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Boston Globe
21-06-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
The Battle of Bunker Hill rages again -- in Gloucester
Spectators also will be able to interact with the military reenactors, as well as hundreds of 'civilian' interpreters who will depict the hardships of everyday life in the besieged town of Boston at the time of the battle. Organizers chose The spectators 'will get a very good look at what Advertisement Narrators using a sound system will describe the events in context for the audience as they unfold. A slightly compressed version of the reenactment will be staged Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 'We'll follow the script of what already happened historically,' said Dietzel, 37, of Bridgewater. 'We have people coming from all over the country, a few coming from Canada, and a few British coming from the UK' to portray the combatants. Advertisement Although Bunker Hill technically was a British victory, the Colonial troops inflicted massive casualties on the British, who were forced to mount three assaults on the Americans' hilltop fortifications before the rebels ran out of ammunition and retreated. The British lost 1,054 killed and wounded in the battle, the first pitched conflict of the American Revolution. The Colonials suffered 450 casualties, but gained the morale-boosting confidence that they could stand and fight a disciplined army with superior numbers. 'Reenactments make history come alive in a way that you don't really get from the textbooks,' said Annie Harris, chief executive officer of the Essex National Heritage Area, one of the event's organizers. 'It was a more significant battle than many of us realize,' Harris said. 'You think about the Battle of Bunker Hill, and you see the obelisk [in Charlestown], and you don't really think much about it.' The reenactment includes what Dietzel described as a series of battle vignettes interspersed throughout the day, beginning with the approach of several ships posing as troop-bearing British naval vessels toward Half Moon Beach in Gloucester beginning about 8 a.m. Saturday. From 9 to 10 a.m., the rebels will build their redoubt, or hilltop fortification, with period hand tools. Spectators are encouraged to join the soldiers as they assemble their defenses, and to learn about their 18th-century backgrounds and motivation to take up arms against the British. From 10 to 11 a.m., British reenactors will land on Half Moon Beach. From about 1 to 2 p.m., they are scheduled to make a flanking attack on Cressy Beach. British commanders ordered this flanking move as their marines made a frontal assault on the redoubt. Advertisement The coordinated attacks were unsuccessful, as was a following frontal assault. Only on the third assault, which will be staged about 4 p.m. Saturday, did the British break through and claim victory atop Breed's Hill, the Charlestown summit where the battle actually occurred. 'If we wanted to keep this exactly right, we'd have to burn a city,' which the British did to Charlestown, 'but we can't do that,' Dietzel said with a chuckle. Dietzel said he feels honored to be able to portray Warren, a key Revolutionary figure whom he has researched extensively. 'I've been reading biographies, letters from the Massachusetts Historical Society, and attending lectures. I've been in the weeds with this man for quite some time,' Dietzel said. The goal of the reenactment, which has been years in the making, is to convey the relevance of the battle to 21st-century Americans. 'We want to make sure we do justice to this event and help share a story that's important to us all,' Dietzel added. 'I told my third-grade teacher I wanted to be a Minute Man. It's been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember.' Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at
Boston Globe
12-06-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
For Bunker Hill descendants, the battle never fades
Dearborn 'had heard of the Lexington and Concord battles, and he just started walking south,' the elder Woodfin said. 'He made his bones here, and it took over his life.' Advertisement This weekend, the Woodfins and about 50 other descendants of Bunker Hill veterans will arrive in Charlestown to commemorate the bravery and sacrifices of their ancestors in the first such gathering since the monument's cornerstone was laid in 1825, organizers said. By bringing descendants together, the event's organizers hope that closely held stories of Bunker Hill will be shared among the families and later circulated to a wider audience who might know little of the battle beyond its famous name. 'Who were these men and these boys?' said Julie Hall, president of the Charlestown Historical Society, which began planning the gathering in 2023. 'I find it fascinating that many of these oral stories have been shared generation to generation, but not publicly.' From the Advertisement The rebels lost the battle, but won the galvanizing knowledge that they could stand and fight a trained, imperial army. 'These guys just dropped what they were doing and said to their families, we'll be back, or we might not be back,' said Rich Woodfin, 61, of Concord, N.H. 'Some were gone for years.' Woodfin's ancestor, Henry Dearborn, was one of them. After serving as a 23-year-old company commander at Bunker Hill, Dearborn accompanied Colonel Benedict Arnold later that year on his perilous march through the Maine wilderness to the gates of Quebec. Dearborn also fought as a lieutenant colonel in the victory at Saratoga, N.Y. 