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107-850: The regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill , the Battles of Saratoga , and the Battle of Newtown . In addition, the 3rd participated in or was present at the Siege of Boston , the Invasion of Canada , Valley Forge , and Sullivan's Expedition . The 3rd Regiment was ordered disbanded on 1 January 1781, based on Congress prescribing a new arrangement for the Continental Army on 3 October 1780, that dictated there be just two regiments from New Hampshire, rather than three. Washington's general orders of 1 November 1780, conveyed this arrangement to

214-408: A far less costly victory. But he was motivated by revenge over patriot resistance at the Battles of Lexington and Concord and relatively heavy British losses, and he also felt that the colonial militia were completely untrained and could be overtaken with little effort, opting for a frontal assault. The famous order "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" was popularized in stories about

321-438: A field strewn with dead and wounded comrades. This time, Pigot was not to feint; he was to assault the redoubt directly, possibly without the assistance of Howe's force. Howe advanced against Knowlton's position along the rail fence, instead of marching against Stark's position along the beach. The outcome of the second attack was very much the same as the first. One British observer wrote, "Most of our Grenadiers and Light-infantry,

428-499: A gap in the defense that Howe could have taken advantage of, had he pressed his attack sooner. They took positions along the breastwork on the northern end of the colonial position. Low tide opened a gap along the Mystic River to the north, so they quickly extended the fence with a short stone wall to the water's edge. Colonel Stark placed a stake about 100 feet (30 m) in front of the fence and ordered that no one fire until

535-494: A height of 62 feet (19 m) and was more southerly and nearer to Boston. The American soldiers were at an advantage due to the height of Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill, but it also essentially trapped them at the top. The settled part of the town of Charlestown occupied flats at the southern end of the peninsula. At its closest approach, less than 1,000 feet (300 m) separated the Charlestown Peninsula from

642-486: A landing party to set fire to the town. The smoke billowing from Charlestown lent an almost surreal backdrop to the fighting, as the winds were such that the smoke was kept from the field of battle. General Howe led the light infantry companies and grenadiers in the assault on the American left flank along the rail fence, expecting an easy effort against Stark's recently arrived troops. His light infantry were set along

749-479: A letter of thanks written by George Washington, and statements from Colonel John Trumbull and Judge Thomas Grosvenor in Putnam's defense. Historian Harold Murdock wrote that Dearborn's account "abounds in absurd misstatements and amazing flights of imagination." The Dearborn attack received considerable attention because at the time he was in the middle of considerable controversy himself. He had been relieved of one of

856-498: A more direct effect on his own career. He was dismissed from office just three days after his report was received, although General Howe did not replace him until October 1775. Gage wrote another report to the British Cabinet in which he repeated earlier warnings that "a large army must at length be employed to reduce these people" which would require "the hiring of foreign troops ". General Dearborn published an account of

963-468: A more rapid and resounding victory. However, the British leadership was excessively optimistic, believing that "two regiments were sufficient to beat the strength of the province". The artillery bombardment that was to have preceded the assault did not transpire because the field guns had been supplied with the wrong caliber of ammunition. Once in the field, Howe twice opted to dilute the force attacking

1070-565: A novel by Herman Melville . Colonel John Paterson commanded the Massachusetts First Militia, served in Shays' Rebellion , and became a congressman from New York . Lt. Col. Seth Read , who served under John Paterson at Bunker Hill, went on to settle Geneva, New York and Erie, Pennsylvania , and was said to have been instrumental in the phrase E pluribus unum being added to U.S. coins . George Claghorn of

1177-548: A successful ship builder. Poor supported the separatists as early as the Stamp Act protests in 1765. He served on various committees for Exeter throughout the period of rising rebellion. In 1775, he was twice elected to the provincial Assembly. The Battle of Lexington caused the assembly to call for three regiments of militia, and Poor became the colonel of the 2nd New Hampshire Regiment . The other regiments under colonels John Stark and James Reed were sent to Boston , but

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1284-602: A tentative decision-maker, to his detriment. In the aftermath of the Battle of Long Island (1776), he again had tactical advantages that might have delivered Washington's army into his hands, but he again refused to act. Historian John Ferling maintains that, had General Gage used the Royal Navy to secure the narrow neck to the Charleston peninsula, cutting the Americans off from the mainland, he could have achieved

