Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes! The Battle of Bunker Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, June 17, 1775

250 Years Ago Today: The Bloodiest Day of the Revolutionary War Shortly after 11 p.m. on the night of June 16, Colonel (although the monument calls him general) William Prescott led approximately 1,200 Massachusetts soldiers toward the Charlestown Peninsula from Cambridge Common. These men would spend the night fortifying Breed’s Hill before spending the majority of the next day defending the earthen redoubt from successive British attacks. Although forced to evacuate due to low ammunition and the British breaching the redoubt, the defeat had a positive impact on the morale of the “Grand Army” as the New England militia soon-to-be-Continental Army. On June 17, 1775, exactly 250 years ago today, American colonists and British troops clashed in one of the most brutal and iconic battles of the Revolutionary War: the Battle of Bunker Hill. Though commonly named after Bunker Hill, most of the fighting actually took place on nearby Breed’s Hill, just outside of Boston. This early engagement proved to be the bloodiest single day of the entire war and signaled that the conflict would be far more deadly and drawn out than many on either side had anticipated. Following the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, thousands of colonial militia surrounded Boston, trapping British forces inside the city. To break the siege, British commanders planned to seize the heights around the city to gain a strategic advantage. On the night of June 16, colonial forces under Colonel William Prescott stealthily fortified Breed’s Hill, constructing earthworks that overlooked Boston and its harbor. By dawn on June 17, British General Thomas Gage recognized the threat posed by the colonial position and ordered a frontal assault to dislodge the rebels. British troops, led by General William Howe, launched multiple attacks up the hill and against a rail fence line near the Mystic River under intense colonial fire. The colonists, although poorly supplied and lacking bayonets, held their ground and inflicted staggering casualties on the British ranks. The first two British assaults were repelled with heavy losses. Only on the third attempt, when the colonists had largely run out of ammunition, were the British able to overrun the position. In the retreat, Jospeh Warren, one of main leaders of the Patriots was shot in the head and killed instantly. The human cost was enormous. British forces suffered over 1,000 casualties. More than 200 had been killed and more than 800 wounded. The American losses were around 400, with over 100 killed and about 300 wounded. Though technically a British victory because they captured the ground, the Battle of Bunker Hill was a strategic and psychological triumph for the American cause. It showed that colonial forces, mostly farmers, tradesmen, and volunteers, could stand and fight against the professional British army. For many in the colonies, the blood spilled on Breed’s Hill made reconciliation with Britain increasingly unlikely. The battle hardened public opinion and spurred the Continental Congress to intensify preparations for a long war. Just days before the battle, Congress had appointed George Washington as Commander in Chief. News of the battle reached him as he was traveling north to take command, and it confirmed the scale of the challenge ahead. Looking back 250 years later, the Battle of Bunker Hill stands as a defining moment in the struggle for American independence. It was not only the bloodiest single day of the war but also the moment when the Revolution became real, marked by sacrifice, courage, and a growing commitment to liberty. The legacy of that day continues to echo across the centuries as a symbol of resistance and the high cost of freedom. While there would be hundreds more battles and skirmishes over the following eight years, no day would see as many casualties in one day as June 17, 1775.