Aristopia/Chapter 22
The storm-cloud of revolution grew darker and darker during the year 1774 and the first months of 1775. Boston was the storm-center. The stubborn and rebellious colony of Massachusetts had always been most prominent in resistance to royal and parliamentary interference with its government. A strong garrison of British troops had been stationed in the rebellious city.
At last, one April day in 1775, the news came to Aristopia of that momentous skirmish at Lexington. In little more than six weeks after this news had reached the capital of Aristopia, five thousand well-drilled and well-equipped Aristopian soldiers were ready to embark at Mortonia for Boston, with a battery of six twelve-pounder brass guns.
Fearing to encounter some British men-ofwar if they took the passage outside of the capes, the expedition went by water to the head of Chesapeake Bay, where the soldiers disembarked and marched across to the Delaware. Re-embarking, they went up to Trenton, where they again landed and marched across New Jersey to Paulus Hook, opposite New York city.
Embarking again, the expedition passed through Hell Gate into Long Island Sound, and so on to Providence. There they landed and marched to Boston.
They approached the Puritan city on the morning of the seventeenth of June. From a distance they heard the heavy booming of the cannon. They supposed it was only the British vessels bombarding the patriot fortifications. But as the Aristopians approached nearer they heard the sharp rattle of musketry, and knew that a battle was in progress. The sound quickened and lengthened their pace. Already their commander, General Morton, a greatgrandson of Ralph Morton, had received a dispatch from General Putnam, informing him that the British were making a stubborn attack on the works of the Americans, and directing his march to Charlestown Neck.
The Aristopians received the order, "Doublequick march!" On went the long column at a trot, to the shrill, lively strains of "Yankee Doodle," from such of the panting fifers as could keep their breath and their place alongside of the musket-bearers. When the head of the column came near the American redoubt on Breed's Hill, the first regiment swung into line of battle and was halted, with the intention of waiting for the other regiments to come up and form on the left, the column being stretched out about a mile in length. But there was no time to wait. Already the British on their third charge had reached the redoubt. The powder of the American militia had given out, and they had no bayonets. The red-coats swarmed over the earth-works. The farmer-soldiers resisted a minute or two, using their rifles as clubs, and then fell back.
"Forward, march!" was the order that rang out to the Aristopian regiment; steadily forward went the long, blue-coat line of battle, as steadily as ever the red-coat line had come on. Opening their ranks in places to let the retiring militia through, and then quickly closing them again, they moved on to within less than a hundred steps of their enemy, when they halted. The long line of muskets came down to a level and a crashing volley followed. Then down went the musket breeches and up the bayonet points to a charge, and with an impetuous dash the Americans were upon the British, bayonet to bayonet, and instantly the enemy were hurled back over the earth-works.
Pausing behind the works to reload, the Aristopians gave their foes another volley. Meanwhile the battery came thundering to the front, and quickly unlimbering on the right and left of the infantry, poured grape upon the broken and retreating line of the British.
In a few minutes the other Aristopian regiments came up, and, forming on the left, drove the British out of the breastworks of hay and rails, stretching down to the Mystic River, which defenses had a few minutes before been given up by the farmer-soldiers of New Hampshire.
Thus the desperate sally of the British ended in utter failure and terrible loss.
Then the siege was resumed, and the six cannons of the Aristopians were soon hurling their missiles from the heights down upon the British men-of-war. The Aristopians brought with them a great supply of powder, the supply of the besieging army had become completely exhausted, threatening the failure of the siege, but thenceforth there was no lack, as fresh supplies were hurried forward from Aristopia.