1391-441: Is remarkable, given the positioning of the 3rd Regiment on the battlefield at Freeman's Farm, that such an inexperienced unit was able to hold the middle of the field. The 3rd was also on the field, in the thick of the battle as part of Enoch Poor's brigade in the Battle of Bemis Heights . Just two days after the battle, the regiment marched for Valley Forge , where they suffered through the winter. At Valley Forge, Colonel Scammell

1498-420: The 47th Regiment of Foot and the 1st Marines, and the British were ready to march. Brigadier General Pigot's force were gathering just south of Charlestown village, and they were already taking casualties from sniper fire from the settlement. Howe asked Admiral Graves for assistance in clearing out the snipers. Graves had planned for such a possibility and ordered a carcass fired into the village, and then sent

1605-464: The Battle of Bunker Hill , which is more properly known as the Battle of Breeds Hill. There they were on the field at two locations. The bulk of the regiment was at the rail fence positioned between John Stark 's 1st New Hampshire Regiment which extended on the fence to the Mystic River and Thomas Knowlton 's company of Connecticut militia. One company, under Josiah Crosby of Wilton, New Hampshire ,

1712-566: The Battle of Newtown , again evidenced by the toll shown in their muster rolls. In 1780 the 3rd Regiment was garrisoned at West Point . On 1 Jan 1781, the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment was disbanded, based on the Commander in Chief's general orders of 1 Nov, 1780. The 1st and 2nd regiments were reorganized, incorporating all of the officers and rank and file from the 3rd Regiment who had time remaining on their enlistments. Alexander Scammell resigned

1819-455: The Battle of Saratoga , and his brigade was expanded by two regiments of Connecticut militia ( Cook's and Latimer's ). In the Battle of Freeman's Farm , Poor's brigade was the first to come to the aid of Daniel Morgan 's attack. Poor held the American left flank, extending into the woods and even wrapping around the British position. They performed well, keeping General Simon Fraser 's regulars engaged while Benedict Arnold led attacks on

1926-575: The Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton , though in reality these men had re-enlisted or had been reorganized into these new 1st and 2nd New Hampshire Regiments. The 1st New Hampshire Regiment was also known as the 5th Regiment of Foot and was commanded by John Stark, and the 2nd New Hampshire Regiment was also known as the 8th Regiment of Foot and was commanded by Enoch Poor . They left Fort Ticonderoga to join George Washington on November 16, 1776. In November 1776, what remained of

2033-585: The Massachusetts Provincial Congress that a New Hampshire gentleman "of undoubted veracity" had overheard the British commanders making plans to capture Dorchester and Charlestown. On June 15, the Massachusetts Committee of Safety decided that additional defenses needed to be erected. General Ward directed General Israel Putnam to set up defenses on the Charlestown Peninsula, specifically on Bunker Hill. On

2140-490: The Mohawk and Hudson rivers. The American Army, now swelled by post-harvest militia, then began moving north, arriving at Bemis Heights to camp on 8 September 1777. Most of the summer was spent without proper camp and supplies such as tents, given the hasty retreat from Fort Ticonderoga. Under Scammell the 3rd regiment saw heated action at the Battles of Saratoga , as evidenced by the loss of several officers and many men. It

2247-586: The Royal Scots Fusiliers not to fire until they could "see the white of their e'en." The phrase was also used by Prince Charles of Prussia in 1745, and repeated in 1755 by Frederick the Great , and may have been mentioned in histories with which the colonial military leaders were familiar. Whether or not it was actually said in this battle, it was clear that the colonial military leadership were regularly reminding their troops to hold their fire until

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2354-670: The 1745 expedition that captured Louisburg, Nova Scotia , during King George's War . In 1755, Poor enlisted as a private in one of the Massachusetts units raised to accompany Jeffery Amherst 's expedition to retake Louisburg during the French and Indian War . His unit enforced the expulsion of the Acadians . After the war, he came home to Andover, but only briefly. He eloped with Martha Osgood, and they settled in Exeter where he became

2461-630: The 2nd was stationed at Portsmouth and Exeter. They were sent to Boston after the Battle of Bunker Hill , arriving on June 25. In the summer of 1775, the unit was absorbed into the Continental Army ; they were ordered into the Northern Department and went with General Richard Montgomery 's invasion of Canada . After the disaster in Canada, Poor led the survivors of his regiment in early 1776 back to Fort Ticonderoga . The unit

