|
|
A History | Revolutionary War Battles | The Battle of Breed's Hill (Bunker Hill) - June 16, 1775
The Battle of Breed's Hill (Bunker Hill) - June 16, 1775
A Brief History
After retreating from Lexington in April, 1775, the British Army occupied Boston for several months.
Realizing the need to strengthen their position in the face of increasing anti-British sentiment in and
around Boston, plans were developed to seize and fortify nearby Dorchester Heights and Charlestown
peninsulas. The peninsulas offered a commanding view of the seaport and harbor, and were important to
preserving the security of Boston. The Americans caught word of the British plan, and decided to get
to the Charlestown peninsula first, fortify it, and present sufficient threat to cause the British to
leave Boston. On 16 June, 1775, under the leadership of Colonels Putnam, and Prescott, the Patriots
stole out onto the Charlestown Peninsula with instructions to establish defensive positions on Bunker's
Hill. For reasons that are unclear, they constructed a redoubt on nearby Breed's Hill. The next morning,
the British were astonished to see the rebel fortifications upon the hill and set out to reclaim the
peninsula.
General Howe served as the commander of the British main assault force and led two costly and ineffective
charges against the Patriot's fortifications without inflicting significant casualties on his opponents.
After obtaining 400 reinforcements which included sorely needed ammunition for his artillery, Howe
ordered a bayonet charge to seize Breed's Hill. In this third attempt, the British were finally able to
breach the breastworks of the American redoubt and the Patriots were forced to retreat back to the mainland.
This battle, though victorious, proved costly for the British. Of the 2400 British soldiers in Howe's
command, the 1054 casualties accounted for nearly forty percent of their ranks. The American casualties
were 441, including 30 captured, with most being inflicted during the retreat. The battle served to
proved to the American people that the British Army was not invinsible. It became a symbol of national
pride and a rally point of resistance against British rule.
"The Battle of Bunker Hill" - June 17, 1775
After the Battles of Lexington and Concord, two armies faced
one another in Boston, the Army of New England, and the British Army. The New England Militia had surrounded
Boston and the British army occupied it. Neither side had occupied Dorshester Heights or Bunker Hill which
had clear strategic importance. In early June General Gage ordered the occupation of the Heights beginning
June 16th. Word of Gages plans reached the Colonist and they decided to act first. On the evening of
June 16th Colonel William Prescott on orders of General Artemas Ward led
two Massachusetts regiments and his own artillery company plus a large work detail headed out of Cambridge
and occupied Bunker Hill. There they decided to dig in and fortify Breed Hill.
Through the night the American troops worked to created a fortified position. With first light the British
ships at anchor in the harbor noticed the American forces on the hills and began firing. General Gage ordered
an attack on the American forces. The attack was led by General Howe with a force of 2200 men. They embarked
on twenty eight large barges, a formidable force of redcoats. They landed unopposed on Moultons point. Howe
had a complicated plan for a two pronged attack. The plan complexity and disregard for the capabilities of
the Americans were its undoing. The 23rd Regiment, the Royal Welch Fusiliers, headed for the redoubt. The
Americans who had limited gunpowder held their fire until the British were within fifty feet, then they opened
fire on the thick column of British soldiers before them. A British officer described it: "Our Light
Infantry were served up in companies, and were devoured by musket fire." The British attack broke.
Meanwhile the attack above on the railed fence by the Grenadiers ran into similar trouble. Once again the
Americans held their fire until the British were close by. Two attacks of the Grenadiers were successfully
turned back. However, the Americans were soon running out of ammunition. On the third attack the British
succeeded in overrunning the redoubt. Most of the Americans succeeded in withdrawing. Thirty were caught
in the redoubt and killed by the British. The hero of Bunker Hill was Salem Poor,
an African American. The Americans were forced to withdraw,
Bunker Hill was in British hands, but 226 British soldiers died taking the Hill and 828 were wounded. The
Americans lost 140 killed and 271 wounded.
The Battle of Bunker Hill began with a British assault on a collection of unproven continental regiments on
June 17, 1775. About 2500 redcoats crossed the Charles River by ferry to march on the hills of
Charleston, where resistance was to have been weakened by gunfire from
the many ships at the mouth of the river. The battle plan seemed sound, but it resulted in disaster for the
British side.
At first the well-ordered redcoat columns "advanced with confidence," one officer recalled. The
patriots, low on ammunition, waited with grim resolve from their position on Breed's Hill, just below
Bunker Hill.
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes," a patriot officer was said to have instructed
his men.
The British troops did ultimately take the hill, but not without a staggering loss of life. On the third assault,
the redcoats took the hill as the militiamen ran out of gunpowder and retreated. With more than 1000 British
killed or wounded, General Henry Clinton called the battle: "A dear bought victory. Another such would
have ruined us."
|
|
|
 |
|
|
