Excerpt from
The American Revolution: A Story of Insurgency, Ch 5: The Spark at Boston , Grant Navidson
Much has been said about the battle of Bunker Hill. It is often accounted as the first great conflict of the Revolution, though the battles of Lexington and Concord command status as the first. It launched the military careers of multiple heroes of the Revolution, and provided a powerful symbol of Colonial resolve and capability, a symbol which was almost certainly needed for the long fighting ahead.
After the fairly successful operations by Artemas Ward's Army of Observation in support of the siege [of Boston] through the previous month, both sides of the engagement were looking to make a decisive move.
On the side of the Colonials, every day the uncaptured city provided an opportunity for more men and material to slip into New England, and in fact many already had.
1 The Royal Navy held all but true dominance of the seas, and it was just as much surprise at the strength of the Revolution as anything else that prevented Massachusetts bay being filled with supply ships and troop transports. They could not rely on time alone to carry them to victory.
On the side of the Royalists, General Gage considered the current situation untenable, and had grave concerns about losing such a large amount of manpower to a surrender. His support network lay an entire ocean away, and the Colonials had his men bottled up behind fortifications, unable to bring to bear their greater drilling and armament against the entrenched positions, away from the naval guns.
2
Both felt the campaign hung in the balance, and that, by bringing a decisive engagement, they could bring the situation fully in their own favor. That decisive engagement came at Bunker Hill.
It would be more accurate, as will be seen, to say
Breeds Hill. Though for clarity of definition the author has chosen to continue with the generally accepted naming convention.
The Royalists forces planned a move to take up positions on the Charlestown Peninsula directly north of the city, as well as to retake positions in the south on the Dorchester Heights. By doing so, they hoped to open another front through which they could demand an open battle with the inexperienced Colonial militias, while simultaneously retaking the lost positions at Dorchester, a possible point by which their supply ships could and had been be harassed. They made plans to launch this movement on June 18th, and committed almost 3000 soldiers to the action.
3 However, a colonial spy had received intelligence about the upcoming operation, and this intelligence made it's way to Ward.
Understanding the significance of the situation, General Ward ordered Colonel William Prescott to take some 1200 men to take control of the strategic heights and contest the landing. After consulting with his subordinates, he decided to fortify both the rearward Bunker Hill and the forward position on Breed's Hill. These fortifications were especially well established for a non professional unit, in part due to the assistance of then Major Jonathan Halbert, whose efforts would certainly be invaluable in the coming fight.
Unfortunately for Colonel Prescott, Clinton himself had spotted his opponents movements in the early morning of June 17th, giving the Royalists ample time to respond. Hoping to strike while his opponent was dispersed and building out defenses, General Clinton led an initial landing party to claim the beaches while the remaining forces hastily organized themselves a full day early. After an uncontested landing, and under the cover of artillery fire, Clinton pushed his men up the slopes of Breed's Hill with the intent to dash the revolutionaries from their positions.
And here, the leadership of Colonel Prescott shined. Quickly organizing the 600 men available to him, he soundly held his position and pushed the landing party off the hill. Here, taking a significant risk, he ordered his forces out of their works and down the hill, charging Clinton's retreating infantry. On open fields, with barely trained militia, it should have been a disaster, or at least a ugly, bloody melee.
However, the drilling provided by Major Halbert, the buoyed morale of a true victory against the Royalists, and a thoroughly botched retreat by General Clinton lead to what has been dubbed "The Charlestown Miracle".
4 Fully overrunning the Royalist lines, Prescott forced the surrender of functionally the entire landing force, taking some 200 redcoats into internment.
Celebrating their victory, Prescott's men continued their efforts to fortify the peninsula, completing their field works and moving a fresh 600 men forward to Breed's Hill, allowing the blooded soldiers to return to the rearward fortifications at Bunker Hill along with their prisoners. They were afforded another full day of time to rest and resupply due to the commanding officers in Boston being deeply divided over how to respond.
On Jun 18th, the full force of Gage's initially planned operation made its way across the water towards Breed's Hill. Once again, under the cover of naval guns, the full force of almost 3000 men landed on the Charlestown Peninsula and once more pushed for Breed's Hill. They made two attempts at the hill, taking significant casualties each time before retreating and reorganizing. After the second, time was given to allow a bombardment of the fort by the navy, though this proved surprisingly ineffective.
5 Going for a third attempt at the fortification, the redcoat's morale truly disintegrated, doubly so as Lt. Colonel Francis Smith was wounded in action, and would die on the return to Boston for treatment. After this, the Royalist command dedicated itself to retreating in good order, and would make no further attempts for the fortifications.
Here, a particular sore point of alternative historians develops. Several members of the Colonial command, excited by their victory, agitated for a charge against the remaining Royalist forces to repeat the actions of General Prescott the day before. Colonel Bridge, holding overall command of the position at the time, was hesitant to commit, and was further cautioned by Major Halbert. Some criticism has been leveled at Halbert for this, especially in the periods of his career were it was advantageous to do so.
6 However, as noted by American general and military historian Nicholas Willis,
" The problem, of course, is perspective. If it had worked, it would have made for a damn incredible tactical reversal, and solidified the Colonial belief in the possibility of a final victory.
If. Meanwhile, Boston and its defenses would still be there, with plenty of redcoats still able to hold it. And if it failed.
If. It would have been snatching defeat from the jaws of victory."
7
Regardless, the charge was not ordered, and the Royalist force was allowed to retreat in good order across the bay. Still, the cost for the redcoats was a steep one. Across the two days of fighting, the Royalists had taken some 1050 casualties, with 800 of those being captured or dead. And to add insult, both the 22nd and 52nd regiments lost their battle standards, a deep shame in military tradition. Compare this to the bare 150 casualties suffered by Prescott's men, with the majority of these recoverable, and the battle stands as a true disaster for the soldiers of Brittania.
8 The events on Breed's Hill can almost directly be blamed for the continuing decay of relations between the commanding officers of Boston, as well as their ultimate decision to abandon the city and the results thereof.
Meanwhile, Prescott, and many of his command, including Colonel Bridge and Major Halbert were lauded as heroes of the cause. Halbert's call to "Only fire when you see the white's of their eyes." before the first assault was a particular darling to the journalists of New England and Virginia, in the north for a savior of their homes, and in the south as a local man taking up the cause. A flood of previously uncommitted patriots and fence sitters flocked to the banner of the Revolution, while causing further dismay within Loyalist populations. It was, in short, a spectacular moral victory.
1. From Fred Grant's "The Siege of Boston"
2,3. From the letters of General Gage,
Oxford Library
4. From the Pennsylvania Gazette, June 23, 1775
5. The how of such an event continues to mystify. More than a hundred guns with well trained crews fired on Breed's Hill, but to little effect at all.
6. From William Freeman's biography "The Rational Abolitionist: The Story of Jonathan Halbert"
7. From a guest lecture at West Point Military Academy, October 10, 1973
8. From Mary Bingham's "An Exploration of Military Casualties in the English Armed Forces"
A.N.: This was a lot of fun to write. Let me know if there are any glaring inaccuracies
@Duke William of . Also, just to be clear, anything in the citations is purely fictional, and is just some fun window dressing.
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