250 years ago...

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Tensions continued to increase across the Colonies in the months after the battles at Lexington and Concord. In May 1775 the British army accumulated reinforcements in Boston harbor as they planned their next moves in their Siege of Boston. They intended to reclaim the city and put down the colonists’ rebellion.

Militia from throughout the nearby colonies traveled to Boston. They controlled much of the area surrounding Boston. The British controlled the city and harbor and planned on pushing back the Continental forces.

The colonists learned that the British planned on beginning their assault at Charlestown and Bunker Hill. The militia gathered there, dug in and prepared for the fight. On June 17, 1775, the English army attacked the Charlestown peninsula and Dorchester Heights.

At 3 PM the British army landed on shore and begin to climb the hill. The colonial forces were well entrenched above the Red Coats. The fighting was severe with many casualties on both sides. General Howe, the leader of the English military, ordered a combustible shelling which set part of the hill on fire.

The militiamen repelled this first attack. The British lost many soldiers, but they reassembled and started a second and more focused assault. Again, the colonists resisted and the Brits retreated.

The English army received reinforcements from Boston and started a third attack. At this point, ammunition was running low and some of the patriots retreated. The British eventually captured the hill and won the battle.

The estimates were that 115 colonists were killed and 305 wounded. The British lost 226 men with 828 injured.

While the British won the battle of Bunker Hill, it was an immense morale boost to the Continental Army. Despite being outnumbered, the militiamen inflicted significant damage to the English forces. The unexpected harm to the British proved that the patriots could hold their own in battle.

Also, George Washington, the newly appointed leader of the Continental Army, arrived in Boston within two weeks of the Battle of Bunker Hill. These events marked an inflection point in the tensions between the Colonies and Great Britian as any compromise or reconciliation between the two became less likely.

We’ll be back next month with more developments from 250 years ago.