OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 233 



The action continued about two hours, when the Regulars on the right 

 wing were put in contusion and gave way; the Connecticut troops closely 

 pursued them, and were on the point of pushing their bayonets, when 

 orders were received from General Pomeroy, for those who had been in 

 action for two hours to fall back, and their places to be supplied by fresh 

 troops. These orders being mistaken for a direction to retreat, our troops 

 on the right wing began a general retreat, which was handed to the left, 

 the principal place of action, where Captains Nolton, Chester, Clark and 

 Putnam, had forced the enemy to give way, and were before them for 

 some considerable distance, and being warmly pursuing the enemy, were, 

 with difficulty, persuaded to retire; but the right wing, by mistaking the 

 orders, having already retreated, the left, to avoid being encircled, were 

 obliged to retreat also with the main body. They retreated with pre- 

 cipitation across the causeway to Winter's Hill, in which they were ex- 

 posed to the fire of the enemy, from their shipping and floating batteries. 

 We sustained our principal loss in passing the causeway. The enemy 

 pursued our troops to Winter's Hill, where the Provincials being rein- 

 forced by General Putnam, renewed the battle with great spirit, repulsed 

 the enemy with great slaughter, and pursued them until they got under 

 cover of their cannon from the shipping. When the enemy returned to 

 Bunker's Rill, and the Provincials to Winter's Hill, where after intrench- 

 ing and erecting batteries, they on Monday began to fire upon the Reg- 

 ulars on BunJcer^s Hill, and on the ships and floating batteries in the 

 harbour, when the Express came away. The number of Provincials 

 killed is between -iO and 70 ; 1-iO are wounded ; of the Connecticut troops 

 16 were killed. No oflicer among them was either killed or wounded, 

 excepting Lieutenant Grovenor, who was wounded in the hand. A 

 Colonel, or Lieutenant Colonel of the New Hampshire forces, is among 

 the dead. It is also said that Doctor Warren is undoubtedly among the 

 slain. 



The Provincials lost three iron six pounders, some intrenching tools, 

 and a few knapsacks. 



The number of Regulars which at first attacked the Provincials on 

 Bunker's Hill was not less than two thousand; the number of the Pro- 

 vincials was only fifteen hundred, who it is supposed would soon have 

 gained a complete victory, had it not been for the unhappy mistake 

 already mentioned. The regulars were afterwards reinforced with a 

 thousand men. It is uncertain how great a number of the regulars were 

 killed or wounded ; but it was supposed by the spectators, who saw the 

 whole action, that there could not be less than four or five hundred 

 killed. Mr. Gardner, who got out of Boston on Sunday evening, says, 

 that there were five hundred wounded men brought into that place the 

 mornino; before he came out. 