2568-528: The 3rd Regiment was not much more than a corps of invalids and men who had not re-enlisted and whose enlistments would expire by the end of the year—about 250 in all. Those who did re-enlist in November were incorporated into the 1st and 2nd Regiments. The main army at Fort Ticonderoga marched south to join Washington on 16 and 17 November 1776; the 3rd left Fort Ticonderoga two days later for Fort George, at

2675-672: The 3rd Regiment was redesignated as the 2d Continental Regiment and assigned to Sullivan's Brigade. On 27 April 1776, the regiment was assigned to the Canadian Department and was sent to Canada via New York City and then Albany via the Hudson River under Major General John Sullivan during the Invasion of Canada campaign. As the regiment arrived in Canada they suffered through a smallpox epidemic. They made it as far as Montreal where they were from June 12–17 and are shown there on Major Alexander Scammell 's Return of

2782-465: The American army under St. Clair's command. By 8 July 1777 they had reached Fort Edward, New York , and began a campaign of damming streams and felling trees to make the countryside as impassable as possible for the invading British Army. On 28 July 1777, the American Army moved to Fort Miller, then on 10 August 1777 to Stillwater, and on 18 August 1777 to Van Schaick Island at the confluence of

2889-430: The Battle of Bunker Hill (displayed in lede), was created as an allegorical depiction of the battle and Warren's death, not as an actual pictorial recording of the event. The painting shows a number of participants in the battle including a British officer, John Small , among those who stormed the redoubt, yet came to be the one holding the mortally wounded Warren and preventing a fellow redcoat from bayoneting him. He

2996-699: The Boston Peninsula, where Copp's Hill was at about the same height as Breed's Hill. The British retreat from Concord had ended in Charlestown, but General Gage did not fortify the hills on the peninsula but instead withdrew his troops to Boston, turning the entire Charlestown Peninsula into a no man's land. The British received reinforcements throughout May until they reached a strength of about 6,000 men. Generals William Howe , John Burgoyne , and Henry Clinton arrived on May 25 aboard HMS  Cerberus . Gage began planning with them to break out of

3103-460: The British became aware of the presence of colonial forces on the Peninsula and mounted an attack against them. Two assaults on the colonial positions were repulsed with significant British casualties but the redoubt was captured on their third assault, after the defenders ran out of ammunition. The colonists retreated over Bunker Hill, leaving the British in control of the Peninsula. The battle

3210-486: The British in any single encounter during the entire war. General Clinton echoed Pyrrhus of Epirus , remarking in his diary that "A few more such victories would have shortly put an end to British dominion in America." British dead and wounded included 100 commissioned officers, a significant portion of the British officer corps in America. Much of General Howe's field staff was among the casualties. General Gage reported

3317-566: The British regulars passed it. Further reinforcements arrived just before the battle, including portions of Massachusetts regiments of Colonels Brewer, Nixon , Woodbridge , Little , and Major Moore, as well as Callender's company of artillery. Confusion reigned behind the Colonial lines. Many units sent toward the action stopped before crossing the Charlestown Neck from Cambridge, which was under constant fire from gun batteries to

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3424-518: The British were planning to send troops out from the city to fortify the unoccupied hills surrounding the city, which would give them control of Boston Harbor. In response, 1,200 colonial troops under the command of William Prescott stealthily occupied Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. They constructed a strong redoubt on Breed's Hill overnight, as well as smaller fortified lines across the Charlestown Peninsula . By daybreak of June 17,

3531-422: The British, most of them with grievous wounds; 20 died while held prisoner. The colonials also lost numerous shovels and other entrenching tools, as well as five out of the six cannons that they had brought to the peninsula. When news of the battle spread through the colonies, it was reported as a colonial loss, as the ground had been taken by the enemy, and significant casualties were incurred. George Washington

3638-410: The Charlestown Neck that would cut off the colonists' retreat, reducing the process of capturing the new redoubt to one of starving out its occupants. However, he was outvoted by the other three generals, who were concerned that his plan violated the convention of the time to not allow one's army to become trapped between enemy forces. Howe was the senior officer present and would lead the assault, and he

3745-508: The Continental Forces in Canada. The return of Reeds Regiment, dated 21 April 1776, showed 518 officers, staff, and rank and file, and then on General Horatio Gates ' return, dated 24 August 1775, there were only 409 men in the regiment, an unfortunately typical loss for regiments in the Canadian Department. The 3rd Regiment returned to Fort Ticonderoga on 16 July 1776, and were there until November 1776. The 3rd Regiment spent

