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By Shelly Santaniello
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
You can learn a lot about a town’s history by strolling through one of its cemeteries. New Englanders are fortunate to have cemeteries with gravestones dating back to the colonial period.
Old Westwood Cemetery, located on the corner of Route 109 and Nahatan Street, has many noteworthy memorials and gravestones. One in particular marks the resting place of Major Robert Steele who, at age fifteen, served as a drummer boy at the Battle of Bunker Hill. A month after the Revolutionary War began at Lexington and Concord, young Robert enlisted in the Continental Army. Years later, when interviewed, Steele said he vaguely remembered the details of Bunker Hill. What he recalled most was “great noise and confusion.” No wonder - it was an epic battle.
On June 16, 1775, the Continental soldiers had learned the British were sending troops to occupy the hills surrounding Boston. With about 1,000 militiamen in his charge, Colonel Prescott built earthen forts on top of Breed’s Hill. (Most of the Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on Breed’s Hill). With makeshift shelters and insufficient ammunition, these brave men tried to hold off the British as they attacked on June 17. The Continental soldiers had the advantage of being atop a hill, shooting at British soldiers who marched, in plain sight, up the entrenchment. The British had the advantage of being able to retreat, regroup, and reload their ammunition. The famous quote, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” was uttered by Colonel Prescott during this battle. He knew they had limited ammunition, so only a sure shot was allowed to be fired. Finally, after the third British charge, hand-to-hand combat ensued. Knowing they were greatly outnumbered, the colonists finally retreated.
If you are standing with your back to Route 109, and facing the Old Westwood Cemetery, Robert Steele’s gravestone is in the lower left corner, very close to Route 109. Photos by Shelly Santaniello
Although the Battle of Bunker Hill was technically a loss for the Continental Army, it felt like a win. The inexperienced, yet passionate, militiamen had proved they could go toe to toe with the mighty British military. The British actually suffered more casualties than the colonists that day. However, the Charlestown Peninsula was now under the control of the Redcoats.
So, why did young Robert Steele enlist in the Continental Army? By today’s standards, 15 is far too young to serve. However, in 1775, Steele would have been old enough to fight by his next birthday. Often, underage boys signed up because they followed their fathers into battle. Some boys may have signed up to provide financial support for the families they left behind. Males who were younger than sixteen or older than fifty could serve as musicians in the army. They played the fife or drum. Being a drummer boy was an important job, and not as dangerous as being an armed soldier.
Unlike today’s soldiers, the colonial militiamen were unable to communicate with electronic devices. Music was how messages were relayed to soldiers over long distances. Certain drum beats would serve as marching commands for turning right, left, or halting. In battle, the drummer boy would give drum beat signals for loading muskets, firing, and ceasing. Most importantly, the drummer boy (and fife player) could play a tune called “Parley.” Because both sides understood that drummer boys were noncombatants, he could stand in the open and signal for a surrender (parley), or a cease fire. There was no mistaking the drummer boy for a soldier for two reasons: one, he carried a drum, not a musket, and two, he wore the reverse-colored uniform. If the Continental soldier wore a blue coat with red cuffs, then the drummer boy wore a red coat with blue cuffs.
Robert Steele was probably a talented musician, because he went on to become a Drum Major - he was responsible for instructing young drummer boys. Major Steele served throughout the Revolutionary War from 1775-1783. After the war, he retired to West Dedham, which eventually became Westwood. He married Lydia Williams in 1806. They were buried together in the Old Westwood Cemetery.
Steele lived to be 73. On June 17, 1825, he participated in a special celebration 50 years after the Battle of Bunker Hill. Once again, he beat the tune of “Yankee Doodle” and marched with about 200 survivors of the famous battle. The cornerstone for the Bunker Hill Monument was laid on that day. Getting enough funding to build the 221 foot granite obelisk took many years. The completed monument was finally dedicated on June 17, 1843, ten years after Robert Steele’s death.
