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Gisette Volume GISette A quarterly newsletter to broaden people’s understanding of mapping, geography and the City’s Geographic Information System Volume 3, Issue 3 Summer 2013 For Marlborough’s Public GIS Web Site Visit the Following Link: http://gis.marlborough-ma.gov Welcome to the history edition of the GISette! I’m deviating from the norm in this issue quite a bit. Instead The Battle of Breed’s Hill of writing an intriguing article about some aspect of No, I don’t mean Bunker Hill, but you might think I do. geography that you on the edge of your seats, I want to combine my love of history with the work of another An obelisk in Charlestown marks the spot on which the GIS professional’s. Living in Massachusetts, we are all Battle of Bunker Hill took place. And most of us have acutely aware of our state’s role in American History. heard the saying “Don’t fire until you see the whites of But, now we can use GIS to explore that history as well. I hope you find this newsletter as interesting as I their eyes!” It’s a moment of national pride. A David do! and Goliath story. There’s only one problem with this: That battle didn’t happen on Bunker Hill, it happened on neighboring Breed’s Hill. And technically, we lost. What this map tells you about GIS There’s a little more to that “whites of their eyes” bit as - This one map incorporates over a dozen well, but that isn’t what this newsletter is about. This maps from the Library of Congress that newsletter is as much about looking as it is about were used to create this GIS base map. reading. Page 2 of this newsletter is a map. And the map tells a story. By using various sources of - Written accounts from historical texts have information, Charlie Frye, the author of the map, been transformed into geographical weaves together a narrative of an important event representations. using GIS and tells his own ancestor’s story in the process. I like his work for several reasons. First and - Databases have been created from the foremost I am a true history buff. I like to see a story muster rolls of soldiers who participated. told accurately and concisely. Too often the true story - By “layering” information, inconsistencies of an event is lost because of inept authors, rumors can be represented visually and, possibly, and even bugs bunny cartoons. History has become rectified. one big game of “telephone”. The other reason I like this map is because it shows you just how versatile GIS A BOUT T H E M APMAKER can be. It takes into account written narratives, lists of names and places, historical maps and a variety of His name is Charlie Frye, and although I have never met other sources and turned them into a visual the man, I am inspired by his work. I first came across his map during a course I took on cartographic design. representation of the facts. By creating layers of The instructor showed us his work and offered to share information and arranging them in a clear and concise the map he had produced and the data that went with it. fashion, we can derive information that tells us, and Charlie works for ESRI, a company that makes GIS more importantly, shows us, what happened that day in software. He combined his passion for history and cartography to create this map. I wanted to share it with American history. I encourage you zoom in and really you because it shows how truly versatile GIS can be. explore the attached map. I promise you’ll enjoy it. Newsletter 1 The Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17th, 1775 The Battle T Starting Locations of Forces east of Breed's Hill, and advanced his horrible casualties. Understrength to begin Americans, not supplied with close fighting o For reasons unknown, the rebels columns along Mystic River beach, hoping with, regiments of 400 or so men were weapons, fell back, taking most of their M costructed their redoubt on Breed's Hill to encircle the fortification and cut it off from reduced to less than ten men each. casualties at this time. ed and not on Bunker's Hill, as originally reinforcements from the Cambridge area. fo planned. Breed's Hill measured only 60 The British advance was hampered by Meanwhile, Pigot led the 38th and 43rd Stark's men, retreating from the rail fence, rd feet in height, as compared to Bunker's stone walls, which were difficult to see in Light Infantry Regiments up the east side of prevented Prescott's men from being ( 110 feet, and was closer to the eastern the tall grass. Picking their way forward, the redoubt, while elements of the 47th encircled. The retreat was carried out in 4 and southern shorelines, making it a target Howe then saw Stark's newly constructed Light Infantry, the Marines and six flank good order preventing a rout. m for artillery both offshore and in Boston. fence continuing the line of an existing companies assailed the south. The fire from i.) Breed's proximity to Boston also posed a stone wall to the edge of the Mystic River, the fortification, similar in execution to the Outcome Much has been written of the heroism demonstrated by the men of more substantive threat to the British effectively blocking Howe's proposed route. fire at the fence, halted the charge cold and The Americans were forced to withdraw, Massachusetts at the Battle for Bunker Hill, but New Hampshire's encamped in the town, ensuring their sent the British back in disarray. but not before inflicting upon the British role in that great Patriot undertaking has been minimized or at least immediate retaliation. Howe also found difficulty moving his surprisingly heavy casualties. The under-publicized. More than 100 men from New Hampshire were in Moore's Company (1st New Hampshire Regiment) artillery through the marshy terrain. In Watching the battle from Boston, GEN revolution became a real war in the minds 7th and 13th Massachusetts Regiments Capt. John Moore Cols. Mansfield and Scammon Col. Prescott's Massachusetts Regiment, for example, including a After construction of the redoubt, COL addition to mobility problems, the cannon Clinton, on his own initiative, led the last of Americans and British alike. Never company of 59 men under Capt. Dow from Hollis. While we probably Approx 150 Men Prescot extended the defenses to the were found to be supplied with wrong sized British reserves to Charlestown Peninsula. again would the American rebels be Approx. 741 Men will never know the exact number of New Hampshiremen who served From Col. Stark's hometown of Amoskaeg. Built low Refused Gen Putnam's orders to take the field. north by almost three hundred feet with the shot. These events kept the effectiveness of Howe then regrouped his shattered treated as a third rate mob. at Bunker Hill, it is reasonable to assume the figure is somewhere in the stone wall and fired from 3-deep (crouched, kneeling, construction of breastworks. Colonels the superior British artillery to a minimum. formations and planned his next move. He Scammon was court-marshalled, acquitted but neighborhood of 1000-1300, virtually all the men New Hampshire had and standing) ranks into the oncoming British soldiers. Knowlton and Stark were given the task of began to regard the rebels as an enemy The colonials had their first real taste of was branded a coward for similar actions. available. In any event, the New Hampshire contingent outnumbered the combined totals of Massachusetts and Connecticut. securing the American left flank, along the In preparation for the coming battle, Colonel army, not just a band of rabble. warfare in defense of their freedom. They Charlestown 1st New Hampshire Regiment Mystic River. Knowlton added to a pre- Stark planted a wooden stake in the ground found that the effectiveness of their fighting Col. John Stark existing stone wall which ran north to the 35 yards from his men's position at the rail Having been repulsed twice in the same ability had been compromised by, among New Hampshire regiments reported 60 killed, 74 wounded and 19 beach. Stark extended the wall with fence and stone wall. The defenders were manner, Howe changed his tactics to other factors, supply shortages, lack of Approx 400 Men missing or captured. Wilton NH historical records show a transaction wooden rails to the edge of the water. As instructed to fire as the advancing British counter the colonists' advantage. He discipline, and inter-colony rivalries. ) Quote from Stark during British Advance: M 4 mi. Neck signed by Isaac Frye where at least some of the 19 missing were the edges of the breastworks and stone crossed the line of the stake, to aim low, ordered his men to drop their heavy packs (2. traded for with the British. "Damn you, no flinching--I'll run through y ge wall did not meet, other men built fleches and to aim at British officers. In spite of and use only bayonets in the final charge. Lessons Learned brid the next man who dodges. By God, you'll stand, s Cam t i to plug the gap. With the addition of some premature shots, as Howe's columns Thus, they could close more quickly, and Both armies had fought courageously and or Lucy Stark will be a widow by nightfall." To c R i e r snipers in abandoned buildings in advanced to 35 yds from the stone fence, would not waste time firing at the learned much.
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