This Day in History: July 12

A General Court Martial of the Line to sit at Head Quarters, in Cambridge, to morrow morning at Nine OClock, to try Col. Scammons of the Massachusetts Forces accused of “Backwardness in the execution of his duty, in the late Action upon Bunkers-hill.” The Adjutant of Col. Scammons regiment, to warn all Evidences, and persons concern’d to attend the court.

That piqued my curiosity, so I found this:

On the other side of Charlestown Neck the situation was no better. Colonel Scammons was ordered to lead his regiment across the Neck "to the Hill", but with almost inexcusable stupidity, he marched his men to Cobble Hill, a feeble elevation on the landward side of Charlestown Neck and stayed there, never crossing the Neck to reach Gridley's Redoubt. Meanwhile, at the same spot, Major Scarborough Gridley, Colonel Gridley's older son, was also malingering with his artillery company, refusing to cross the Neck. It was at the very time his father was in desperate need of artillery assistance--and himself loading the last remaining cannon beside the Redoubt.

Then, back at Bunker Hill, there was Colonel Masfield with his regiment, ordered to go to Prescott's aid. With Colonel Scammons, the two colonels, with 700 fresh men with full ammunition pouches, simply sat out the battle watching Major Gridley fire pop shots at the British Symmetry and Glasgow.

The battle was a loss for the Americans, but at a heavy toll for the British. Imagine how emboldened the cause for liberty would have been had these officers acted differently and deployed their resources to tip the scale to victory.