ago TODAY...
Residents of Newburyport and the surrounding communities will hear a low, continuous rumble. Thinking there is a coming storm, they will look to the sky, only to see no storm clouds. Instead, what the residents are hearing is British artillery firing on an American redoubt positioned on a hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts.
As the Battle of Bunker Hill rages, residents from Amesbury, Andover and Bradford will scramble to nearby hilltops to watch the battle unfold.
Inside the redoubt, hundreds of Merrimack Valley men, including those from Andover, Methuen, Bradford, Haverhill, Amesbury (including modern day Merrimac) and Salisbury are part of Colonel James Frye's Battalion and are engaged in a desperate fight with the enemy.
After two assaults, His majesty's forces are driven back in defeat.
A third frontal attack is ordered. Low on ammunition, the Americans are forced to abandon Breed's Hill and retreat. It is a costly victory for the British. At the end of the battle, 268 British soldiers and officers had been killed; another 828 were wounded.
The Americans also suffered heavy casualties with 115 killed and 305 wounded.
On June 21, 1775, Jeremiah Bromfield of Newburyport wrote to Jeremiah Powell to describe the bloody engagement.
According to Bromfield:
"It seems a body of our men ( the number uncertain say, from 500 to 1000 men) fryday last took possesion of Bunkers Hill entrench'd that night & the next Morning got up five pieces of artillery. Mr. Cartwright was on the Hill. Saterday morning& says the men work'd exceeding hard all Night& no refreshment had been sent them of any kind. that they were almost suffocated with Dust & Choak'd for want of liquor. they expected to have been releav'd early in the Morning, but no releafe came in & to add to their Distresses they found the Regulars prepareing to pay them a visit & the Boats hurrying about with great velocity -- Immediate Notice was sent to Head Quarters that our Enemies were in motion -- General Ward order'd without delay several Regiments down to their Assistance & the two Companies belonging to this Town among the Rest viz. Messrs. Lunt's & Perkins's as the latter recd. orders first he march'd down with all possible expedition & found they Regulars had landed & our People on the Hill actually engag'd -- Nevertheless he bravely march'd to their Assistance, & was of eminent Service. he fir'd away all his cartridges & haveing some loose powder in his Pocket. he was oblig'd to strip & tare off some part of his shirt to make wadding of. & when he had fir'd away all his Powder. he retreated -- without hat or wigg, & almost Naked -- Stephen Jenkins behav'd with equal Valor -- & got himself much honor, as did Lieut. Whittemore who got a flesh wound in thigh. Another man in the same company kill'd two Regulars at one Shott. they were both in pursuit of one of one of our Men to take him Prisoner. but death Instantly seized them -- Two are kill'd out of Perkins'sCompany & Nine wounded (not Dangerously) the Name of one kill'd is Norton. I can't learn who the other is -- Lunt's company did not get up time enough to do much ex*****on & retreated again haveing only one man wounded -- Mr. Little of Turky Hill ( who I have heard is lately made a Colo.) show'd great courage & march'd with those under his Command thro' two Regiments of our men who were looking on at a distance but were affraid to advance. He set them an example it seems which they did not chuse to follow -- he proceeded 'till he found our people retreating from the Hill. being overpower'd by numbers -- he cover'd their retreat & got off -- without much loss -- he narrowly escap'd with his Life. as two men were kill'd one on each side of him & he came to the camp all bespatterd with Blood -- Major [illegible] was order'd also to Charlestown with a Reinforcement but he no sooner came in sight of the Enemy than a tremor seiz'd him & he began to Bellow -- Retreat. Retreat or You'l all be cutt off. which so confus'd & scar'd our men; that they retreated most precipitately. & our soldiery now Sware vengeance against him & determine not to be under his comm -- We are not yet able to ascertain the Number of the Enemy -- that landed at Charlestown. the Acco't are from 3 to 6000 -- the Number kill'd of them is also Uncertain, some say five times the Numbr. kill'd of our men, & that ye number kill'd & wounded of the Provincials don't exceed 100 -- which falls far short of the Number reported at Kensington. Thank Heavn. for it --"