3852-488: The Grenadiers, was fatally wounded. Pigot's attacks on the redoubt and breastworks fared little better; by stopping and exchanging fire with the colonists, the regulars were fully exposed and suffered heavy losses. They continued to be harried by snipers in Charlestown, and Pigot ordered a retreat after seeing what happened to Howe's advance. The regulars reformed on the field and marched out again, this time navigating

3959-576: The Massachusetts militia was shot in the knee at Bunker Hill and went on after the war to become the master builder of the USS Constitution , a.k.a. " Old Ironsides " , which is the oldest naval vessel in the world that is still commissioned and afloat. Notable British participants in the battle were: Lt. Col. Samuel Birch , Major John Small , Lord Rawdon , General William Howe , Major John Pitcairn and General Henry Clinton . John Trumbull 's painting, The Death of General Warren at

4066-441: The army. The officers of the three New Hampshire regiments met and agreed on who would continue to serve and who would agreeably retire based on this new arrangement; this resulted in several officers from the 3rd Regiment continuing service by moving to the 1st or 2nd regiments. Its first commander was Colonel James Reed . Companies were initially commanded by: Captains Under Reed, the regiment saw action on 17 June 1775, at

4173-517: The battle The Massachusetts Committee of Safety sought to repeat the sort of propaganda victory that it won following the battles at Lexington and Concord, so it commissioned a report of the battle to send to England. Their report, however, did not reach England before Gage's official account arrived on July 20. His report unsurprisingly caused friction and argument between the Tories and the Whigs , but

4280-588: The battle in Port Folio magazine years later, after Israel Putnam had died. Dearborn accused General Putnam of inaction, cowardly leadership, and failure to supply reinforcements during the battle, which subsequently sparked a major controversy among veterans of the war and historians. People were shocked by the rancor of the attack, and this prompted a forceful response from defenders of Putnam, including such notables as John and Abigail Adams. It also prompted Putnam's son Daniel Putnam to defend his father using

4387-545: The battle of Bunker Hill. It is uncertain as to who said it there, since various histories, including eyewitness accounts, attribute it to Putnam, Stark, Prescott, or Gridley, and it may have been said first by one and repeated by the others. Modern scholarly consensus is nobody said it at the battle, it is a legend. It was also not an original statement. The idea dates originally to the general-king Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632) who gave standing orders to his musketeers "never to give fire, till they could see their own image in

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4494-596: The battle. He was later commemorated by the dedication of Fort McClary in Kittery, Maine . A serious loss to the Patriot cause, however, was the death of Joseph Warren . He was the President of Massachusetts' Provincial Congress, and he had been appointed a Major General on June 14. His commission had not yet taken effect when he served as a volunteer private three days later at Bunker Hill. Only 30 men were captured by

4601-556: The casualty counts alarmed the military establishment, and forced many to rethink their views of colonial military capability. King George 's attitude hardened toward the colonies, and the news may have contributed to his rejection of the Continental Congress' Olive Branch Petition , the last substantive political attempt at reconciliation. Sir James Adolphus Oughton , part of the Tory majority, wrote to Lord Dartmouth of

4708-524: The central column. In the Battle of Bemis Heights , Poor's brigade was in General Benjamin Lincoln 's division on the western end of the American line. They were closest to the center of the advancing British, so they came under fire from the grenadier battalion of the British center. The fire was ineffective, so Major John Dyke Acland led the grenadiers in a bayonet charge. Poor held fire until they came very close, then opened up with

4815-776: The city, finalizing a plan on June 12. This plan began with taking the Dorchester Neck, fortifying the Dorchester Heights , and then marching on the colonial forces stationed in Roxbury. Once the southern flank had been secured, the Charlestown heights would be taken, and the forces in Cambridge driven away. The attack was set for June 18. On June 13, the Committee of Safety in Exeter, New Hampshire , notified

4922-416: The city. It also exposed the forces there to the possibility of being trapped, as they probably could not properly defend against attempts by the British to land troops and take control of Charlestown Neck. If the British had taken that step, they might have had a victory with many fewer casualties. The colonial fortifications were haphazardly arrayed; it was not until the morning that Prescott discovered that

5029-455: The colonial forces were generally well-managed, but the scene behind them was significantly disorganized, at least in part due to a poor chain of command and logistical organization. One commentator wrote: "it appears to me there never was more confusion and less command." Only some of the militias operated directly under Ward's and Putnam's authority, and some commanders directly disobeyed orders, remaining at Bunker Hill rather than committing to

