220 Trumbull Gallery of Paintings in Yale College. 
powerful essays on the origin, nature, and obligation of govern- 
ment, that had ever before been submitted to the examination of 
the human understanding. All tended to one point; and error 
after error on the one hand, confirming the profound reasonings 
which had thus been smovoked on the other, the result became 
inevitable. 
Hostilities commenced at Lexington, on the 19th of April, 1775. 
On the first news of this affair, the youth and yeomanry of New 
England hurried to Boston “en masse,’”’ with such arms as they 
could command, and the British troops were shut up in the town, 
by a numerous assemblage of enthusiastic men, brave, but undis- 
ciplined, badly armed, ill-supplied with ammunition, destitute of 
military uniforms or equipments; cartridges and cartridge-boxes 
were rare, bayonets almost unknown, and a great proportion of 
these heroic men possessed only fowling-pieces, with some pow- 
der in their horns, and a few bullets in their pockets. 
Science was as imperfect among the officers high in command, 
as was discipline among the inferior officers and troops. 
Little was or could be done during the sixty days which elaps- 
ed between the 19th of April and the 17th of June, to reduce 
this assemblage to order and discipline ; yet, such was the zeal of 
the moment, that the determination was taken to advance from 
Cambridge, and to establish a post on Breed’s Hill, the nearest 
point of approach to Boston, distant a little more than half a mile 
from the north part of the town; and on the evening of the 16th 
of June, a detachment of 12 or 1500 men, commanded by Gen. 
Putnam and Col. Prescott, marched for this purpose, arrived at 
the spot selected at 10 o’clock, and commenced throwing up 4 
small redoubt, traces of which were visible a few years since, 
and probably may still be found on the ground now marked by 
~The Prithalrhad-no knowledge of this movement until day- 
light exposed to their view the progress which had been made} 
from the moment of this discovery, they opened a heavy fire 
from ships and batteries, which was continued incessantly through 
the day, until the attack of the works was made in form by the 
under the command of Gen. Howe, in the afternoon of 
ane With. _ Thus, from 10 o’clock in the evening until 4 o’clock 
8, siz hours, was all the time which this gallant de- 
tachment had to prosecute their work without interruption. They 
