Surprise of the British, 605 -Prescott strengthens his Defences, 606-Gage orders an Attack, 606 - Courage of Prescott and his Band, 606 - Putnam on Breed's Hill, 607-Embarkation of British Troops, 607 - They land in Charles- town, 608- Prescott prepares to oppose them, 608-State of his Defences, 608 Ward avoids a General Action, p. 610-Spirit of the Army, 610-Seth Pomeroy volunteers, 610-Joseph Warren, 611-Men of Worcester, Middle- sex, and Essex Counties, 611-Stark marches to Charlestown, 612-He com- pletes the Line to the Mystic, 612 - Putnam gives Orders to Chester's Company to march, 613-Number of Howe's Forces, 613-Further Orders of Ward, 613-Number of the Americans, 614- Free Negroes in the Battle, 614- Charlestown burned, 614-Howe's First Attack, 614- Conduct of Prescott, 615- The British advance, 615- Their Reception, 615 - Their Retreat, 616 The British at the Rail-Fence, 616-Joy of the Americans, 616 - Second At- tack of the British, 617 — They are driven again from the Redoubt, 617 — Great Slaughter of the British Right Wing, 617- The Spectators of the Battle, 618 - - The Third Attack on the Redoubt, p. 619-Resistance of the Americans, 620 - Fall of Pitcairn, 620- Prescott gives the Word to retreat, 620 — Knowlton and Stark retreat, 621 - Putnam takes Possession of Prospect Hill, 621 - Pres- cott at Head-quarters, 621 - The British make no Pursuit, 621- The British Loss in the Battle, 622 - Howe not wounded, 622 - Loss of the Americans, 622-Parker, Moore, Buckminster, Nixon, McClary, Gardner, 622- Death and Character of Warren, 623-Gage's Opinion of the Battle, 624 - Opinion HOW GREAT BRITAIN ESTRANGED AMERICA. CHAPTER XXV. THE CHARTER OF MASSACHUSETTS IN PERIL. THE FALL OF THE ROCKINGHAM ADMINISTRATION. MAY-JULY, 1766. 1766. May. THE satisfaction of America was not suffered to continue long. The king, regarding the repeal of the stamp act as "a fatal compliance," which had "planted thorns " under his pillow and for ever "wounded the majesty" of England, preferred the hazard of losing the colonies to tempering the British claim of absolute authority. Their denial of that claim and their union were ascribed by his friends to the hesitation of his ministers, whose measures, they insisted, had prevailed by "artifices" against the real opinion of parliament; and "the coming hour" was foretold, "when the British Augustus would grieve for the obscuring of the glories of his reign by the loss not of a province, but of an empire more extensive than that of Rome; not of three legions, but of whole nations." A reaction necessarily followed. Pitt had erected no stronger bulwark for America than the shadowy partition which divides internal taxation from imposts regulating commerce; and Rockingham had leapt over this slight defence, declaring the power of parliament to extend of right to all cases whatsoever. But they who give absolute power give the abuse of absolute power; they who draw the bolts from the doors and windows let in the robber. When the opinions of Bedford and Grenville became sanc tioned as just principles of constitutional law, no question respecting their policy remained open but that of its expediency; and country gentlemen, if they had a right to 1766. May. raise a revenue from America, were sure that it was expedient to ease themselves of one fourth of their land-tax by exercising the right. "The administration is dead, and only lying in state," was the common remark. Conway was eager to resign; and Grafton not only threw up his office, but, before the house of lords, called on the prime minister, who regarded the ascendency of the old whig aristocracy as almost a part of the British constitution, to be content with an inferior station, for the sake of accomplishing a junction with Pitt. On the resignation of Grafton, Conway, with his accustomed indecision, remained in office, but escaped from the care of America to the northern department. There appeared a great and general backwardness to embark with Rockingham. Lord North had hardly accepted a lucrative post, before he changed his mind and excused himself. Lord Howe would not serve, unless under Pitt. Lord Hardwicke refused the place left vacant by Grafton; so did his brother, Charles Yorke; and so did Egmont; till at last it fell to the husband of Conway's step-daughter, the liberal, self-confident Duke of Richmond, who added grace and courtesy of manners to firm affections, but was swayed by an ambition that far outran his ability. He, too, shunned the conduct of American affairs; and they were made over to a new department of state, which Dartmouth was to accept. Once, to delay his fall, Rockingham suggested a coalition with the Duke of Bedford. Female politicians, at their game of loo, divined the ruin of the ministry, and were zealots for governing the colonies by the hand of power. In America, half-suppressed murmurs mingled with its transport. Taxation by parliament began to be compared with restrictions on industry and trade; and the latter were found to be "the more slavish thing of the two," and "the more inconsistent with civil liberty." The protesting lords had affirmed that, if the provinces might refuse obedience |