5136-548: The colonies, "the sooner they are made to Taste Distress the sooner will [Crown control over them] be produced, and the Effusion of Blood be put a stop to." About a month after receiving Gage's report, the Proclamation of Rebellion was issued in response. This hardening of the British position also strengthened previously weak support for independence among Americans, especially in the southern colonies. Gage's report had

5243-423: The defense of Breed's Hill once fighting began. Several officers were subjected to court martial and cashiered after the battle. Once combat began, desertion was a chronic issue for the colonial troops. By the time of the third British assault, there were only 700–800 troops left, with only 150 in the redoubt. Colonel Prescott was of the opinion that the third assault would have been repulsed, had his forces in

5350-619: The earthworks and rail fences. The third attack succeeded, when the forces were arrayed in deep columns, the troops were ordered to leave all unnecessary gear behind, the attacks were to be at the point of the bayonet, and the flanking attack was merely a feint. Following the taking of the peninsula, the British had a tactical advantage that they could have used to press into Cambridge . General Clinton proposed this to Howe, but Howe declined, having just led three assaults with grievous casualties, including most of his field staff among them. The colonial military leaders eventually recognized Howe as

5457-446: The field, but they often acted quite independently. This was evident in the opening stages of the battle, when a tactical decision was made that had strategic implications. Colonel Prescott and his staff decided to fortify Breed's Hill rather than Bunker Hill, apparently in contravention of orders. The fortification of Breed's Hill was more militarily provocative; it would have put offensive artillery closer to Boston, directly threatening

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5564-423: The final casualty of the battle. The battle led the British to adopt a more cautious planning and maneuver execution in future engagements, which was evident in the subsequent New York and New Jersey campaign . The costly engagement also convinced the British of the need to hire substantial numbers of Hessian auxiliaries to bolster their strength in the face of the new and formidable Continental Army . Boston

5671-553: The first stage of the American Revolutionary War . The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts , which was peripherally involved. It was the original objective of both the colonial and British troops, though the majority of combat took place on the adjacent hill which became known as Breed's Hill . On June 13, 1775, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that

5778-543: The first two, which resulted in the decisive defeat of the right wing of the British Army under Major General William Howe . However, the New Hampshire regiments were nearly out of ammunition and could only pull back to Bunker Hill to watch the final phase of the battle play out and then cover the retreat of the Massachusetts soldiers as they escaped the redoubt after it had been finally overrun. On 1 Jan, 1776,

5885-406: The following officer casualties in his report after the battle (listing lieutenants and above by name): Colonial losses were about 450 in total, of whom 140 were killed. Most of the colonial losses came during the withdrawal. Major Andrew McClary was technically the highest ranking colonial officer to die in the battle; he was hit by cannon fire on Charlestown Neck, the last person to be killed in

5992-413: The fort's commander, Arthur St. Clair , was forced to abandon the fort because British commander John Burgoyne 's forces had taken control of nearby Mount Defiance , making it possible to easily cannonade Fort Ticonderoga . Thus, late on July 5, 1777, orders to leave Fort Ticonderoga were given, and by early morning on 6 July 1777 the 3rd Regiment was marching toward Hubbardton with the main portion of

6099-411: The forward positions on Breed's Hill to support the embattled regiments. One colonial observer wrote to Samuel Adams afterwards, "it appears to me that there was never more confusion and less command". Some companies and leaderless groups of men moved toward the field; others retreated. They were running low on powder and ammunition, and the colonial regiments suffered from a hemorrhage of deserters. By

6206-430: The gates of hell." Prescott lived up to Willard's word, but his men were not so resolute. When the colonists suffered their first casualty, Prescott gave orders to bury the man quickly and quietly, but a large group of men gave him a solemn funeral instead, with several deserting shortly thereafter. It took six hours for the British to organize an infantry force and to gather up and inspect the men on parade. General Howe

6313-488: The harbor to fire on the colonial position, along with batteries atop Copp's Hill in Boston. The barrage had relatively little effect, as the hilltop fortifications were high enough to frustrate accurate aiming from the ships and far enough from Copp's Hill to render the batteries there ineffective. The shots that did manage to land, however, were able to kill one American soldier and damage the entire supply of water brought for

