Battle of Bunker Hill:

The result was a victory for the British; however, they suffered their greatest losses of the entire war: over 800 wounded and 226 killed. The colonists held on and repelled two attacks before their ammunition ran out. 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."^[5]

Howe's immediate objective (the capture of Bunker Hill) was achieved, but did not affect the siege; it did, however, demonstrate that the American Colonists were willing and able to stand up to experienced troops in a pitched battle.

Geography and strategy

Boston, being on a peninsula,^[6] was largely protected from close approach by the expanses of water surrounding it, dominated by British warships. The colonial militia, a force of about 15,000 men^[7] under the command of Artemas Ward, controlled the only land access to Boston itself (the Roxbury Neck), but, lacking a navy, was unable to control the waters of the harbor. The British troops, a force of about 6,000 under the command of General Thomas Gage, occupied the city, and were able to be resupplied and reinforced by sea.^[8] Under these conditions a simple "strangulation" siege could be very protracted, and might be ultimately unsuccessful. If the besieging militias could bombard the city with cannon, 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 was 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), was more southerly and nearer to Boston.^[9] The town of Charlestown occupied 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.

On June 12, the British military leadership finalized a plan to break out of Boston. Word of these plans leaked to the militia command, who decided that additional defenses needed to be erected.^[10] General Ward directed Israel Putnam to set up defenses on the Charlestown Peninsula, specifically on Bunker Hill.

Battle

On the night of June 16-17, Colonial Colonel William Prescott led 1,000 men onto the peninsula in order to set up positions from which artillery fire could be directed into Boston.^[11] 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. 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.^[12] He stopped it, only to have General Gage countermand his decision when he was made aware of the situation. He ordered all 128 guns in the harbor to fire on the Colonists' position, which had relatively little effect.^[13]

When General Gage surveyed the works from Boston with his staff, Loyalist Abijah 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."^[14] Prescott lived up to Willard's word, but his men were not so resolute. When the Colonists suffered their first casualty, Asa Pollard of Billerica,^[15] 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.^[14]

It took almost six hours for the British 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.^[16]

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. Stark's men took positions along the fence on the north end of the Colonists' 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.^[17] placed a stake about 100 feet (30 m) in front of the fence and ordered that no one fire until the regulars passed it.^[18] Private (later Major) John Simpson, however, disobeyed and fired as soon as he had a clear shot, thus starting the battle.

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.^[19]

Brigadier General Pigot, commanding the 5th, 38th, 43rd, 47th, and 52nd infantries, as well as Major Pitcairn's Marines, assaulted the redoubt. Prescott, in defense, instructed his men to wait until his signal to fire on the attackers. When they did so, it was with devastating effect, and the regulars were forced to retreat.^[20]

General Howe led the light infantry companies and grenadiers in the assault on the American left flank. His light infantry were set along the narrow beach, on the far right flank of the Colonial position. They lined up four deep and several hundred across, 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. When they closed within range, both sides opened fire. The colonists inflicted heavy casualties on the regulars, especially targeting the red-clad officers, using the fence to steady and aim their muskets.^[21] The regulars retreated in disarray, and the militia held their ground.

The British reserves, gathering just north of Charlestown village, were taking casualties from sniper fire, and set fire to the town. The regulars reformed on the field and made a second unsuccessful attack, that again resulted in significant British casualties.^[18] Meanwhile, in the rear of the colonial forces, confusion reigned. General Putnam tried, with only limited success to send additional troops from Bunker Hill to Breed's Hill to support the men in the redoubt.^[22]

Finally, General Howe ordered a third attack, in which the reserves were also deployed. This assault was concentrated on the redoubt, and was successful, although it cost the life of Major Pitcairn.^[23] 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. Colonel Prescott, one of the last Colonists to leave the redoubt, parried bayonet thrusts with his (normally ceremonial) sabre.^[24] 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 100 commissioned officers, a significant portion of the British officer corps in North America.^[25] Much of General Howe's field staff was among the casualties.^[26] Major Pitcairn had been killed, and Colonel James Abercrombie fatally wounded.

Thomas Gage was recalled to England and replaced by General Howe shortly after the battle. 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."^[27]

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.^{[citation needed]}

Colonial Volunteers

A number of colonists that participated in this battle went on to important roles in the Revolutionary War and the early United States. These include: