That's yet to be seen," Hiram replied. "It is a fact in my mind that we
were not only sent here to build this fortification, but to hold it, and
now when it is to be attacked, as can be seen from the movements in
Boston, and he believes the lobster backs will come upon us in great
numbers, our colonel is asking for assistance."

"And why should not all the troops in Cambridge be sent here?" I asked
petulantly.

"Well, there are many good reasons, my lad. That place is to be held,
even if we are driven out of here, and a sufficient number of men are
bound to stay there lest the enemy, making believe attack us, turn about
the other way and disperse our army. Every point which we now occupy on
yonder shore must be held by men enough to resist any ordinary force,
and what becomes of us is of little moment as compared with the need of
keeping the Britishers shut up in Boston town, as in fact they are now,
save that they may come across here for the sake of killing a few
rebels."

Hiram's explanation was not so plain that I could understand fully why
we had been sent to throw up intrenchments simply that they might prove
to be our grave, and for the moment I gave way to anger, even charging
General Ward and those around him with having needlessly sacrificed our
lives.

At high noon, and while I was still ranting like the stupid I have ever
shown myself to be, word was given for us to cease work and partake of
such rations as we had. This command went far toward restoring me to a
more decent frame of mind.

I was needing water more than food, and the cask which had been set near
where the Minute Boys were working having been emptied, I went further
to the rear in search of something to quench my thirst. Then it was I
found that the last two casks of water had been knocked to splinters by
random shots from one of the vessels, and, so far as I could learn,
there was no more that could be come at by us who were in the
intrenchments, which was a bad outlook if so be we were called upon to
fight.

When we ceased work the flag of New England was hoisted over the
redoubt. The intrenching tools which we had been using were sent across
to Bunker hill where, as I was afterward told, a few hundred men, who
had just come over from Medford, were set at work throwing up another
breastwork under command of General Putnam.

While we munched our corn bread, wishing in vain for something with
which to wash it down, my comrades and I wa