An infantry hanger sword blade reputed to have been carried by Maj. John Pitcairn who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The full view toward the town green in front of you was blocked by the town meetinghouse in 1775.
On hearing of the British approach, Parker gave his drummer orders to beat assembly. Shortly after, the lead company of Regulars spotted Parker’s men on the Green and angled right along the Bedford Road, while British Maj. John Pitcairn spurred his horse left around the church to get a better view. British officers and Massachusetts militia arrived on the green separated from each other.
When Pitcairn reunited with his men, he found that several companies of his light infantry had formed into line and were facing off against Parker’s militia. He and the other officers with him began to issue contradictory commands to Parker, of both to “disperse” and “surrender.” Confusion reigned.
"When I arrived at the end of the village, I observed drawn up upon a green near 200 of the rebels; when I came within one hundred yards of them, they began to file off toward some stone walls on our right flank—the light infantry, observing this, ran after them . . ."
Maj. John Pitcairn
Sources
Maj. John Pitcairn to Lt. Gen. Thomas Gage, letter report dated Boston, April 26, 1775, Thomas Gage Papers.
Massachusetts Historical Society
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while browsing our site. Ok, I understandRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
