Hero of the Week is about to get restarted!
This week's hero is...
Peter Salem
Peter Salem was born on October 1, 1750. He grew up as a slave in Farmington, Massachusetts for most of his young life. Much of his early life has been lost to history. However, as an adult he would go on to become one of America's greatest patriots.
By April of 1775, the Patriot (American) army under the command of George Washington, had begun to lay siege to Boston. By June of that year, their commanders learned that the British were intending to seize a number of unoccupied hills around the city in order to gain control of Boston Harbor. In order to counter this, the Patriots decided to occupy two hills located on the Charlestown Peninsula. One was called Breed's Hill (where most of the Patriot army was stationed), the other was Bunker Hill. By June of 1775, the fortifications were completed and more than 1,200 Patriots under the commands of William Prescott and Israel Putnam were stationed on Bunker and Breed's hills. Upon learning of the Patriot army's fortifications on the Charlestown Peninsula, 3,000+ British soldiers (under the command of Sir William Howe) marched out of Boston and prepared to launch an assault on the two hills.
For his part, Peter Salem was placed in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment under the command of Colonel John Nixon. Although, he had previously seen combat at the battles of Lexington and Concord, this one would be the most important. It was a battle that would help to decide the course of the American Revolution.
At the dawn of June 17, 1775, the British began their assault on the Patriot lines. After a quick bombardment from their ships in the harbor, the British infantry began to advance in column formation through the smoke up towards the entrenchments. They were expecting an easy victory against fresh militia men who had not seen combat. What they did not know was that the Patriots had a nasty surprise waiting for them.
William Prescott had ordered his men to hold fire until the British were within 100 yards of their line (his order was, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes"). As soon as the Redcoats had gotten past the range, the patriots rose from their trenches and fired directly into the former's faces. The Redcoats found themselves caught in the open with no cover and were easily mowed down by withering musket fire. After just a few minutes, the first British assault was beaten back with heavy casualties.
Although stunned at the turn of events, General Howe quickly ordered a second attack on the Patriot line. This time the British targeted a different portion of the trenches. However, this attack was also beaten back after the Patriots once again waited for the British to get in close before firing at point blank range. Despite the mounting casualties, General Howe was still determined to take the hills and ordered a third assault. By now, the Patriot army was running low on ammunition and many of them began to retreat. The line finally broke when the British charged with fixed bayonets (which most of the patriots did not have). Even then however, the latter continued to make the redcoats pay for every inch of the hill and organized a fighting retreat.
Peter Salem was among those who stayed behind to cover the retreat. During the battle he spotted an officer who was leading the redcoats into the trenches. Salem quickly aimed his rifle at the officer and fired. His shot hit the man directly in the head, killing him almost instantly. This officer was later revealed to be Major John Pitcairn (who had commanded the British at Lexington and Concord). His death momentarily slowed down the British advance and bought precious time for the Patriots to evacuate most of their wounded. Salem was among their last men to leave the fortification at Breed's Hill.
After a short rearguard action on Bunker Hill, the last of the Patriot forces successfully retreated from the Charlestown Peninsula. After two hours of heavy fighting, the battle of Bunker Hill was over. The British had successfully driven the Patriots from the field and won the battle. However, their army had suffered horrific losses. It is estimated that the British suffered at least 1,054 casualties (including many officers) compared to just 450 patriot losses. Ultimately their victory at Bunker hill was short-lived. Due to their high losses the British found themselves unable to continue holding their positions. General Howe eventually ordered an evacuation of Boston. Thus ended the first military campaign of the American Revolution.
Peter Salem's valor and courage during the battle was widely recognized by his fellow comrades. He would go on to fight in the battles of Saratoga and Stony Point. He eventually received an honorable discharge in 1779. He then returned to Farmington and lived the rest of his life as a free man. He eventually married and moved to Leicester, Massachusetts where he worked as cane weaver. He passed away on August 16, 1816, at the age of 66. In 1882, the town of Farmington erected a monument in his honor.
Although there have been many well-known individuals who fought bravely for American independence, there are many more who have been largely forgotten by the general populace. Peter Salem is one of those people. Like so many before and after, he fought for a country that did not see him as equal and did not receive much recognition until many years after his death. Today, he is remembered as one of America's bravest soldiers in the Revolution.
https://aaregistry.org/story/peter-salem-an-original-patriot/
https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog/peter-salem-and-battle-bunker-hill
http://www.revolutionarywarjournal.com/peter-salem/
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/salem-peter-ca-1750-1816/
No comments:
Post a Comment