, if and when time permitted. The column moved on the Breed's Hill where at its farthest point, Gridley staked out the outline of a redoubt approximately 132 feet square. As the clock struck midnight, the men began to dig, throwing up dirt as quickly as they possibly could. Prescott next detailed a company to patrol the shore and another to lie by close to the town. About 4 o'clock, the lookout on His Majesty's sloop-of-war Lively, with 20 guns, spotted the work on the redoubt and sounded the alarm. Captain Thomas Bishop immediately beat to quarters and opened fire on the redoubt. Bishop who had recently been found guilty by court-martial for intentional neglect of duty over the disposition of the proceeds of a captured Spanish ship was doubtlessly determined not to be seen being neglectful agaThe Admiral of the fleet, sent a boat to stop the shooting but then seeing the problem for himself in the improving light, ordered his ships and the Copp's Hill battery to open fire on the redoubt. Gage called a hasty council of war. After exploring a number of options with Generals Clinton and Howe, Gage decided on an amphibious assault with a landing on Moulton's Point below Breed's Hill. In the meantime, Prescott's men had consumed their one-day's ration in the course of digging the redoubt and a lucky cannonball had crashed the two barrels of water that had been brought along. As the cannon bombardment continued, the men in the redoubt began to question the wisdom of remaining under fire. In the light of the full day, British troops could be seen across the harbor assembling in Boston. Colonel Prescott was determined to fight. He had already alleviated the men's fears by leaping to the parapet after the first man was killed by a cannon shot, and slowly strolling along its exposed top to demonstrate the relative lack of danger from cannon fire. Now with the British preparing operations against them they were ready to leave. In fact some did lea...