'You had men and boys who put down their shovels and marched to Charlestown to fight what was then the most powerful army in the world,' Hall said. The descendants include Vera Martin, a biotech and pharmaceutical consultant who can see Bunker Hill from her West End balcony in Boston. Three of her ancestors, including father and son Samuel and Ichabod Farrington of Dedham, fought on that slope, as well as Benjamin Sumner, a militia captain from Medfield. Linda Russell of Shrewsbury, a former corporate controller, also will be there. Her fifth great-grandfather, Jason Russell Jr., stood in the rebels' hilltop redoubt until he and other surviving Colonials left to fight another day. Advertisement Two months earlier, Jason's father had been shot dead on his doorstep in Arlington, then called Menotomy, when the fiercest fighting of the British retreat from Concord raged around his home, which still exists on Massachusetts Avenue. 'One gave his life, and the other gave up his life' to serve three years in the Continental Army, Russell said. 'They must have had such a deep belief in what they were doing. It gives me goosebumps.' It's a feeling shared by James Philbrick III of Willow Grove, Pa., whose fifth great-grandfather David How, a native of Methuen, fought at Bunker Hill with the Essex County militia. He also saw action in the Battle of Long Island, crossed the Delaware River with General George Washington, and witnessed the surrender of British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga. How, whose great-grandmother was hanged in Salem as a witch, grabbed a fallen comrade's musket as he turned to leave. Before retreating, however, the 18-year-old private stopped to shoot an advancing British soldier, according to family legend. 'For him being the age he was, it must have been exciting as well as terrifying,' said Philbrick, who will attend the commemoration. 'We've known about David How ever since I can remember.' For many of the descendants, discovering the details of their ancestors' Revolutionary service has been a painstaking, years-long effort. Others have come upon the stories only recently. 'My family never had anything documented, and my dad knew nothing about it,' Russell said. A timeline showing where the fighting took place between the Continental Army and the British Army during the Battle of Bunker Hill. Lily Cowper/Lily Cowper for The Boston Globe Russell's journey of discovery began decades ago when a relative from Maine sent her a family tree. The notation that one of her ancestors had died on April 19, 1775 -- the original Patriots Day -- caught Russell's eye, but she didn't pursue it further. Advertisement Only when a fellow church member, years later, mentioned that she and Russell were related did the stories of their Revolutionary ancestors begin to unspool. 'I schlepped the whole family to Arlington and visited the house' where Jason Russell Sr. died, she said. 'I feel an obligation to them. Look at what these people did.' For many 21st-century Americans, the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Revolutionary War, in general, can seem too mythologized and distant to be real. 'I don't think people know how it relates to their lives,' Russell said. 'They have to go to work, and do all this stuff, and they'll say, isn't that nice?' The Americans at Bunker Hill were 'fathers, brothers, nephews, and cousins, all from the same place. They knew everybody who was in their company,' said Timothy Riordan, a historical archeologist and vice president of the Charlestown Historical Society. 'These guys were cabinetmakers, shoemakers. For many of them, it was the highlight of their lives.' The average age of Colonial privates at Bunker Hill was 27. The oldest was 62, Riordan said. Although Bunker Hill technically was an American defeat, the British suffered 1,054 dead and wounded, compared with 450 for the rebels. The descendants who gather in Charlestown this weekend will be connected with resources to deepen their genealogical work, including a visit with staff at American Ancestors, a Boston-based nonprofit center for family history, heritage, and culture that was founded in 1845. The group also will tour the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Commonwealth Archives, each of which has ongoing exhibits on the role of Massachusetts in the Revolution. Advertisement Martin, one of the descendants, said recently she had never been to the battlefield. And when she moved from North Carolina to Boston in 2016, Martin added, she had not been aware of her Bunker Hill connections. All that has changed, and the time-consuming work of tracing her deep American roots has become a passion. 'My daughter's an only child, and to give her and my grandson the gift of who they are and where they came from, there's no amount of money you can put on that,' Martin said. The story of Bunker Hill is now the story of her 21st-century family and of her Colonial ancestors. 'Their blood,' she said, 'runs through mine.' Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Poland product earns league co-Freshman of the Year honors in college
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (WKBN) – Poland High School graduate and current Robert Morris University softball standout Mary Brant was named Horizon League Co-Freshman of the Year. The Horizon League announced its softball postseason awards on Tuesday afternoon. She is currently seventh in the conference with a .352 batting average. In addition, she is third in the league in home runs with 10 and sixth in RBIs with 36. Brant has also piled up 9 doubles and three triples for the Colonials in her first season in the college ranks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Iowa basketball lands Horizon League POY transfer portal commitment
