By Catherine Ulrich Brakefield
June 16, 1775, marked the
day when Corporal Amos Farnsworth knew his prayers
had been heard and the war against Great Britain had God's approval.
The Revolutionary War's military maneuvers changed seemingly overnight during the Battle of Bunker Hill. Acting under orders from Artemas Ward, some thousand colonial militiamen grabbed shovels, picks, cannon, and guns and followed Colonel William Prescott to Bunker Hill. The newly formed Continental Army had decided to take a stand and fight the pompous British Redcoats atop this peninsula.
They built earthen fortifications by
the moon's glow that overlooked Boston, located on the Charlestown Peninsula,
on Breed's Hill throughout the night. The order had been to construct
fortifications atop Bunker Hill, but Prescott chose first to dig in on Breed's
Hill, which was closer to Boston.
Prescott was aware that his
small band of militiamen was outnumbered two to one. His militiamen were scantly
armed and less equipped to fight off a large military force. Still, the time
had come to take a stand for freedom.
Corporal Amos Farnsworth
understood that if they were going to win this war, they had to, at some point,
confront the enemy. Running and hiding behind stone walls and trees, emulating
the Indians they had fought earlier during the French-American war had its
advantages. Still, he'd heard the grumblings among his fellow militiamen. He
was as tired as they and had grown weary of fancy-footing around stone walls
and dodging bullets.
Commander of the British force, General Gage, whistled “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” thinking to himself that tomorrow would be a dandy day to squish the life out of these rebels who thought they stood a chance to win over the well-trained forces of his Majesty's Army.
This ragged band of farmers
would taste the sharp steel of British discipline. Yes, he, with his well-armed
British soldiers would stamp out these farmers turned militiamen. Gage could
have envisioned the Patriots running home to hide beneath their beds.
General Gage planned to
teach those obstinate rebels a lesson they would never forget. How dare this so-called
Continental Army think they could best his well-trained British Army.
On the afternoon of June 17,
2,200 British Redcoats advanced. Nothing. Had Gage made a mistake? Had his
intelligence been mistaken? Or had those white-liver tree-hugger cowards
hightailed it off Bunker Hill and back to the woods?
Suddenly, the top of the
hill erupted in flames!
American General Prescott watched
with satisfaction as the British fell like scythed wheat and performed a high-stepping
two-step running back down the hill!
The British re-formed and
went up again. And again—
The inevitable arrived—there was not one bullet to share amongst the ragged band of Patriots. Bravely they fought on with picks and shovels and then dove into full hand-to-hand combat.
The British won the Battle of Bunker and Breed's Hill. Charlestown Peninsula fell beneath British control. But for the inexperienced Americans like Corporal Amos Farnsworth, who escaped yet to fight another day, the battle was a morale-builder.
Patriot gunfire had cut down some thousand enemy troops, with more than two hundred killed and eight hundred wounded. One hundred Americans perished and a little over three hundred others injured.
From Corporal Amos Farnsworth’s diary, we get a small glimpse of what that battle curtailed and what consumed the thoughts of these courageous men:
"He who dwells in the
secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I
will say to the Lord, 'He is
my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust …You shall not be afraid
of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day…A
thousand may fall at your side…but it shall not come near you" (vss 1, 5,
7).
Three weeks later—on July 2, 1775—George Washington arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to command the Continental Army.
In 1843, the Bunker Hill Monument—221-foot-tall granite obelisk—was erected as a monument to the Battle of Bunker Hill. The monument is located on Breed’s Hill, where most of the fighting took place with these words engraved: Battle of Bunker Hill: June 17, 1775.
CHRISTIANITY—ROMANCE—PATRIOTISM –True-to-life romance that will inspire your faith.
Waltz
with Destiny: Book 4 of the Destiny series: A story-book romance
swirls into a rendezvous with destiny. A story-book
romance swirls
into a rendezvous with destiny.
The splendors of
Detroit's ballrooms spin Esther (McConnell) Meir around like a princess in a
fairy tale when she meets the handsome Eric Erhardt. Japan bombs Pearl
Harbor and suddenly it’s a battle for survival. Eric is drafted into the Army
and faces insurmountable odds traveling up the boot of Italy.
“…I loved the suspenseful and well-crafted twists, turns, and vivid war
scenes. They left me reading nonstop while biting my nails. Catherine’s lovely
prose, sense of humor, and historical accuracy deliver an unmistakable wow factor…” Deb
Gardner Allard AKA Taylor Jaxon, author of Before the Apocalypse
Catherine says, "My readers inspire my writing!" She is an award-winning author. Her inspirational historical romances include Wilted Dandelions, her faith-based Destiny series Swept into Destiny, Destiny’s Whirlwind, Destiny of Heart, and Waltz with Destiny.
She has written two pictorial history books. Images of America: The Lapeer Area, and
Images of America: Eastern Lapeer
County.
Her short stories have been published in Guidepost Books,
Baker Books, Revell, CrossRiver Media Publishers,
and Bethany Book House Publishers.
She and lives with her
husband of 48 years and their Arabian horses in the picturesque hills of
Addison Township, Michigan. Catherine loves spoiling her two handsome grandsons
and two beautiful granddaughters!
References:
https://www.ushistory.org/us/11d.asp American revolution
https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battle-of-bunker-hill
The Glory of America June 16 Marshall & Manuel, TLTG/ 278 Copyright 1991 by Peter Marshall and David
Manuel
Thanks for the post! I'm grateful that the diaries of these great men survived so that we may know that they sought their Creator for advice, solace and bravery and thanked Him for His provision. I'm sure there was much sadness when, as you describe, their munitions ran low but the fact that they saw progress in what they were doing and took comfort in prayer is a good lesson for us.
ReplyDeleteConnie R. So true! These brave minutemen sacrificed everything for freedom's sake! What a keepsake they have left us, giving glory to God even during their worst trials.
DeleteI always appreciate a post that references a diary. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cindy! I think that it is a wonderful testimony, too, that throughout the years, that their thoughts were cherished for other generations to learn from!
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