This Day In History - American Revolution June 17, 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill

http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5099 ^

[mainepatsfan]

1775 : The Battle of Bunker Hill

During the American Revolution, British General William Howe lands his troops on the Charlestown peninsula overlooking Boston and leads them against Breed's Hill, a fortified American position just below Bunker Hill. As the British advanced in columns against the Americans, Patriot General William Prescott reportedly told his men, "Don't one of you fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" When the Redcoats were within 40 yards, the Americans let loose with a lethal barrage of musket fire, cutting down nearly 100 enemy troops and throwing the British into retreat. After reforming his lines, Howe attacked again, with much the same result. However, Prescott's men were now low on ammunition, and when Howe led his men up the hill for a third time, they reached the redoubts and engaged the Americans in hand-to-hand combat. The outnumbered Americans were forced to retreat.

The British had won the so-called Battle of Bunker Hill, and Breed's Hill and the Charlestown peninsula fell firmly under British control. Despite losing their strategic positions, the battle was a morale-builder for the Americans, who had suffered far fewer casualties than their enemy while demonstrating that they could conduct war effectively against the British.

[mainepatsfan]

[Man50D]

This battle was the colonists fault. It never would have happened if the Pilgrims didn’t provoke the British by landing at Plymouth rock! ;o)

[starbase]

Very interesting summary. Thanks for posting it.

[siempre_fidelis]

I thought it was Andrew Jackson at the battle of New Orleans who told his men not to fire until they saw the whites of their eyes.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I thought the battle was misnamed. It should be Breed’s Hill.

[steel_resolve]

My brother lives on Bunker Hill. PRICEY.

[mainepatsfan]

Agreed but it’s not going to change.

[Fiji Hill]

Today is also the anniversary of the uprising in East Germany against the Soviets in 1953. June 17 was for many years a holiday in West Germany. Following the uprising, Charlottenburger Chaussee, one of West Berlin’s major boulevards, was renamed Strasse des Siebzehnten Juni (June 17th Street), a name which it retains to this day.

[Tallguy]

The quote comes from Bunker Hill. But it was good tactical advice in the era of the smoothbore musket (which included the Battle of New Orleans in 1815). You couldn’t reliably hit anything beyond 50 yards — roughly the distance at which you could discern the “whites of the eyes” of the advancing enemy infantry.

[Basheva]

It was directly as a result of the Battle of Bunker (Breed’s) Hill that Congress sent George Washington to assume command.

One of the importantf losses that day was the death of Dr. Joseph Warren who was a true patriot and highly esteemed. Here is a small snippet about him:

“Joseph Warren was born in Roxbury in 1741, son of Joseph and Mary (Stevens) Warren. He graduated from Harvard in 1759 and married Elizabeth Horton in 1764. He studied medicine with Dr. James Lloyd and practiced in Boston. As a Freemason, he joined St. Andrews Lodge, a newly organized group, which included many political agitators. A radical leader in activities leading to the Revolution, he delivered addresses commemorating the Boston Massacre in 1772 and 1775, and drafted the Suffolk Resolves. Elected to the Provincial Congress in 1774, he served as president pro tem and was chairman of the Provincial Committee of Safety. He was commissioned second major-general in 1775, but served as a volunteer in the battle at Bunker Hill in which he was killed in 1775. “

Not far away, Mercy Warren, I think she was Joseph Warren’s sister in law) sat by her window and could hear the battle.

She subsequently wrote a history of the war which was one of the first and best accounts of the Revolution.

As for not funding the war and saying “George lied, people died”

Well, Congress did both. They regularly failed to fund the war adequately - as did the states fail to round up their assessed payments. At Valley Forge, when all seemed lost, Washington made a personal appeal to the very small Jewish Community in Philadelphia, who donated money from their own personal pockets and Washington was able to pay his soldiers and buy supplies.

The tradiiton is, that Wsahington’s appeal arrived during a very important Jewish holiday when interuptions of the prayers is not allowed - but they did stop the service - in order to honor Washington’s plea for help.

The congregation, Mikveh Israel, is still an active synagogue and a designated National Historical Landmark.

As for “George lied, people died” - Congress did that too. There were several conspiracies against Washington. He not only had to fight the British - he had to fight the many carping voices in Congress who never stopped trying to destroy him.

Not much has changed.

[Tanniker Smith]

Now, at famous Bunker Hill,
Even though we lost, it was quite a thrill,
The rebel Colonel Prescott proved he was wise;
Outnumbered and low on ammunition
As the British stormed his position
He said, "Hold your fire till you see the whites of their eyes!" 

you all know the source, sing along now . . .

[Tanniker Smith]

Nice. I was going for Schoolhouse Rock, actually.