6420-449: The landing areas and were being ferried back to Boston, while the wounded lying on the field of battle were the source of moans and cries of pain. Howe sent word to Clinton in Boston for additional troops. Clinton had observed the first two attacks and sent around 400 men from the 2nd Marines and the 63rd Foot , and followed himself to help rally the troops. In addition to these reserves, he convinced around 200 walking wounded to form up for

6527-433: The late summer and fall of 1776 at Fort Ticonderoga. Reed's health was failing, and in November the state sent representatives who with the help of John Stark secured the re-enlistment of many New Hampshire officers and soldiers and re-formed the 1st and 2nd New Hampshire Regiments with those men, which included many from the 3rd Regiment. It is because of this that the 3rd Regiment is usually given credit for participating in

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6634-457: The left flank, where they used a crude dirt wall as a breastwork and topped it with fence rails and hay. They also constructed three small v-shaped trenches between this dirt wall and Prescott's breastwork. Troops that arrived to reinforce this flank position included about 200 men from the 1st and 3rd New Hampshire regiments under Colonels John Stark and James Reed . Stark's men did not arrive until after Howe landed his forces, and thus filled

6741-403: The massed fire of his 1,400 men. These were the first American shots in the battle. The charge was completely broken, and Acland himself fell wounded. With this collapse of Burgoyne's center, the Americans captured the wounded Acland and Major Williams along with the column's artillery. Poor then turned to his left and gave support to Ebenezer Learned and Morgan's men. Poor's brigade again spent

6848-495: The moment of presenting themselves lost three-fourths, and many nine-tenths, of their men. Some had only eight or nine men a company left." Pigot's attack did not enjoy any greater success than Howe, and he ordered a retreat after almost 30 minutes of firing ineffective volleys at the colonial position. The second attack had failed. Meanwhile, confusion continued in the rear of the colonial forces. General Putnam tried with limited success to send additional troops from Bunker Hill to

6955-617: The moment when it would have the greatest effect, especially in situations where their ammunition would be limited. A significant number of notable American patriots fought in this battle. Henry Dearborn and William Eustis , for example, went on to distinguished military and political careers; both served in Congress, the Cabinet, and in diplomatic posts. Others, like John Brooks , Henry Burbeck , Christian Febiger , Thomas Knowlton , and John Stark , became well known for later actions in

7062-414: The narrow beach, in column formation, in order to turn the far left flank of the colonial position. The grenadiers were deployed in the center, lining up four deep and several hundred across. Pigot was commanding the 5th , 38th , 43rd , 47th, and 52nd regiments, as well as Major Pitcairn's Marines; they were to feint an assault on the redoubt. Just before the British advanced, the American position along

7169-486: The nearby inferno from Charlestown. The colonists withheld their fire until the regulars were within at least 50 paces of their position. As the regulars closed in range, they suffered heavy casualties from colonial fire. The colonists benefited from the rail fence to steady and aim their muskets, and enjoyed a modicum of cover from return fire. Under this withering fire, the light companies melted away and retreated, some as far as their boats. James Abercrombie , commanding

7276-401: The new fortification around 4 a.m. and notified his captain. Lively opened fire, temporarily halting the colonists' work. Admiral Samuel Graves awoke aboard his flagship HMS  Somerset , irritated by the gunfire that he had not ordered. He stopped it, only to have General Gage countermand his decision when he became fully aware of the situation in the morning. He ordered all 128 guns in

7383-538: The night of June 16, colonial Colonel William Prescott led about 1,200 men onto the peninsula in order to set up positions from which artillery fire could be directed into Boston. This force was made up of men from the regiments of Prescott, Putnam (the unit was commanded by Thomas Knowlton ), James Frye , and Ebenezer Bridge. At first, Putnam, Prescott, and their engineer Captain Richard Gridley disagreed as to where they should locate their defense. Some work

7490-412: The point of the bayonet and successfully carried the redoubt; however, the final volleys of fire from the colonists cost the life of Major Pitcairn. The defenders had run out of ammunition, reducing the battle to close combat. The advantage turned to the British, as their troops were equipped with bayonets on their muskets, while most of the colonists were not. Colonel Prescott, one of the last men to leave

7597-419: The post of Adjutant General in 1781 and returned to command the 1st Regiment. Scammell was then given the honor of commanding a detachment of light infantry that also served as the vanguard of the American army that marched south to Yorktown in 1781. Battle of Bunker Hill [REDACTED] United Colonies The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in

