he
Lively, the nearest ship, without waiting for orders, put a spring
upon her cable, and bringing her guns to bear, opened a fire upon the
hill. The other ships and a floating battery followed his example.
Their shot did no mischief to the works. The cannonading roused the
town of Boston. General Gage could scarcely believe his eyes when he
beheld on the opposite hill a fortification full of men, which had
sprung up in the course of the night. He called a council of war. The
Americans might intend to cannonade Boston from this new
fortification; it was unanimously resolved to dislodge them. How was
this to be done? A majority of the council, including Clinton and
Grant, advised that a force should be landed on Charlestown Neck,
under the protection of their batteries, so as to attack the Americans
in rear and cut off their retreat. General Gage objected that it would
place his troops between two armies; one at Cambridge, superior in
numbers, the other on the heights, strongly fortified. He was for
landing in front of the works, and pushing directly up the hill; a
plan adopted through a confidence that raw militia would never stand
their ground against the assault of veteran troops.

The sound of drum and trumpet, the clatter of hoofs, the rattling of
gun-carriages, and all the other military din and bustle in the
streets of Boston, soon apprised the Americans on their rudely
fortified height of an impending attack. They were ill-fitted to
withstand it, being jaded by the night's labor, and want of sleep;
hungry and thirsty, having brought but scanty supplies, and oppressed
by the heat of the weather. Prescott sent repeated messages to General
Ward, asking reinforcements and provisions. Ward issued orders for
Colonels Stark and Read, then at Medford, to march to the relief of
Prescott with their New Hampshire regiments.

In the meantime, the Americans on Breed's Hill were sustaining the
fire from the ships, and from the battery on Copp's Hill, which opened
upon them about ten o'clock. They returned an occasional shot from one
corner of the redoubt, without much harm to the enemy, and continued
strengthening their position until about eleven o'clock, when they
ceased to work, piled their intrenching tools in the rear, and looked
out anxiously and impatiently for the anticipated reinforcements and
supplies. The tools were ultimately carried to Bunker's Hill, and a
breastwork commenced by order of General Putnam. The imp