But in spite of the balls Colonel Prescott walked on the top of the breastwork while his men went on digging.

Gage sent three or four thousand men across the Charles River to Charlestown to drive the daring Americans away.

It took the whole morning to get them to Charlestown, and then they had to eat their dinner.

This delay gave the Americans time to send aid to Prescott.

Especially went Stark and his New Hampshire men, who posted themselves behind a breastwork of fence rails and hay.