Isaac Bailey Blake came to Neponset in 1858 and started the first lumber yard, the first library and one of the first churches. He passed away at 82 years old and his funeral was a testimony of his life. Every store was closed, and school was dismissed.

The students marched in procession from the school to the church. Rev. H.L. Hartwell conducted the services in the Congregational Church that was unable to seat all who wished to pay their respects. The service mentioned he completed all his business and public duties with marked fidelity and honesty. I’m certain his life was influenced by his grandpa’s war stories.

His grandfather, Henry Blake, Jr fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 with Colonel John Stark’s 1st New Hampshire Regiment. His great, grandfather, a corporal, also served there, but later died of smallpox after being captured by the Indians. Both facts have been confirmed by a personal diary and DAR records.

Today, the many Blake relatives in Neponset and Kewanee can celebrate the first battle of the American Revolution with special pride. 248 years ago their fifth Great Grandfather and sixth Great Grandfather were part of this critical battle.

Henry Blake, Jr, 19, served in Captain Isaac Baldwin’s Company as a Fifer. He would have been next to the captain at all times, giving out battle commands. They would be responding to fife and drum commands from Colonel Stark’s regimental team. During actual battle he would have been reloading muskets or resupplying ammunition and new flints. A fifer is considered a non-combatant, rather like a chaplain or medic.

In the spring of 1775, three events in three months began our freedom struggles, Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill. Nothing was resolved after the first two. Now the British wanted to declare martial law in Boston, capture, try and hang the rebel leaders and be done with this rebellion nonsense.

At Bunker Hill, eighteen hundred of the New England militia were prepared to die to stop them. 142 did. Colonel William Prescott was ordered to activate the Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island Militia and to prepare defenses at Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill.

On June 16 the Militia worked day & night to prepare a dirt fort. As soon as the British saw the preparation, they began to shell the position with four warships. About noon of the next day, Colonel John Stark’s 800 man, 1st New Hampshire Regiment arrived and took positions behind a three-foot high rail and stone fence on the left flank. This was the weakest part of the defense and was most likely where the British would attack first.

Sure enough, the British lined up the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the King’s Own-fourth Regiment of Foot and the 10th Light Infantry Regiments to sweep the farmer- militia from the field with a bayonet charge. These men saw the militia retreat at Lexington and more important, had been in major engagements in the European Seven Years War. They were the best light infantry in the world and had never known defeat.

At 100 yards they began their bayonet charge. At 50 yards they thought perhaps the farmers had retreated. But at 25 yards the stone wall seemed to explode, louder than the sound of cannons. The first rank of Fusiliers went down.

The King’s Own marched over the dead and wounded as calmly as on a parade field, ready to take revenge on the Americans. But in a mere 10 yards there was a second blast which left another rank bewildered and dazed. The tough snarling regulars of the 10th moved up in the smoke to complete the bayonet charge while the farmers were reloading.

An unheard-of third volley torn into the closed ranks. There were not enough men standing to continue the attack and Major General William Howe did the unthinkable. He ordered a retreat. What had happened?

They met farmer common sense and the leadership of John Stark. He was born in 1728 of Scottish Immigrants. Trapping at age 24, he was captured by Indians. He lived as an Indian for a year before his escape. In the 1757 French & Indian War, Captain Stark served with Robert’s Rangers and led men in 3 engagements.

The British were so impressed they even offered him an army commission. He declined the commission, married, started a family and became a farmer. Eighteen years later the New Hampshire legislature appointed him as commander of the first New Hampshire Regiment.

He knew the odds that day but also had a plan. Both he and Colonel William Prescott told their men. “Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes.” This took some exceptional trust when facing a bayonet charge. In addition to discipline fire, the Colonel organized his 13 companies into three firing ranks to provide continuous fire.

Each rank would fire in a delayed fashion providing a sustained wall of lead. The smooth bore muskets were loaded with buck and ball. This was a lethal .69 or .75 caliber musket ball and three .36 caliber smaller rounds.

At 25 yards each musket could stop multiple soldiers. Aiming stakes were put out before the battle so the militia could practice taking proper aim. Stark knew after the first volley his farmer- soldiers would fire high into the smoke. Every shot must count and each man counted on his neighbor and their officers to stand their ground.

The frontier training told the Americans to keep their heads down. The officers, however, walked about giving encouragement and firing orders. Captain Isaac Baldwin was shot in the chest, with young fifer Henry Blake, Jr. nearby.

Baldwin stayed with his men and even fired his musket three more time before being evacuated. He said, “I’ll be back as soon as the doctor tends to this.” He died that night. But his fifer and Corporal Henry Blake, Sr. lived to see the first victory of the Revolutionary War.

Royal Welch Fusiliers had distinguished themselves during the Seven Years War allied with the Germans. In 1759, this regiment defeated a large French cavalry unit and their victory is still celebrated today in England. But not for Bunker Hill, June 1775.

They came to the field with 700 men. The next morning, they had 83 fit for duty. The Fusiliers served in every major battle and SIX years later at Yorktown, was the only British regiment not to surrender its colours, which were smuggled out by a junior officer.

In WWII, they were the first Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, sixth Infantry Brigade, second British Infantry Division and served with the Americans against the German Wehrmacht. (Life is not a straight line, but a circle - Chief Black Hawk, from Pioneer Struggles # 8)

After British General Howe saw the carnage at the rail fence, he reorganized his remaining regiments for a main assault on the dirt fort. The lead regiments were cut down just like the rail fence attack with just as heavy casualties. But with three rounds left per man, the third assault succeeded, and the Americans left their dirt fort. Colonel Stark’s first New Hampshire covered an orderly retreat.

This was a small battle by military standards. The farmer- militia fielded about 1800 men against 2500 British Regulars and four warships.

The Americans suffered 450 casualties to the British 1054. A British officer later commented. “A few more victories like this, we will have no army left”. The British lost more men at the battle of Bunker Hill that any other single battle of the Revolutionary War.

The first New Hampshire Regiment suffered at Valley Forge, crossed the Delaware, captured Trenton and served on active duty until victory at Yorktown, Virginia - six Years later. They were the last militia disbanded in 1782.

John and Molly Stark had 11 children. The oldest, Caleb Stark, collected his dad’s writings and published a book in 1860 (which I have) and later become a New Hampshire Senator.

Caleb was only 16 years old when he served with his dad at Bunker Hill. He might have been a drummer or fifer with Henry Blake, Jr. John Stark passed away at 94 years old, the oldest Revolutionary War General Officer.

The battle of Bunker Hill was the point of no return for the rebellious colonists. Nearly 2000 men had pledged their lives for the cause of freedom and independence and 142 did give their lives on June 19th 1775.

That was their passion for freedom. A young fifer lived to tell his grandson, Isaac B. Blake about a six year war, that many times appeared hopeless. The 1776 Declaration of Independence may have been signed by politicians. But it was by the militia, a faith in God and American muskets that we enjoy a country they envisioned.

Lt. Col Dick Wells (retired) has an economics degree & master’s degree in military history. His wife, Jani Wittmeyer Wells is a DAR member with connection to the Blake family. Colonel Wells has confirmed he also has Revolutionary War patriots. The next article will focus on Pioneer Skills.