The second advance of foot soldiers had been led. The patriot soldiers' vantage point had enabled them to fire at the advancing troops. Hundreds of British soldiers fell to patriot fire.
While leading the advance, Major Pitcairn was struck down by Peter Salem's expert shot after he had been ordered to aim for the officers.
The patriots inflicted significant damages on the British, but due to their sheer numbers, their forces were still strong and the second advance continued.
Despite Lt. Paul Revere's protests, Dr. Joseph Warren leaped over the fortress wall with a sword and pistol in hand and began striking the British cavalry down as they advanced.
Despite taking a gunshot to the leg, he kept going. He knew the patriots were outnumbered and outgunned, but he was determined to eliminate as many redcoats as possible.
"Dragoons, with me." General Gage raised his sword and charged forward towards the Bunker Hill fortress, with a company of British cavalry. Many patriot soldiers were outside of the walls, and as Gage approached he began striking them down.
As soon as General Gage was in range, Dr. Warren fired. The bullet hit the general square in the chest, knocking him from his horse. A second bullet from Peter Salem found his brain and killed him instantly.
The patriots suffered significant losses, but so did the British.
After tending to the wounded throughout the night and the next day, the doctor finally cared for his own injuries. Then he set off toward the Gage house.
It had once been John Hancock's home, but General Gage had stolen it from him several months earlier. Without even giving John a chance to pack up his belongings, he'd had the wealthy businessman forcibly removed from his home by redcoat soldiers.
Had Thomas Gage not done that, he likely would have kept John Hancock on his side. But having his home ripped away from him had pushed John firmly and completely over to the patriot cause. He had funded the acquisition of patriot weapons and aided in recruiting soldiers.
Finally arriving, Dr. Warren dismounted and knocked on the door. No answer. Stepping around the corner, he saw Margaret Gage's horse in the stable. He tried knocking on the door again.
Suddenly, he heard a loud banging on an upstairs window. It was Margaret, and she was motioning for him to come upstairs.
As he came upstairs, she called out. "I'm in here!"
With some difficulty, he got the door unlocked. She looked pale and disheveled. Her face and arms were bruised.
"Thomas locked me in here after he figured out it was me who told the patriots about the plan to match on Lexington and Concord. I haven't eaten in over 4 days."
"He's dead, Margaret. Killed on the battlefield. He was shot twice."
Margaret gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand. She stumbled backwards and Dr. Warren grabbed her arm and steadied her, then helped her into a chair.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but they were not tears of grief. She sobbed tears of joy and relief. Relief that she would no longer be a prisoner in her own house, kept down by her abusive husband.
She wasn't allowed to leave the house without guards. He regularly left bruises on her, and never took no for an answer. More than once, she had seen him being entertained by prostitutes in his office. She hated the brutality he used to rule the colonists.
She also felt joy that she was now free to spend the rest of her life with the man she truly loved, Dr. Joseph Warren.
Looking up at him, she saw that he had been watching her. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, he leaned down to kiss her. No longer worried about her late husband finding them, she returned the kiss.
"Let's get married. Tonight. I know someone who can do it. Then you can come live at my home and we can give this house back to Hancock."
The two of them mounted on the doctor's horse and rode to his pastor's home. As Joseph had predicted, he was willing to perform the quick ceremony. "You may kiss your bride" was the most beautiful words either of them had ever heard. No longer did they need to hide their love for each other.
Then, he helped her pack up her things and made the short trip to his house. After carrying them in, he carried her over the threshold into her new home.