250th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill
A re-enactor dressed up as a Revolutionary Conflict drummer forward of the 250th Anniversary occasions. One of many turning factors in the course of the Revolutionary Conflict was the Battle of Bunker Hill 250 years in the past. Just a few of these unsung heroes who fought on Bunker Hill nonetheless inform their story – by their descendants.
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CHARLESTOWN, MA – One of many turning factors throughout the Revolutionary Conflict was the Battle of Bunker Hill 250 years in the past.
Whereas it was a British victory, the arrogance and morale of the colonial militia had been vastly boosted.
The militia weren’t educated troopers, however slightly abnormal males who had been docs, tradesmen, even farmers. (See the video on the high of this text.)
TWO REVOLUTIONARY WAR LETTERS ARE REUNITED AT FORT TICONDEROGA AFTER 250 YEARS APART
Timothy Riordan, Ph.D., historian and vice chairman of the Charlestown Historic Society in Massachusetts, mentioned the common age of the boys preventing the British Military was 27 years previous.
With Riordan’s analysis, he based the “Brothers of the Battle” program.
This print exhibits 4 British warships touchdown troops and firing on Charlestown. A British battery on Copp’s Hill in Boston additionally fires on Charlestown, which is in flames; picture exhibits the assault on Bunker’s Hill. (Library of Congress)
It helps to find and discover descendants of militiamen who fought for America’s independence, he mentioned.
“Bunker Hill was thought of as the most important battle because it’s where we proved we could fight the British,” Riordan instructed Fox Information.
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Dozens of descendants gathered for occasions across the 250th anniversary. One in every of them was a New Hampshire consultant of Rockingham 13 in Derry, New Hampshire.
State Rep. Steve Pearson (R) is a descendant of Lt. John Wheeler, who fought underneath Doolittle’s regiment on the Battle of Bunker Hill.
State Rep. Steve Pearson talked a few member of the family who fought within the Battle of Bunker Hill 250 years in the past. (Chelsea Torres/Fox Information)
Pearson mentioned the Battle of Bunker Hill “really set the tone in the colonies, set the tone in media propaganda … [It] made people realize, ‘There’s no going back now.’”
One other descendant keen to inform the story of a long-admired member of the family is Matt Woodfin.
He mentioned he’s proud to be the descendant of two males who fought on the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Simply earlier than the Battle of Bunker Hill, 20,000 males from the realm determined this was the time to face as much as the British.
One is Michael Dalton, anticipated to have been a fife in the course of the battle.
“He was one that was blowing the flute-type whistle to kind of direct troops, left, right, when to eat, when to march,” Woodfin instructed Fox Information.
Simply earlier than the Battle of Bunker Hill, 20,000 males from the realm determined this was the time to face as much as the British.
A kind of males was Woodfin’s eighth great-uncle, Henry Dearborn.
Henry Dearborn, proven right here, was amongst those that stood as much as the British. One in every of his descendants instructed the story of how the colonial man went from being a physician to secretary of conflict underneath President Thomas Jefferson. (Library of Congress)
“He heard about Concord and Lexington and just put down whatever he was doing and just started walking south.”
Dearborn was a physician who grew to become a captain, mentioned Woodfin.
“Before a formal army, before anything like that, you basically earned your rank by the number of folks you were able to recruit. He came down with 40, 50, 60 men and showed up here as a captain,” mentioned Woodfin.
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Dearborn later served underneath President Thomas Jefferson as secretary of conflict in 1801.
Woodfin mentioned Jefferson offered an ornate sword to Dearborn throughout a ceremony. It has been taken care of by the Woodfin household for generations.
Matt Woodfin mentioned his eighth nice uncle was Henry Dearborn. An ornate sword offered to Dearborn by President Thomas Jefferson has been cherished by the household for generations. (Chelsea Torres/Fox Information)
Many extra trekked to Charlestown, Massachusetts, together with Josiah Puffer.
Sheila Puffer, a descendant of his, mentioned “he lost a thumb [due to] the explosion of a gun in his hands and was disqualified from military service.”
She discovered a guide written by a member of the family over 100 years in the past, telling many tales of Josiah Puffer over time. He fought within the French and Indian Conflict, then at Bunker Hill.
“When he enlisted, it is said that he passed the examination by wearing gloves of which the thumb of one was filled with wood,” she mentioned.
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Whereas the British received the battle at Bunker Hill — the colonial militia bought the arrogance increase.
“They only lost because they ran out of ammunition,” mentioned Riordan.
The British Military misplaced twice as many casualties than the American patriots.
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However Riordan mentioned that proves an undisciplined and untrained militia may stand towards the British.
“It’s not that they stood there and fought — it’s because they stood there and fought for what they believed in,” mentioned Riordan.