Iowa basketball has its latest transfer portal addition. The Hawkeyes added a commitment from the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year in former Robert Morris forward Alvaro Folgueiras on Sunday night. ESPN's Jonathan Givony broke the news that Folgueiras' agents, Deirunas Visockas and Blas Parra, had confirmed the big man's move to Iowa City. The 6-foot-9, 215 pound forward averaged 14.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 54.8% from the field, 41.3% from 3-point range and 78.4% from the free-throw line. A native of Málaga, Spain, Folgueiras played in and started all 35 games last season as he led the Colonials to the Horizon League regular season and tournament championships. Advertisement Folgueiras chose Iowa over fellow finalist Providence. The Spaniard visited Iowa earlier this month along with both Providence and Villanova before ultimately donning the black and gold. According to On3, Folgueiras is a four-star transfer portal commitment. On3 ranks Folgueiras as the nation's No. 29 player and as the No. 6 power forward. Folgueiras notched a double-double against eventual Elite Eight squad Alabama in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with 15 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal. The DME Academy alum tallied 14 double-doubles and scored 20-plus in four games last season. Folgueiras' career-highs in points and rebounds each came against Northern Kentucky. On Dec. 29, Folgueiras ripped down 19 rebounds. Then, on Feb. 8, Folgueiras scored 35 points on 12-of-14 shooting against Northern Kentucky. Advertisement Folgueiras registered multiple makes from beyond the arc in 13 games with the Colonials last season. He arrives in Iowa City with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Folgueiras joins a list of transfer portal additions that features Drake transfers Bennett Stirtz, Cam Manyawu, Isaia Howard, Kael Combs, Tavion Banks and Kansas State transfer Brendan Hausen. Here's a look at Folgueiras' highlights: Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball lands Horizon League POY transfer portal commitment
Boston Globe
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Scenes from Lexington, Concord's 250th celebration: ‘This has been on my bucket list'
Clare and Christopher Hurley of Woburn, re-enacting civilians at Battle Green, also had a home-grown interest in the drama. Christopher portrayed Asahel Porter, an unarmed Woburn man who had been taken prisoner of the British during their march to Lexington and was shot dead 250 years ago as he tried to flee, Clare said. Clare played Ruth Buckman, who owned nearby Buckman Tavern, which still stands adjacent to the Green. 'We had a very busy night last night, as the Minute Men were coming and going, trying to determine if the British were on the way,' Clare said, assuming Buckman's character in period costume, as she walked the Green before the reenactment began. — Brian MacQuarrie Advertisement 'Fighting tyranny then & now' CONCORD — Rena Hedeman was among those in the crowd here early Saturday. She brandished a sign. One side said: 'No king then, no king now.' The other: 'Fighting tyranny then & now.' Advertisement 'It's not against any particular party,' Hedeman said of the sign. 'It's against one person.' Hedeman, a 60-year-old nutrition and health coach, has lived in Concord for 19 years. She usually comes to the Old North Bridge festivities to celebrate the freedoms that minutemen fought for 250 years ago. Referencing President Trump without naming him, she said he is failing to uphold the Constitution. 'It's extraordinarily upsetting and worrying,' she said of the current political moment. A cannon blast pierced the dawn as she spoke, and a man walking by asked to take a picture of her sign and thanked her for showing up. — Danny McDonald Meet a reenactor couple Getting ready for the 250th anniversary of the bloody British retreat from Concord to Boston is serious business. He arrived at the battlefield early, around 2 a.m., clad in in 18th-century gear — from linen shirts and breeches to bright scarlet coats. His wife, Valerie, was also there, dressed in a traditional gown and petticoats. Their ensembles are meticulously crafted by hand, stitch-by-stitch. The Graves have amassed so much period clothing over the years that each has a room devoted entirely to the art of colonial dress. Dressing in late-1700s fashion is no quick task. Both Valerie and Michael spent upwards of 10 minutes layering multiple items of clothing — each serving a particular purpose. In the 1700s, an officer and his wife would have had assistants to help them. But today, it's all on them — Jenna Perlman Advertisement 'Do not fire until fired upon' Tens of thousands of spectators gathered in the predawn chill around Lexington Green, some 30 deep, as clusters of reenactors portraying the Lexington militia gathered in small groups, awaiting the arrival of British troops up Massachusetts Avenue. Bells tolled. Women and children dressed as family members of the militia. And the smell of gunpowder hung in the air as the Colonials discharged their muskets in preparation for a confrontation. 'Do not fire unless fired upon!' Stephen Cole, portraying militia Captain John Parker, barked at his men. Then, with drums beating out a marching pace, the British troops appeared to loud boos at the east end of the Green. They quickly assembled in formation as dawn slowly brightened the cloudy skies. 'Lay down your arms!' a British officer yelled three times at the militia. And then, as the militia began to disperse, a shot rang out of unknown origin, and a fusillade of British fire, followed by bayonets, left eight Colonials dead. Followed the fighting, after the 'dead' rose from the ground to loud applause, a reenactor portraying a Colonial minister addressed the survivors of Parker's militia. 'The lust of domination appears no longer in disguise,' the minister said. 'Will the world learn the lesson of this day,' he added, 'that tyranny will not be tolerated?' -- Brian MacQuarrie
