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Details
BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL – Manuscript, Cambridge (Mass.), 17 June to 5 July 1775.
Two pages, 195 x 160mm. Partial fold separations repaired, marginal chips infilled, moderate soling.
Pages from the orderly book of Ephraim Doolittle’s 18th Massachusetts Regiment, including the orders of the day issued on the morning of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Ephraim Doolittle’s regiment responded to the Lexington Alarm of 19 April 1775 and participated in the siege of Boston. On the morning of 17 June 1775, Doolittle’s orderly sergeant recorded the following orders for the morning, which for reasons of secrecy did not mention what would be in store for the regiment that day: “Cambridge June 17 1775 — Parole Dearfield Countersign Conway field officer for the Day tomorrow Colo Garrish — field officer for the picket guard to night Major wood – field officer or the main Guard tomorrow Lt. Colo Baldwin — Adjatent for the Day tomorrow Febrizer —.” Doolittle’s regiment marched out of Cambridge later that day for Charlestown Neck where they would form the center of the American line on Breed’s Hill under the command of William Prescott — sustaining two frontal assaults by British regulars before retreating after the third and final charge late in the afternoon.
A disorderly retreat following the battle, and the general disorganization that prevailed throughout the large untrained army is the most likely reason that the next entry doesn’t appear for nearly two weeks. The next entry for 2 July, accomplished directly below the entry for 17 June, records “intelligence from Genl. Thomas that the Reglers are Like to make avasion that way — that no officer nor Souldier may Presume to Leave the Camp or Lines this Day to Go to Cambridge on aney Pretence what in Good ordor & well Qualified with ... amonition & the whole to be Ready to Turn out at a minuits warning...” 2 July is also the day that George Washington arrived in Cambridge to formally take charge of the forces surrounding Boston. Likely in anticipation of that event, Robert Smith of Putnam’s regiment was ordered to train “all the Drum[m]ers of the Diffirant Regts to attend to him Every Day [for] Practice—” On 4 July, Washington began issuing a slew of orders to instill discipline, which had been severely lacking up to that point. On 5 July, the orderly book records “Genl ordors — that Eacy Regt ... keep their Respective Perades Clean and Every Regt Lend a Sergt to come to wait on the Genl to Receive ordors and to ... [be] well Dressed and his Hair well Powdered... [and] that an ordorly Drum[m]er be ap[p]ointed in Every Regt whose Duty it shall be when Ever he hears the Drum Beat where the ordors are Deliver[e]d out, to beat ... calling his own Camp that the Sergt maj at attend their Duty and obay ordors in this Respect to be confied for Tryal that the fategue men from each Regt be Paraded at the main guard Parade Every morning when the gun fires and not to Leave it until they are told of by one of the acting adjatents.”
Two pages, 195 x 160mm. Partial fold separations repaired, marginal chips infilled, moderate soling.
Pages from the orderly book of Ephraim Doolittle’s 18th Massachusetts Regiment, including the orders of the day issued on the morning of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Ephraim Doolittle’s regiment responded to the Lexington Alarm of 19 April 1775 and participated in the siege of Boston. On the morning of 17 June 1775, Doolittle’s orderly sergeant recorded the following orders for the morning, which for reasons of secrecy did not mention what would be in store for the regiment that day: “Cambridge June 17 1775 — Parole Dearfield Countersign Conway field officer for the Day tomorrow Colo Garrish — field officer for the picket guard to night Major wood – field officer or the main Guard tomorrow Lt. Colo Baldwin — Adjatent for the Day tomorrow Febrizer —.” Doolittle’s regiment marched out of Cambridge later that day for Charlestown Neck where they would form the center of the American line on Breed’s Hill under the command of William Prescott — sustaining two frontal assaults by British regulars before retreating after the third and final charge late in the afternoon.
A disorderly retreat following the battle, and the general disorganization that prevailed throughout the large untrained army is the most likely reason that the next entry doesn’t appear for nearly two weeks. The next entry for 2 July, accomplished directly below the entry for 17 June, records “intelligence from Genl. Thomas that the Reglers are Like to make avasion that way — that no officer nor Souldier may Presume to Leave the Camp or Lines this Day to Go to Cambridge on aney Pretence what in Good ordor & well Qualified with ... amonition & the whole to be Ready to Turn out at a minuits warning...” 2 July is also the day that George Washington arrived in Cambridge to formally take charge of the forces surrounding Boston. Likely in anticipation of that event, Robert Smith of Putnam’s regiment was ordered to train “all the Drum[m]ers of the Diffirant Regts to attend to him Every Day [for] Practice—” On 4 July, Washington began issuing a slew of orders to instill discipline, which had been severely lacking up to that point. On 5 July, the orderly book records “Genl ordors — that Eacy Regt ... keep their Respective Perades Clean and Every Regt Lend a Sergt to come to wait on the Genl to Receive ordors and to ... [be] well Dressed and his Hair well Powdered... [and] that an ordorly Drum[m]er be ap[p]ointed in Every Regt whose Duty it shall be when Ever he hears the Drum Beat where the ordors are Deliver[e]d out, to beat ... calling his own Camp that the Sergt maj at attend their Duty and obay ordors in this Respect to be confied for Tryal that the fategue men from each Regt be Paraded at the main guard Parade Every morning when the gun fires and not to Leave it until they are told of by one of the acting adjatents.”