U.R. “Wicked” Hawesome

Colonel Uriah Reginald Hawesome originally arrived in Boston to command troops detailed to protect loyalist citizens from the growing population of radicals fomenting for colonial independence from England. By 1774, however, U.R. Hawesome had grown sympathetic to the colonial cause and indeed considered himself American (in fact, second generation American). He began supplying the radical Sons of Liberty with intelligence on British troop placements and strengths, but was found out and barely escaped hanging in early 1775. By the summer of that year, he was a Colonel in the Continental Army and a much reviled figure among the British, who branded him a traitor and began calling him "U.R. Wicked" or "Wicked Hawesome." He was hunted with a vengeance.

In June 1775, when the rebels began fortifying Breed's and Bunker Hill, British officers learned that Hawesome was among the officers directing the fortifications. Some historians have concluded that it was deep hatred of the turncoat that drove the British to assault Bunker Hill three times, taking more than 1,000 casualties in the process.

History has recorded that in the end, the Colonials had to abandon the hill because they lacked artillery and ran out of ammunition and powder. While this is true for the most part, in fact the men under Hawesome's command did have a single 3-pound light field cannon, but no cannonballs for it. As the British advanced a final time, Hawesome was grievously wounded in the chest, yet remained in command. He conceived a selfless and daring plan to buy time for the Continental army to escape. First he ordered the men to fill the three-pounder with whatever metal they could find: this mostly consisted of a keg's worth of nails, the metal parts of shattered rifles and what few musket balls they had among them. As the British grenadiers advanced, Hawesome stood before the cannon, gesticulating wildly to his enemy. Recognizing the traitor, the grenadiers advanced, yelling for blood, bayonets fixed. Then Hawesome gave the order to fire the cannon.

While some historians believe Hawesome intended to move out of harm's way, most contend that Hawesome believed his chest wound to be a mortal one and chose to remain where he was. It is well that he did, for his presence there wrought far more damage on the attacking army than the cannon load of metal ever could have.

Put simply, the cannon shot blew Hawesome to pieces, raining bone, blood and tissue upon the grenadiers. Colonial General Israel Putnam, who was also at the battle, observed in a letter to his wife, "Never have I witnesses such an act of self-sacrifice. The [British grenadiers] stood as though in a rain shower of blood. They were at once revulsed and repulsed, at least long enough for the larger part of our [army] to make its escape across the Neck."

Watching the battle unfold from a nearby hill, 8-year-old John Quincy Adams, son of John and Abigail Adams, had the same admiration, but a different reaction.

"As I stood there with my friends, we watched in astonishment and horror as a Continental officer allowed himself to be blown to bits, the bloody shower of his remains confusing the foe. My mother averted her eyes from the awful spectacle, but among my friends, horror soon gave way to staunch admiration for the action. 'Who was that fellow?' one of my playmates asked. I replied, 'That was "Wicked" Hawesome.' We all stood there for a time, my friends and I, murmuring 'Wicked Hawesome' amongst ourselves, again and again."