File:General John Burgoyne (2).jpg

Identifier: ourgreatercountr00nort (find matches)
Title: Our greater country; being a standard history of the United States from the discovery of the American continent to the present time ..
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Northrop, Henry Davenport, 1836-1909
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Publisher: Philadelphia, National pub co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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s as Howe,Burgoyne and SirHenry Clinton, whichGage had concen-trated in Boston. Bur-goyne could notrepress his astonish-<nent upon reachingBoston. What! heexclaimed, ten thou-sand peasants keepfive thousand kingstroops shut up! Well,let us get in and wellsoon find elbow room.Inspite of his immensesuperiority, however,Gage did not ventureto attack the Ameri-can lines. He con-tented himself withissuing a proclama-tion declaring theprovince under mar-tial law, and offeringa free pardon to allrebels who shouldreturn to their allegi- •ance, with the exception of Samuel Adamsand John Hancock. These rebels werecut off from all hope of the kings mercy,and were given to understand that theycould expect nothing but the most sum-mary punishment. General Gage now determined to extendhis lines and to occupy Dorchester Heights,overlooking South Boston, and Bunker Hill,an eminence rising beyond Charlestown, onthe north of Boston, The execution of thisdesign was fixed for the eighteenth of June,
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GENERAL BURGOYNE. and in the meantime Gages intention becameknown in the American camp. To preventit, it was resolved, at the instance of theMassachusetts Committee of Safety, to seizeand fortify these eminences, beginning withBunker Hill. The more prudent opposed 366 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. this undertaking as too rash; it was certainto bring on a general engagement of theopposing forces, and the Americans were toopoorly provided with arms and ammunitionto hope for success. Others insisted that notime should be lost in securing the Heights. A Daring Enterprise. Putnam was confident they could be heldwith proper intrenchments, and that thus pro-tected the troops could be relied upon tohold their position. The great scarcity ofammunition rendered the undertaking oneof peculiar daring and it was necessary toselect for the command an officer whose firm-ness and discretion could be depended upon.The choice fell upon Colonel William Pres-cott, of Massachusetts, and a brigade wasplaced und

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