The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775 on Breed's Hill, as part of the Siege of Boston during the American Revolutionary War. General Israel Putnam was in charge of the revolutionary forces, while Major-General William Howe commanded the British forces. Because most of the fighting did not occur on Bunker Hill itself, the conflict is sometimes more accurately (though less often) called the Battle of Breed's Hill.

The result was a victory for the British; however, they suffered their greatest losses of the entire war: over 800 wounded and 228 killed. The colonists held on and repelled the first two attacks. Finally the colonists' ammunition supplies ran out and on their third assault, the British forces overran the revolutionaries' fortified earthworks on Breed's and Bunker's Hills. Afterwards, British General Henry Clinton remarked in his diary that "A few more such victories would have shortly put an end to British dominion in America."

Howe's immediate objective was achieved, but did not affect the siege; it did, however, demonstrate that the American Colonists were willing to stand up to a pitched battle.

Geography and strategy

Boston, being on a peninsula, was largely protected from close approach by the expanses of water surrounding it, dominated by British warships. With the troops in the city able to be resupplied and reinforced by sea, a simple "strangulation" siege could be very protracted, and might be ultimately unsuccessful. Were the besieging Continentals able to bombard the city, on the other hand, the progress of the ongoing siege could be greatly hastened. If a position could be taken (and fortified) close to the city, an artillery bombardment could be begun.

The Charlestown Peninsula started from a short, narrow isthmus (known as the "Neck") at its northwest, extending about one mile (1,600 meters) southeastward into Boston Harbor. Bunker Hill is an elevation (110 feet or 34 meters) at the north of the peninsula and Breed's Hill, at a height of 62 feet (19 meters), is more southerly and nearer to Boston. The town of Charlestown occupied the flats at the southern end of the peninsula. At its closest approach, less than 1,000 feet (300 meters) separated Charlestown Peninsula from the Boston Peninsula, specifically an area occupied by Copp's Hill at about the same height as Breed's Hill. Both sides seem to have realized Charlestown's importance at about the same time.

Battle

On the night of June 16-17, Colonial Colonel William Prescott led 1,500 men onto the peninsula in order to set up positions from which artillery fire could be directed into Boston as part of the siege of that city. At first, Putnam, Prescott, and their engineering officer, Captain Richard Gridley, disagreed as to where they should locate their defense. Initial work was performed on Bunker Hill, but Breed's Hill was closer to Boston and viewed as being more defensible, and they decided to build their primary redoubt there. Prescott and his men, using Gridley's outline, began digging a fortification 160 feet (50 m) long and 80 feet (25 m) wide with ditches and earthen walls.[3] They added ditch and dike extensions toward the Charles River on their right and began reinforcing a fence running to their left.

In the early predawn, around 4 a.m., a sentry on board HMS Lively spotted the new fortification. Lively opened fire, temporarily halting the Colonists' work. Aboard his flagship HMS Somerset, Admiral Samuel Graves awoke irritated by the gunfire which he had not ordered. He stopped it, only to reverse his decision when he got on deck and saw the works. He ordered all 128 guns in the harbor to fire on the Colonists' position, but the broadsides proved largely ineffective since the guns could not be elevated enough to reach the fortifications.

Across the narrow channel in Boston stood General Gage, his staff, and loyalist Abijah Willard. Upon looking through a telescope, Willard recognized his brother-in-law Colonel Prescott. "Will he fight?' asked Gage. "[A]s to his men, I cannot answer for them;" replied Willard, "but Colonel Prescott will fight you to the gates of hell."[4]

Prescott did live up to Willard's word, but his men were not so resolute. When the Colonists suffered their first casualty, Asa Pollard of Billerica, a young private killed by cannon fire, Prescott gave orders to bury the man quickly and quietly, but a large group of men gave him a solemn funeral instead, with several deserting shortly thereafter.

It took almost six hours to organize an infantry force and to gather up and inspect the men on parade. General Howe was to lead the major assault, drive around the Colonist's left flank, and take them from the rear. Brigadier General Robert Pigot on the British left flank would lead the direct assault on the redoubt. Major John Pitcairn led the flank or reserve force. It took several trips in longboats to transport Howe's forces to the eastern corner of the peninsula, known as Moulton's Hill. On a warm day, with wool tunics and full field packs of about 60 pounds (27 kg), the British were finally ready by about 2 p.m.

