William Prescott (February 20, 1726-October 13, 1795) was an American Colonel during the Revolutionary War. He built the fortifications at Breed's Hill and commanded the Colonial Militia at the Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775. He was an instrumental part of the battles of Long Island, 1776, and Saratoga, 1777.
In 1774, when the British blockaded the Boston harbor, William Prescott wrote to the city's inhabitants:
<We heartily sympathize with you, and are always ready to do all in our power for your support, comfort and relief, knowing that Providence has placed you where you must stand the first shock.
We consider that we are all embarked in (the same boat) and must sink or swim together....Let us all be of one heart, and stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.
And may He, of His infinite mercy, grant us deliverance of all our troubles.> 1726WP001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1726WP001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). William Prescott, 1774, in writing to the citizens on the occasion of the British blockade. George Bancroft, History of the United States of America, 6 vols. (Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, Third Edition, 1838), Vol. VII, p. 99.
Lucille Johnston, Celebrations of a Nation (Arlington, VA: The Year of Thanksgiving Foundation, 1987), p. 76. Peter Marshall & David Manuel, The Glory of America (Bloomington, MN: Garborg's Heart 'N Home, 1991), 7.27.