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Battle of Bunker Hill Facts

Battle of Bunker Hill Facts
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17th, 1775 fought on Breeds Hill and Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts only a few months after the American Revolutionary War began. The British mistakenly believed that Breeds Hill was Bunker Hill and because most of the battle was fought on this hill the battle took the name the Battle of Bunker Hill. The British were planning to gain control of the hills surrounding Boston, Massachusetts in order to keep the city and its ports secure. When the Americans learned of the British army's plans they moved onto Breeds and Bunker Hills in the night. The next day the British attacked and although they ultimately won the battle they lost 226 British soldiers and had more than 900 more wounded. The Americans did not suffer nearly as many losses.
Interesting Battle of Bunker Hill Facts:
The British soldiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill were led by General William Howe.
The American soldiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill were led by Colonel William Prescott.
At the Battle of Bunker Hill the American soldier were low on ammunition. To preserve the limited ammunition they were told: "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!"
As the American soldiers prepared to attack the night before the battle they tried to fortify their position by building a six-foot-high wall. This type of wall was called a redoubt.
Although the British won the Battle of Bunker Hill the British General William Howe was impressed by the redoubt built by the Americans overnight. He is quoted as saying, "The rebels have done more work in one night than my whole army would have done in one month."
The British fired on the Americans for hours but the Americans did not return fire until the British soldiers were close enough to see, due to limited ammunition.
The American soldiers were forced to flee as the British continued to advance, despite the number of British soldiers being killed or wounded. The Americans were too short on ammunition to fight the British Army.
The British losses at the Battle of Bunker Hill included a total of 226 dead and 828 wounded out of more than 3000 soldiers. This included 19 officer deaths, 207 soldier deaths, 62 officers wounded, and 766 soldiers wounded.
The American losses at the Battle of Bunker Hill included a total of 135 dead and 305 wounded out of approximately 2400 soldiers. This included 115 soldiers killed, 305 soldiers wounded, and 30 captured soldiers (20 of whom died).
Although the Americans were defeated at the Battle of Bunker Hill it was an important battle because it signified the onward battle by the Americans in their fight for independence from the British. It proved that Americans were capable of doing battle against the British and encouraged more men to join the Revolutionary War on the American side.
June 17th each year is a legal holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, and Somerville, Middlesex County. It is called Bunker Hill Day.


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