The Colonists, seeing this activity, had also called for reinforcements. Troops reinforcing the forward positions included the 1st and 3rd New Hampshire regiments of 200 men, under Colonels John Stark and James Reed (both later became generals). Stark's men took positions along the fence on the north end of the Colonist's position. When low tide opened a gap along the Mystic River along the northeast of the peninsula, they quickly extended the fence with a short stone wall to the north ending at the water's edge on a small beach. Gridley or Stark placed a stake about 100 feet (30 m) in front of the fence and ordered that no one fire until the regulars passed it. Private (later Major) John Simpson, however, disobeyed and fired as soon as he had a clear shot, thus starting the battle. The battle of Bunker Hill, had begun.

Just prior to the action, additional reinforcements arrived, including portions of Massachusetts regiments of Colonels Brewer, Nixon, Woodbridge, Little, and Major Moore, and Callender's company of artillery.


General Howe detached both the light infantry companies and grenadiers of all the regiments available. Along the narrow beach, the far right flank of the Colonist position, Howe set his light infantry. They lined up four across and several hundred deep, led by officers in scarlet red jackets. Behind the crude stone wall stood Stark's men. In the middle of the British lines, to attack the rail fence between the beach and redoubt stood Reed's men and the remainder of Stark's New Hampshire regiment. To oppose them, Howe assembled all the flank companies of grenadiers in the first line, supported by the 5th and 52nd Regiments' line companies. The attack on the redoubt itself was led by Brigadier General Robert Pigot, commanding the 38th and 43rd line companies, along with the Marines.


Prescott had been steadily losing men. He lost very few to the bombardment but assigned ten volunteers to carry the wounded to the rear. Others took advantage of the confusion to join the withdrawal. Two generals did join Prescott's force, but both declined command and simply fought as individuals.[5] By the time the battle had started, 1,400 defenders faced 2,600 regulars.

The first assaults on the fence line and the redoubt were met with massed fire at close range and repulsed, with heavy British losses. The reserve, gathering just north of the town, was also taking casualties from rifle fire in the town. Howe's men reformed on the field and made a second unsuccessful attack at the wall.

By this time, the Colonists had lost all fire discipline. In traditional battles of the eighteenth century, companies of men fired, reloaded, and moved on specific orders, as they had been trained (see the warfare tactics section in "Muskets"). After their initial volley, the Colonists fought as individuals, each man firing as quickly as he could. The British withdrew almost to their original positions on the peninsula to regroup. The navy, along with artillery from Copp's Hill on the Boston peninsula, fired heated shot into Charlestown. All 400 or so buildings and the docks were completely burned, but the snipers withdrew safely.

In the third British assault the reserves were included and both flanks concentrated on the redoubt. This attack was successful. The defenders had run out of ammunition, reducing the battle to close combat. The British had the advantage here as their troops were equipped with bayonets on their muskets but most of the Colonists did not have them.

The British advance, and the Colonists' withdrawal, swept through the entire peninsula, including Bunker Hill as well as Breed's Hill. However, under Putnam, the Colonists were quickly in new positions on the mainland. Coupled with the exhaustion of Howe's troops, there was little chance of advancing on Cambridge and breaking the siege.

Aftermath

The British had taken the ground but at a great loss; 1,054 were shot (226 dead and 828 wounded), and a disproportionate number of these were officers. The Colonial losses were only about 450, of whom 140 were killed (including Joseph Warren), and 30 captured (20 of whom died later as POWs). Most Colonial losses came during the withdrawal. Major Andrew McClary was the highest ranking Colonial officer to die in the battle (also reportedly the last casualty). He was commemorated by the dedication of a fort in Kittery, Maine as Fort McClary.

British dead and wounded included most of their officers. Of General Howe's entire field staff, he was the only one who was not shot. Major Pitcairn had been killed, and Colonel James Abercrombie fatally wounded.

The attitude of the British was significantly changed, both individually and as a government. Thomas Gage was soon recalled and was replaced by General Howe shortly afterward. Gage's report to the cabinet repeated his earlier warnings that "a large army must at length be employed to reduce these people" and would require "the hiring of foreign troops."

The famous order, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" was popularized by stories about Bunker Hill. However, it is uncertain as to who said it, since various writers attribute it to Putnam, Stark, Prescott or Gridley. The original use of this quote came from the Battle of Dettingen on 27 June 1743, where Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw warned his Regiment, The Royal Scots Fusiliers, not to fire until they could “see the white’s of their e’en.” Some doubt is purposed if anyone at the Battle Of Bunker Hill said it at all, and instead, is a historical mistake confusing the two battles. At any rate, it was not a brilliant and original piece of field generalship: it was a reasonably common order at the time.

