Subject: Westford, MA at the Battle of Bunker Hill Source: History of the Town of Westford in the County of Middlesex, Massachusetts 1659 - 1883. by Rev. Edwin R. Hodgman, A. M. Lowell, Mass: Morning Mail Company, Printers - 1883 p.110 The Battle of Bunker Hill In this battle, as well as in the struggle at Concord Bridge, Colonel Robinson participated. He was then in Prescott's Regiment, which occupied the redoubt. A tall man, of commanding presence, he stood in the front, "in shape and gesture proudly eminent," exposed to instant death, yet doing his duty; now leaping upon the parapet, a target for the advancing foe, and now reconnoitering, with the ill fated McClary, the position of the enemy to find the best way of repelling his per- sistent attacks; showing himself everywhere the efficient officer and the strong-hearted man. In the list of companies in this battle, there is given one of which Joshua Parker was captain, Amaziah Fassett, first lieutenant, and Thomas Rogers, second lieutenant. Parker and Rogers were from Westford, and Fassett was born here, but was then a resident of Groton. Parker was a sergeant in Captain Underwood's Company, and Rogers held the same rank in Captain Bate's Company, at Concord Bridge. Fassett was taken prisoner at Bunker Hill and died in Boston July, 1775. The following is the muster-roll of Captain Parker's Company, including only the names of Westford men. They were in Col. William Prescott's Regiment: Captain Joshua Parker. Date of Enlistment 1775 April 12 Second Lieutenant, Thomas Rogers April 19 Sergeant, Solomon Spalding April 19 Sergeant, Nehemiah Green April 19 Sergeant, Silas Proctor April 19 Sergeant, Jonathan Minott April 19 Corporal, Peter Brown April 19 Corporal, Obadiah Perry April 20 Corporal, Levi Temple April 19 Corporal, Jonas Holden April 19 Drummer, Isaac Parker April 19 Fifer, Ephraim Spalding April 19 Calvin Blanchard April 19 David Bixby May 1 Abel Boynton May 5 William Chandler April 30 Samuel Craft April 19 Ephraim Dutton April 19 Benjamin Esterbrooks April 19 Levi Fletcher April 19 Josiah Fletcher April 19 Joshua Fassett April 19 Isaac Green April 19 Ephraim Heald April 19 Oliver Heald May 17 (p.112) Jonathan Hildreth April 19 David Keyes May 6 Samuel Keyes April 19 Thomas Kidder April 28 Peter Larkin April 26 John Parker April 19 John Pushee April 19 Nath'l Prentice May 2 William Read May 18 Oliver Read April 19 Stephen Read April 19 Francis Smith April 19 Silas Spalding April 19 Simeon Senter April 26 Joseph Underwood April 19 Robbin Skinner April 26 James Perry April 19 Jonas Blodgett April 19 Nath'l Holmes April 19 Perry, Blodgett and Holmes "enlisted into the artillery Company, May 24, 1775." Joseph Minott and Jonathan Hadley, both of Westford, were killed in battle June 17, 1775. Abijah Mason, also of Westford, died in camp July 30, 1775. This return of Captain Parker's Company, in the Tenth Regiment of Foot, commanded by Col. William Prescott, was made Sept. 27, 1775, and without doubt, Minott, Hadley, and Mason were members of it. The company of Capt Abijah Wyman, of Ashby, was in Col. William Prescott's regiment in that battle. The return, made Oct 3, 1775, includes the following men from Westford: Thomas Comings, Second Lieutenant; Daniel Dudley, Corporal; Philip Robbins, Corporal. Thomas Robbins Caesar Bason Oliver Barrett David Cowdry Ebenezer Corey Simeon Kemp David Fish Thaddeus Read Abner Kent Daniel Whitney Jeremiah Robbins In all 14 men. The return states that "Cesor Bason died June 17." (p.113) Mr. Francis Tinker in his sketch of Ashby, in Drake's History of Middlesex County, Vol. I, p. 223, says that Lieutenant Comings and ten men in Captain Wyman's company, were from Westford, but he does not give names. In regard to Caesar Bason, this anecdote is told on good authority. In the battle he found his powder was nearly gone and putting in his last charge, he exclaimed, "Now Caesar, give 'em one more." He fired and was himself shot, and fell back into the trench. Tradition intimates that Leonard Proctor went to Cambridge on the day before the battle and was on or near the ground. Mr. Tinker states that Jacob Bascom, of Westford, was killed. No such name occurs in our records, and there was probably a mistake in putting Bascom for Bason. Bason was a color- ed man and perhaps the servant of James Burn. There is some uncert- ainty as to his real name. In 1773 "Caesor Burn was paid 4 shillings for four crows killed in this town." Colonel Prescott, in a letter to John Adams, says: "I commanded my Lt. Col. Robinson and Maj. Woods, each with a detachment, to flank the enemy, who, I have reason to think, behaved with prudence and courage." It is stated that when the British were advancing some of the Provinc- ials fired without orders, so eager were they for the fray. This made Colonel Prescott angry. "His Lt. Col. Robinson ran round the top of the parapet and threw up the muskets." (Colonel Swett's Narrative, p. 34.) Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth