of those least regardful of
appearances (though an advocate of discipline) who knew them and their
tactics through and through. And he also knew the men of his command
better than any officers of inferior rank knew them. His one cry was,
"fight, fight; bring our men into contact with the enemy, in order that
they shall gain confidence and learn that they are really their equals,
and more than that. Fight and entrench, entrench and fight; run away
when it comes to a pinch, fight while you run; but fight!"

"But will our men stand before an enemy?" queried the timid ones. "Yes,
they will," declared Putnam with a laugh. "Our troops are not all afraid
of their heads, though very much concerned for their _legs_, and if you
cover these they'll fight forever!" In other words, put them behind
entrenchments, and he would pit them against the finest fighters that
could be brought against them. The result at Bunker Hill was a
vindication of his belief.

As Putnam had all along declared, it was in the nature of an
impossibility for sixteen thousand armed men to besiege ten thousand
other armed men without something happening partaking of violence. The
war was "on," there was no doubt of that, why then hesitate at warlike
measures? Still the commander-in-chief hesitated and paltered, while
Putnam fumed, but labored hard.

What Putnam had advocated as the highest strategy, the seizing of some
height commanding the British position, was forced upon the irresolute
commander-in-chief by the British themselves. Shortly after General
Gage's four thousand soldiers had been reenforced by six thousand more,
under Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne, the Americans learned that the enemy
intended to take and fortify the heights of Charlestown or Dorchester
themselves. As it was then the sixteenth of June, and their move was to
be made on the eighteenth, there was no time to lose if they were to be
forestalled; so orders were issued by the Committee of Safety,
sanctioned by a council of war, for taking possession of Bunker Hill in
Charlestown.

A detail of a thousand men was made from three Massachusetts regiments,
to which, in order to placate General Putnam, two hundred Connecticut
soldiers were added under his friend, Captain Knowlton. This small body
of militia, with a few field pieces as artillery, was to sally forth to
rouse the British lion in his lair. The detachment was placed under
Colonel William Prescott, of Massachusetts, General Putn