Historic Highlights: June 17 marks 250th anniversary of Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill is one of the legendary engagements of the American Revolution, though it is full of misconceptions and oddities. Not only was it fought on a different hill, but its famous catchphrase was likely never uttered.

June 17 marks the 250th anniversary of the battle, which was a defeat for the colonists. However, their tenacity and resilience left an impression on the British, who realized they were in for a tougher war than they thought.

Bunker Hill, which was fought on June 17, 1775, was the first significant clash since the initial shots had been fired at Lexington and Concord two months earlier. The engagement reflected the strategic importance of the peninsulas around Boston.

The British had been besieged in Boston since the opening battles, and on May 25, reinforcements landed to break the siege. That gave the crown a total of 6,500 men in the city. The colonists responded by building an earthen fort on Breed’s Hill, a rise southeast of Bunker Hill that was actually lower in height.

The decision has been questioned by military historians, though the British were alarmed at both the numbers of colonists on Breed’s Hill and how quickly they erected their fortifications. The defenders were still adding to the fort as fire opened from British ships in the harbor early on June 17. The two-hour bombardment, however, was largely ineffective.

On paper, the battle seemed like a mismatch. The colonists were an untrained conglomeration of militia from different parts of New England, with unsophisticated leadership. Led by Col. William Prescott of Massachusetts, the defense included Dr. Joseph Warren, who had coordinated an intelligence network that induced him to send Paul Revere on his famous ride two months before.

Though Warren had received a commission as major general just days before, he elected to fight in the ranks at Bunker Hill. There were also a surprising number of Black troops on the hill; some have estimated that as many as 10% of the colonial forces were African-American.

In contrast to the colonists, the British were considered the finest army in the world, led by some of the best military minds on the planet. The British, however, underestimated the Americans’ determination.

Marching in the huddled masses that were common in military tactics in the era, the initial land assault that afternoon was a bloody failure as the British were mowed down within 50 yards of the fortifications.

As the redcoats neared, Col. Israel Putnam had reportedly told his men, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” The phrase has become synonymous with the Battle of Bunker Hill, though many have since doubted if Putnam uttered those actual words.

The battle attracted large crowds of onlookers, who mounted rooftops and steeples around Boston, with a full view of the action. Among them were Abigail Adams, the wife of future President John Adams, and her young son John Quincy Adams, another future chief executive.

Stunned by their losses, the British regrouped and attempted another assault, with the same deadly results. The shock to the British lines, however, came at a cost to the Americans, who were perilously low on gunpowder.

The British ultimately tried a third time, supported by repositioned artillery that aided an infantry charge in spaced columns, rather than as a huddled line. This final charge proved decisive, carrying to the fortification walls as the Americans ran out of ammunition.

As the redcoats poured over the walls of the fort, hand-to-hand combat ensued as the colonists threw rocks and exchanged hits with the butt end of firearms. A brief pursuit followed, but no further attacks were attempted.

Though sources vary, some believe the total casualties of Bunker Hill were the highest of the entire war. Of around 3,000 engaged, the redcoats lost 1,054, the most casualties for the British in any engagement of the Revolution. Of that total, 226 were killed, with 828 wounded.

Without question, the British were shocked at the fighting ability and resilience of the Americans.

One recent source writes that Bunker Hill “demonstrated American resolve and dispelled [British] hopes that the rebels might relent without a protracted conflict.”

The Americans suffered high losses of their own, an estimated 411 of 2,400 engaged. Approximately 115 of those were deaths, including the ubiquitous Warren, who lost his life in the late stages of the fight. He remains an underrated figure of the colonial cause, particularly in the early days of the war.

In 1843, a monument, which was long delayed by a lack of fundraising, was dedicated at the site. It, too, is an oddity; as multiple accounts note, it is a “rare American monument to an American defeat.”

But the Battle of Bunker Hill set the tone for the Revolution, as the British grappled with the Continentals until American independence was finally gained eight years later.

• Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Illinois. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.