New Hampshire Statesman And State Journal

Revolutionary Reminiscence. It has been stated in several of the papers, that Mr. Squires, of Ashford, Connecticut, who died a few weeks since, was the last of the survivors of the battle of Bunker Hill. This is not correct. Philip Bagley, Esq., of this town, now eighty-six years of age, and enjoying a healthful old age, in the full possession of all his faculties, was in that battle. Being in our office the other day, we procured from him some facts which we have thrown together, for the benefit of those of our readers who love to indulge in these old reminiscences of the times of devoted and unselfish patriotism.

Mr. Bagley was a private soldier in Capt. Sawyer's company, and Col. Frye's regiment of Massachusetts's minute men, having enlisted in this regiment in December, 1774. He left Haverhill, on the Merrimack, at 1 o'clock on the 19th of April, and arrived at Cambridge, at 10 o'clock on the next day. Nothing worthy of notice, he says, transpired until the evening of the 16th of June. On that evening, Col. Frye's regiment, together with Col. Dodge's of Connecticut, crossed the Neck, and went on to Bunker Hill, where the British troops had previously halted on their retreat from Concord, in April. After remaining there about an hour, both regiments proceeded to Breed's Hill. Here they commenced breaking ground for their entrenchments, between 10 and 11 o'clock, at night, working all night so secretly and silently that the Glasgow sloop of war, lying in the river, at a short distance, did not discover them. At day light they were discovered and a fire was opened upon them from Copp's Hill and from the shipping. The Glasgow soon hauled up the stream, in order to rake the Neck with her shot, and prevent reinforcements from reaching the hill. 'Notwithstanding the shot and shells continued to pour in upon them, the Americans continued to work upon their entrenchments, and but one man was killed by the cannonade. Sentries were stationed to watch the flash from the guns, and on their calling out "shot!" the men would lie down flat upon the ground, and then rise and resume their work. This continued until the British troops landed at Charlestown, when the Americans were compelled to leave the spade and pick axe, and resort to their guns. The first division of the British troops, on landing, halted till the second had crossed the river, when both formed and advanced up the hill, under cover of the fire from Copp's Hill, and from the sloop of war and the gun boats.

As is well known to every reader, the Americans reserved their fire, until the British were within a hundred yards, when they opened so deadly a fire upon them, that they twice repulsed them, and it was not until the third rally that the British succeeded in surrounding the lines, so as to rake the breastwork, and compel the Americans to retreat.

Fifty years after this memorable battle, Mr. Bagley was present with Lafayette, and other survivors of the revolution, at the laying of the corner stone, of the monument, and on the 10th of September, 1840, he was there again at the great Whig Convention, in the full vigor of manhood, and he hopes yet to live to see the top stone laid upon the monumental pile.

Newburyport Herald.