Why is the battle of bunker hill important
Battle of Bunker Hill (The American Revolution)
Battle of Bunker Hill June 17 1775 the
Battle of Bunker Hill which took place
on June 17 1775 was the first time New
England soldiers faced the British Army
in a pitched battle during the American
Revolution
fought outside of Boston on the
Charlestown Peninsula the battle itself
took place in large part on breeds Hill
rather than nearby Bunker Hill
the landscape was hilly and comprised of
fenced pastures situated across the
Charles River from Boston an area which
would provide strategic advantage for
the New England soldiers when war broke
out in April 1775 Boston remained a
focal point for the British and colonial
forces two months after the battles of
Lexington and Concord more than 15,000
colonial troops had laid siege to the
British held port of Boston but it had
quickly become apparent to the rebels
that they had insufficient forces to
storm the Battlement of the well
defended city occupied by more than
5,000 British troops and to make matters
worse the British could send
reinforcements into Boston without any
form of interruption as the British Navy
was the biggest and best in the world
whereas the colonial American Navy was
near non-existent the British commander
of the city General Thomas Gage was
confident they could easily hold out
until the relief force could arrive to
relieve them but to be vigilant general
gage planned to occupy the hills around
Boston in order to deny the rebels the
opportunity to place artillery there
therefore denying the enemy the chance
to bombard both the city and the harbor
into submission by June 1775 British
troops received their orders to claim
the north and south of Boston which they
saw to be of significant strategic
advantage these plans were subsequently
leaked in the Massachusetts Provincial
Government in the hopes of gaining an
upper hand ordered a detachment of over
1,000 men to fortify both the
strategically important Bunker Hill and
neighboring breeds Hill that overlooked
the harbor at Boston owing to their
strategic position from which artillery
fire could penetrate the city breeds
Hill and Bunker Hill became a stronghold
for the colonial
forces led by Colonel William Prescott
nearly 1000 colonial militiamen
fortified breeds Hill which was closer
to Boston than Bunker Hill were only
minor defenses were built it's unknown
if Prescott ignored orders to fortify
the original target of Bunker Hill or
was simply ignorant of the geography
there his bunker Hill was the better
option being higher and more defensible
the rebels worked frantically through
the night fortifying their position
hastily constructing a small temporary
earthen redoubt with six foot high walls
and at the northern part of their
defenses they had even placed a stake
about 100 feet in front of their line
with the orders that once any British
troops moved past it they were to open
fire with their improved position it was
the hope that the provincial forces
could compel the British troops to leave
and evacuate their ships the colonists
were without a real navy and the
presence of the British Navy posed a
serious threat when British Major
General William Howe and Brigadier
General Robert Pickett heard about the
conus effort they made their way toward
breeds Hill with roughly 2,300 troops it
was not until just before sunrise the
next day that the British saw what was
truly going on general gage was shocked
to find a large and well-organized enemy
force now controlling the high ground
above Boston Harbor fighting was
initiated by the British Royal Navy's 20
gun post ship HMS lively and their
coastal batteries consisting of 128 guns
the first assault by the British proved
unsuccessful
despite the superior naval power of the
British most of the cannon fire fell
short and was therefore largely
ineffective in bombarding the colonial
emplacements it had however managed to
scare many of Prescott's men who fled
the battlefield in fear but soon it
became apparent that the bombardment was
having little effect and it was just
wasting valuable ammunition so next it
was decided to quickly organize an
attack on the colonists troops position
fearing that they would place heavy
cannons there any time soon after much
deliberation on whether or not to
attempt to starve out the enemy forces
at breeds
Bunker Hill by cutting them off from the
mainland British General Thomas Gage
decided instead on a swift frontal
attack during this time Prescott's men
continued to fortify their position
expanding therefore they're preparing
for a frontal assault at midday that by
General William Howe British troops
began to launch their assault the
attacking British forces consisted of
companies of regular light infantry
grenadiers Zand Royal Navy Marines they
firmly believed that they were facing
ill-disciplined irregular part-time
militia which would be no match for
their professional and well-trained
British troops British forces hoped to
outflank their enemies by using the
initial wave of attack as a feint and to
send their second wave of men to march
to the right of the enemy's position
their force surrounding the resistance
inside the redoubt the colonial forces
were outnumbered and inexperienced but
managed to deter the British forces
initial attack many American soldiers at
the beginning of the Revolutionary War
were embattled farmers and untrained in
battle
however the leadership of the colonial
forces proved effective it is said
Colonel Prescott had his men conserve
their ammunition instructing them don't
fire until you see the whites of their
eyes
mother Prescott actually said this or
not one major obstacle facing the
British was the landscape at all grass
leading up to the enemy's redoubt
covered much of the hazardous terrain
and obstacles that would hinder General
William house attack to make matters
worse for the British with Hampshire
Colonel John stark brought additional
reinforcements
the British marched in line formation
negotiating fences and other obstacles
in their way as they approached the
colonial forces line on their way there
they were harassed constantly by enemy
sniper fire from Charleston their
arrival was met with a fierce flood of
musket fire that initially caused the
British to retreat reportedly many of
the militiamen had experience on the
frontier and many of stars'
reinforcements were described as crack
shots who could bring down a swirl from
a high branch or stop a partridge in
flight
one contemporary account that British
were described as having been mowed down
as if by the sudden sweep of a scythe
the British responded to their defeat by
shelling the village of Charleston
destroying many homes they hoped that
the fire caused by the shelling might
provide a smokescreen to disguise their
second advance the second assault by the
British was no less successful his
British soldiers struggle to march up
the hill towards the colonists
stronghold and a light breeze had
scattered their smokescreen they were
once again picked off by colonial
Musketeers and the British line was
broken despite these initial victories
the colonists lacked the initiative to
restock on troops and ammunition
the British were unsure whether or not
to renew their attack afraid of another
bloody defeat however General Howe
observed that to be forced to give up
Boston wood gentlemen would be very
disagreeable to all for their third
assault British troops were allowed to
shed their heavy packs facilitating
their movement up the hill they made
their way to the redoubt where American
militiamen shot what remaining
ammunition they had third assault by the
British and late afternoon met with much
more success though they had to charge
over the numerous dead bodies from the
previous assaults once the British had
broken through boodles hand-to-hand
combat ensued it was quickly over as
general gages well-trained British
troops used their bayonets and Sabres to
great effect against the colonial troops
who had no such weapons though the
rebels suffered heavy casualties while
retreating they felt back in good order
and avoided being encircled despite it
being a victory for the British having
taken the rebel-held position and
capturing or destroying the five of six
cannons the enemy had already brought up
onto the hills it was nevertheless a
bittersweet victory ultimately the
British won the so-called Battle of
Bunker Hill the American casualties were
around 450 soldiers while the British
casualties amounted to around 1,000
significantly the British lost a large
number of irreplaceable officers
including a leftenant Colonel two majors
and seven captains
despite their victory they suffered
heavy losses and acknowledged how
formidable their opponents were General
Howe lost all of his staff as casualties
during the battle later said that the
success is - dearly bought Bunker Hill
generally considered a Pyrrhic victory
an accomplishment negated by casualties
and the overall toll of the battle
prompted the British to change their
battle tactics these events forced the
British to consider the possibility of a
long drawn-out war against the American
colonists and a direct response to the
Battle of Bunker Hill the British King
George the third signed the proclamation
of rebellion this formally declared what
the colonists were doing was treason and
that the rebellion would be suppressed
by any means necessary
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