An early American Revolutionary War battle showing colonial militia could withstand British regulars, shaping British strategy for the rest of the war.
Key Facts
- Date
- June 17, 1775
- Colonial force size
- 1,200 troops under William Prescott
- British assaults
- Three; redoubt captured on third assault
- Notable American casualty
- General Joseph Warren killed
- Outcome
- British tactical victory at heavy cost
- Primary combat location
- Breed's Hill, Charlestown Peninsula
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
On June 13, 1775, colonial leaders besieging Boston learned the British planned to fortify unoccupied hills around the city to secure Boston Harbor. In response, approximately 1,200 colonial troops under William Prescott secretly occupied Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill overnight, constructing a redoubt and fortified lines across the Charlestown Peninsula.
On June 17, 1775, British forces launched three successive assaults on the colonial positions at Breed's Hill. The first two attacks were repulsed with heavy British casualties, including many officers. On the third assault, British troops overran the redoubt, forcing the colonists to retreat across Bunker Hill. General Joseph Warren and Major Andrew McClary were among the notable American losses.
Though a British victory, the battle's enormous cost in casualties discouraged further frontal assaults on fortified positions. It convinced British commanders to adopt more cautious maneuver-based tactics, visible in the subsequent New York and New Jersey campaigns, and prompted the hiring of large numbers of Hessian auxiliaries to supplement British strength against the emerging Continental Army.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
William Prescott, Joseph Warren.
Side B
1 belligerent