History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

366 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1775.
ted movement upon Cliarlestown heights. Aware that this
would be but a signal for further hostilities, he took his
horse from the team, and before the afternoon shadows
began to lengthen, he was on his way to the scene of con-
flict. Twice changing horses on the route, all through the
hours of the night he urged his onward way, and at noon
on the day of the battle of Bunker Hill he reached Cam-
bridge. The enemy were just landing preparatory to
storming the entrenchments. Charlestown Neck was swept
by the British fire, and alighting from his horse, which
was a borrowed one, with the remark that the animal was
much too valuable to risk, he crossed the narrow pass on
foot, and went directly to the front. He was received with
shouts of welcome from both officers and privates, but refused
the chief command, and went into the fight a volun-
teer, 1 though before night he accepted the command of a
battalion. ^ He ordered his men not to fire till they could
see the buttons on their enemies' coats. His gun having
become hot from continued firing, and at last rendered use-
less by a grape-shot, he clubbed the weapon and still faced
the foe. When it became necessary to retreat, he went
backward down the hill and over the neck, still facing the
foe. It has been stated that he killed Gen. Pitcairn, but
like the story that he fired upon the wounded Dieskau, it
lacks confirmation. Possibly he may have directed the fire
of the squadron before which Pitcairn fell. It is probable,
however, that he was not on the part of the field where
that brave officer
fatal day.
lost his life, in the last charge of that
After his musket became useless, he passed up and down
the barricade, encouraging the men, loading their gans,
and removing the wounded. When the entrenchments
above him had been carried by the British, and his men
were commencing a hurried retreat, he is said to have ex-
claimed, " Don't run boys ! Don't run I
Fight
them with
the breech of your muskets, as I do. It shan't be said of
Seth Pomeroy that he was shot in the back." ^
1 It is reported of him that he carried on this occasion a gun of his own manufacture
which he had used thirty years before at the siege of Louisburg.
2 It was on this occasion that Gen. Putnam, on meeting Gen. Pomeroy, exclaimed,
" You here, Pomeroy !
in your grave."
God, I believe a cannon ball would wake you up if you slept
3 American Whig Review.