Two things they got wrong, 1) not Battle of Bunker Hill, it's Breed's Hill. Two) the background color of colonist's flag was red not blue.
After this day, there would be no going back to a "normal life".
Oh, the colonists lost this battle but not after putting a big hurt on the number 1 military power in the world at that time.
1500 colonists were told to put a redoubt (earthen fort) on Bunker Hill on the Charlestown peninsula. The purpose was to keep an eye on the Boston Harbour. To tally British activity in the harbour. Bunker Hill was at the base of Charlestown peninsula, it was also the biggest Hill there. It's just about midnight on June 16 th. Some of the men look over to Breed's Hill and say we can see more from over there. It's closer to the city. So they go over there instead. Free thinkers. You dig here on Bunker Hill. Nope not doing it, sorry. Breed's Hill it is then. Dig ,dig they did. First light British War ships see the breast work atop and down the hill. They unleash their cannons at the Hill. Many men said I had my fill of this and retreated away from the cannon fire. By the time the battle started they were down to 700 men.
Now the musket was not that accurate. It would shoot a large ball about 175 yards. The ball could travel from a ft high to 7 ft high. By firing together at the same time. You would send out a wall of lead. That equals no chance for you if you are within 175 yards of the gun's muzzle. Col Prescott said don't shoot til you see the whites of the regular's (British soldiers were called that by the colonists) eyes. Now some say Prescott said don't shoot till you see the colors of their eyes. But that doesn't make sense. Since the whites are really the light's of the eye. The white reflects light better than the darks.
The British cannon caused a fire in Charlestown which was slightly to the north of Breed's Hill. The colonists looking down the Hill would see Charlestown to their right. The British suspected that since weather usually goes west to east it would cover the hill in smoke. Not this day though, for some unknown reason it went north. Good for the colonists. Their good luck or divine intervention happened again during the retreat from Long Island NY to NYC. A fog helped in George Washington's escape. The cause might of ended there except for that fortuitous fog. George was able to use many boats to get his army across the river cloaked by the fog.
When the regulars were disembarking just below the fort. The guy in charge of 2 cannon was told to take the cannon out of fort and harass the redcoats at the shore. He left the fort and kept on going back to Cambridge MA. Oh well. The British organized 2 wings, the 2nd went along the mystic river the other proceeded from the south east. This group would experience a horror that would last them the rest of their lives.
As the regulars in their red wool tunics marched up the in a horizontal line though the tall grass, they saw upclose what was to befall them. Once they crossed the 175 yard line they heard a crescendo of musket fire. The lead was so thick it cut them down like a swift sword. The smoke from the musket fire covered the hill. Acrid smoke and screams permeated the spring air. Down they went what was left of them double time. No marching lines this time. It's every man for himself. Back to the shore they went. The captains reformed the ranks and they did the same thing. Round 2: The same thing happened but this time climbing up the hill they had to sidestep the dead and wish they were dead fellow soldiers. They went back to the shore line and regrouped for round number 3. But this time the colonist's were out of musket balls. Rule number 1 you can never have enough ammo. They broke that rule. And on the 3rd try the regulars entered the redoubt with bayonets glinting in the hot sun. It was hand to hand fighting. The soul of the colonist contingent fell dead. Joseph Warren a medical doctor who was a family man and a firebrand for the cause. He was just made a general. When he heard about the redoubt he left his family and ran to the cause. Col Prescott said you are a general now. But he demured, he was just there as a volunteer. He performed the tasks of the everyday foot soldier. He was so loathed by the redcoats that they dug him up a couple days later to make sure he was dead.
The redcoats did not pursue the retreating rebels, big mistake. The redcoats were licking their wounds. The British would never learn from their mistakes. Which was to occur again in Long Island NY, Philadelphia and the 2nd battle of Trenton. They would not pursue.
The colonists lost 300 dead and 30 captured wounded. They were put on British ships were 20 of them would die. Redcoats lost over a thousand men in dead and wounded. They had at the start 2,000 men. An astonishing 89 officers were lost. The British never had a loss like that ever. They just could not believe it. Neither could London. Heads did roll.
When there is a will there is a way. This rag tag army got the best of a world power in an hour and a half from 3 pm to 4:30 pm. 90 minutes that changed the world for a better future for all mankind. Without the US. Germany would have won in both world wars. And that world, I would not want to have envisoned.
I like our motto: In GOD we trust. Focus on that in all our endeavors.
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