William Prescott

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William Prescott (born February 20, 1726 in Groton , Province of Massachusetts Bay , then a British colony, † October 13, 1795 in Pepperell , Massachusetts, USA ) was an American colonel in the American Revolutionary War and commanded the American rebels in the Battle of Bunker Hill .

Statue of Colonel William Prescott in Charlestown, Massachusetts . Photo published between 1900 and 1906.
Colonel William Prescott's home in Pepperell, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Exterior view from the southeast. Recorded on June 18, 1941.
Colonel William Prescott's home in Pepperell, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Exterior view from the east. Recorded on June 18, 1941.

He was born the son of Judge Benjamin Prescott (1696-1738) and Abigail Oliver Prescott (1697-1765).

Prescott inherited a large estate and settled in Pepperell, Massachusetts. In 1755 he successfully served as a lieutenant and captain in the Provincial Army under General John Winslow during the campaign against Nova Scotia . His leadership skills in this campaign caught the attention of the British general, who offered him a position in the regular army. However, he refused and returned to his land in Pepperell after the war.

On April 13, 1758 he married Abigail Hale (1733-1821), with whom he had a son named William Prescott in 1762.

In 1774 he was offered the command of a militia regiment with which he marched to Lexington on April 19, 1775 to fight the military expedition sent by General Thomas Gage . Before Prescott arrived, the British had already retired, so he moved to Cambridge on, where he joined the provincial army, just like the majority of his officers and men to serve with him during his first campaign. On June 16, 1775 he was ordered to Charlestown (Massachusetts) with 1,000 men and instructed to carry out the fortification work on Bunker Hill. When he got to the square it became clear that the neighboring hill, Breed's Hill , was more suitable. So the fortifications, consisting of a rampart and a parapet, were built there during the night. The following day, a large British force under the command of General William Howe attacked the Americans and drove them out after repelling two attacks and running out of ammunition. After the Battle of Bunker Hill , the importance of which was to demonstrate that a provincial army can withstand regular British troops, Bankcroft said that "none but Colonel Prescott appeared to be in command," and that "his bravery was never overestimated or overestimated could be greatly appreciated. ” He was one of the last to leave the fortifications.

In addition to the Battle of Bunker Hill, Prescott also served in the French and Indian War and was an active participant in the Battle of New York City in 1776 and the Saratoga Campaign in 1776.

His grandson, William H. Prescott, was a noted historian and author.

Web links

Commons : William Prescott  - Album containing pictures, videos and audio files