A REMINISCENCE OF BUNKER HILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9220, 24 November 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

A REMINISCENCE OF BUNKER HILL.

WAR AND AMITY.

On' .Juno 17, 775, a British man-of-war, lying in the Mystic River, threw a cannon ball at the little American army intrenched on Bunker Hill. The ship threw moro than one ball, but this particular one was picked up after the fight an 1 saved. The other day, at the -.10In anniversary of the Boston Ancient and Honourable Artillery Company, this veritable ball was returned to a party of British artillerymen who had come over to help to celebrate the occasion. The presentation was made at the dinner by Colonel Walker. " I hold in my hand," said Colonel Walker, " a cannon ball thrown by a British ship of war at the patriot army on Bunker Hill, .June 17, 1775. Through the kindness of Mr. Hassam. who gives it to this company to present to you, I give it to you to carry home as a memento" (handing the cannon ball to Major Durant amid hearty cheers and applause). "It- was thrown at us in war. We give it to you in peace as a token of the amity which lives ' day between our great nations, and wi,. a we all pray may live for ever." "There is time for wonderful changes in a hundred years," says the Ncwhaven Palladium, in commenting on the above. " It, would have given the grizzled old fighters of the British warship a queer feeling if they could have known, when they ' touched her off and sent that ball screeching at the Yankee breastworks on that June day, 1775, that a hundred years later the ball would be handed back over a friendly dinner table as a token of amity and concord between the two greatest, and most, enlightened powers of the earth."