 Colonial Volunteers
According to the John Trumbull painting, the flag carried by the colonists during the battle was this historical flag of New England


Among the Colonial volunteers in the battle were:

* William Barton
* John Brooks physician, Major General, Governor of Massachusetts
* Henry Burbeck, Brigadier General
* Henry Dearborn, physician, Congressman, Secretary of War, Major General and Senior Officer of the United States Army, Minister Plenipotentiary to Portugal
* William Eustis, physician, Congressman, Secretary of War, Governor of Massachusetts, Ambassador to Holland
* Christian Febiger, Brigadier General (by brevet), Treasurer for the Commonwealth of Philadelphia
* Thomas Gardner, Colonel, mortally wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill
* Thomas Knowlton, Colonel
* Henry Knox, Major General, Secretary of War
* Dudley Noyes, Sergeant, member of Colonel Frye's Regiment, Cattaraugus County, New York pioneer
* James Otis
* Israel Potter
* Daniel Shays led an army of farmers in Shays' Rebellion
* William Stacy, Colonel, Ohio pioneer
* Barzillai Lew
* Salem Poor
* Peter Salem aka "Salem Middlesex"

British Officers

Among the British Officers were:

* General John Burgoyne
* General Henry Clinton
* Colonel Lord Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland (remained in Boston)[6]
* Lieutenant Lord Francis Rawdon (Grenadier Company, 5th Regiment of Foot)

British Officer Casualties

The following 29 British officers were either killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill, died of wounds received or were wounded and presumably made a recovery. Of the 29 officers, there were 2 Ensigns, 12 Lieutenants, 11 captains, 3 majors and 1 Lieutenant-Colonel. This list is not complete but indicates the high rate of casualties among the British officers:

* Lieutenant-Colonel James Abercrombie, 22nd Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Ensign Balaquire, 5th Foot - wounded at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant Bard, 35th Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant Bruere, 14th Foot (serving as volunteer) - killed at Bunker Hill
* Captain Campbell, HM Marines - killed at Bunker Hill
* Ensign Charleton, 5th Foot - wounded at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant Croker, 5th Foot - wounded at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant Dalrymple, 63rd Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Captain Davidson, 52nd Foot - wounded at Bunker Hill
* Captain Patrick Downs, 5th Foot - mortally wounded at Bunker Hill and died in the evening
* Lieutenant Dutton, 38th Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Captain Ellis, HM Marines - killed at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant Finnie, HM Marines - killed at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant Gardner, HM Marines - killed at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant Gold, 47th Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Captain George Harris, 5th Foot - wounded at Bunker Hill (shot in head, recovered, and later became a General and created Baron Harris)
* Lieutenant Higgins, 52nd Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant Hillard, 47th Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Captain Hudson, 65th Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Captain John Jackson, 5th Foot - wounded at Bunker Hill
* Captain Mackenzi, 43rd Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Lieutenant M’Clintockx, 5th Foot - wounded at Bunker Hill
* Captain Francis Marsden, 5th Foot - wounded at Bunker Hill, after living for another 5 years died at Burntwood Hall, February 12, 1780, presumably from wounds received. Monument inside Wakefield Cathedral, West Yorkshire
* Major Pask, 52nd Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Major John Pitcairn, HM Marines - mortally wounded at Bunker Hill and died in the evening
* Lieutenant Shea, HM Marines - killed at Bunker Hill
* Captain Sherwin, 67th Foot - killed at Bunker Hill - Aide-de-camp to General Howe
* Captain Smith, 52nd Foot - killed at Bunker Hill
* Major Williams, 52nd Foot - killed at Bunker Hill

Commemorations

* The Bunker Hill Monument on the site is an obelisk that stands 220 feet (67 m) high. On June 17, 1825, the fiftieth anniversary of the battle, the cornerstone of the monument was laid by the Marquis de Lafayette and an address delivered by Daniel Webster.[7] There is also a statue of Prescott in the famous pose used to show him calming his "farmers" down.
* Bunker Hill Day, commemorating the battle, is a legal holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts as well as Somerville in Middlesex County. State institutions in Massachusetts (such as public higher education) also celebrate the holiday.