The Virginia Gazette

By an express which arrived here on Saturday evening we have the following account of a battle at Charlestown, on Saturday the 17th of June, inst.

On Friday night, the 16th instant, 1500 of the provincials went to Bunker's Hill, in order to entrench there, and continued till Saturday, 10 o'clock, when 2000 regulars marched out of Boston, landed in Charlestown, and plundering it of all its valuables, set fire to it in ten different places at once; then dividing their army, part of it marched up in the front of the provincial entrenchment and began to attack the provincials at long shot; the other part of their army marched round the town of Charlestown under cover of the smoke occasioned by the fire of the town. The provincial sentries discovered the regulars marching upon their left wing. Upon notice of this given by the sentry to the Connecticut forces posted on that wing, Capt. Knowlton, of Ashford, with 400 of said forces, immediately repaired to, and pulled up a post and rail fence, and carrying the post rails to another fence, put them together for a breast-work. Capt. Knowlton gave orders to the men not to fire until the enemy were got within fifteen rods, and then not till the word was given. At the word's being given the enemy fell surprisingly; it was thought by spectators who stood at a distance that our men did great execution. The action continued about two hours, when the regulars on the right wing were put into confusion and gave way; the Connecticut troops closely pursued them, and were on the point of pushing their bayonets, when orders were received from General Pomeroy, for those who had been in action for two hours to fall back, and their places to be supplied by fresh troops. These orders being mistaken for a direction to retreat, our troops on the right wing began a general retreat, which was handed to the left, the principal place of action, where Captains Knowlton, Chester, Clark, and Putnam had forced the enemy to give way, and were before them for some considerable distance, and being warmly pursuing the enemy, were, with difficulty persuaded to retire; but the right wing by mistaking the orders, having already retreated, the left, to avoid being encircled, were obliged to retreat also with the main body. They retreated with precipitation across the causeway to Winter's Hill, in which they were exposed to the fire of the enemy from their shipping and floating batteries. We sustained our principal loss in passing the causeway. The enemy pursued our troops to Winter's Hill, where the provincials being reinforced by General Putnam, renewed the battle with great spirit, repulsed the enemy with great slaughter, and pursued them till they got under cover of their cannon from the shipping. When the enemy returned to Bunker's Hill, and the provincials to Winter's Hill, where, after entrenching and erecting batteries, they, on Monday, began to fire upon the regulars on Bunker's Hill, and on the ships and floating batteries in the harbour, when the express came away. The number of provincials killed is between 40 and 70; 140 are wounded. Of the Connecticut troops, 16 were killed: No officer among them was either killed or wounded, except Lieutenant Grosvenor, who was wounded in the hand. A Colonel, or Lieutenant Colonel of the New Hampshire forces, is among the dead. It is also said that Dr. Warren is undoubtedly among the slain. The provincials lost three iron 6 pounders, some entrenching tools, and a few knapsacks. The number of regulars which first attacked the provincials on Bunker's Hill were not less than 2000. The number of the provincials was only 1500, who it is supposed would soon have gained a complete victory had it not been for the unhappy mistake already mentioned. The regulars were afterwards reinforced with 1000 men. It is uncertain how great a number of regulars were killed or wounded, but it was supposed, by spectators who saw the whole action, that there could not be less than 400 or 500 killed. Mr. Gardner, who got out of Boston on Sunday evening, says, that there were 500 wounded men brought into that place the morning before he came out. This account was taken from Capt. Elijah Hyde, of Lebanon, who was a spectator on Winter's Hill, during the whole action.