Copy of a Letter from an Officer
at Boston dated 21st. June 1775.

I must refer you to the public papers for the particulars of an Action that has been very fatal to the 1st Battalion of Marines, as well as to most of the Corps concern'd in it. On the 17th. Inst. we were order'd to March to the North Battery in Boston, & there to wait till order'd to Embark for Charles Town side, & which was done as soon as the Grenadiers & Light Infantry of the Army had Landed & form'd in good order on the Plain, at a proper and safe distance from a Redoubt, that was render'd more formidable, by the difficult Access to it, as it stood on the summit of a Hill rising Gradually from its Base, cover'd with Trees stone walls, & Rails. As soon as our Battalion were in the Boats Major Pitcairn gave directions to be landed, as near the Redoubt as possible, as the Light Infantry had then (tho' at a great distance) began the Attack. we Landed accordingly where we were attack'd before I cou'd get those in the first Boat form'd, however, we soon form'd into tolerable order with the Loss of one Man only, and then March'd into a Field where we form'd in Line with the 43rd. & 47th. Regts. and were then order'd to shelter ourselves by laying on the Grass. We were soon order'd to advance and attack the natural defences of the Redoubt and to storm that also at all Events. we gain'd Ground on the Enemy but slowly, as the Rails Hedges & stone walls, broke at every time we got over them and several Men were shot, in the Act of climbing them, we at length overcame these difficulties with very little loss till we came to the Talus of the Redoubt at the bottom of which was a Road with Hedges & Trees on each side besides a low stone wall, on the part we were Jumbled together. I say

Jumbled