7704-481: The pupil of their enemy's eye". Gustavus Adolphus's military teachings were widely admired and imitated and caused this saying to be often repeated. It was used by General James Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham when his troops defeated Montcalm's army on September 13, 1759. The earliest similar quotation came from the Battle of Dettingen on June 27, 1743, where Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw warned

7811-426: The rail fence was reinforced by two pieces of artillery from Bunker Hill. Howe had intended the advance to be preceded by an artillery bombardment from the field pieces present, but it was soon discovered that these cannon had been supplied with the wrong caliber of ammunition, delaying the assault. Attacking Breed's Hill presented an array of difficulties. The hay on the hillside had not been harvested, requiring that

7918-477: The redoubt been reinforced with more men, or if more supplies of ammunition and powder had been brought forward from Bunker Hill. Despite these issues, the withdrawal of the colonial forces was generally well-managed, recovering most of their wounded in the process, and elicited praise from British generals such as Burgoyne. However, the speed of the withdrawal precipitated leaving behind their artillery and entrenching tools. The British leadership acted slowly once

8025-429: The redoubt could be easily flanked, compelling the hasty construction of a rail fence. Furthermore, the colonists did not have the manpower to defend to the west. Manpower was a further problem on Breed's Hill. The defenses were thin toward the northern end of the colonial position and could have been easily exploited by the British (as they had already landed), had reinforcements not arrived in time. The front lines of

8132-478: The redoubt with flanking assaults against the colonial left. The formations that the British used were not conducive to a successful assault, arrayed in long lines and weighed down by unnecessary heavy gear; many of the troops were immediately vulnerable to colonial fire, which resulted in heavy casualties in the initial attacks. The impetus of any British attack was further diluted when officers opted to concentrate on firing repeated volleys which were simply absorbed by

8239-446: The redoubt, parried bayonet thrusts with his normally ceremonial sabre. It is during the retreat from the redoubt that Joseph Warren was killed. The retreat of much of the colonial forces from the peninsula was made possible in part by the controlled withdrawal of the forces along the rail fence, led by John Stark and Thomas Knowlton, which prevented the encirclement of the hill. Burgoyne described their orderly retreat as "no flight; it

8346-496: The regiment and recruiting. The result was a new 3rd Regiment for 1777 with an experienced officer corps, but with newly recruited rank and file soldiers, some of whom had had experience in the Continental Army during the Siege of Boston in 1775. By 15 June 1777, the 3rd Regiment under Colonel Alexander Scammell was completed and present for duty at Fort Ticonderoga . The companies of the 3rd Regiment were commanded as follows: The 3rd Regiment did not stay long at Fort Ticonderoga;

8453-400: The regulars marched through waist-high grass which concealed the uneven terrain beneath. The pastureland of the hillside was covered with crisscrossing rail fences hampering the cohesion of marching formations. The regulars were loaded down with gear wholly unnecessary for the attack, and the British troops were overheating in their wool uniforms under the heat of the afternoon sun, compounded by

8560-528: The reinforcements. Prescott saw the British preparations and called for reinforcements. Among the reinforcements were Joseph Warren , the popular young leader of the Massachusetts Committee of Safety, and Seth Pomeroy , an aging Massachusetts militia leader. Both of these men held commissions of rank, but chose to serve as infantry. Prescott ordered the Connecticut men under Captain Knowlton to defend

8667-405: The retreat on Bunker Hill. By 5 p.m., the colonists had retreated over the Charlestown Neck to fortified positions in Cambridge, and the British were in control of the peninsula. The British had taken the ground but at a great loss; they had suffered 1,054 casualties (226 dead and 828 wounded), and a disproportionate number of these were officers. The casualty count was the highest suffered by

8774-411: The river, Howe noted the large number of colonial troops on top of Bunker Hill. He believed these to be reinforcements and immediately sent a message to Gage, requesting additional troops. He then ordered some of the light infantry to take a forward position along the eastern side of the peninsula, alerting the colonists to his intended course of action. The troops then sat down to eat while they waited for

8881-423: The south. Others reached Bunker Hill, but then were uncertain where to go from there and just milled around. One commentator wrote of the scene that "it appears to me there never was more confusion and less command." General Putnam was on the scene attempting to direct affairs, but unit commanders often misunderstood or even disobeyed orders. By 3 p.m., the British reinforcements had arrived, which included

8988-481: The southern end of Lake George , where they were assigned until relieved by a New Hampshire militia call-up at the end of December when the majority of the men's enlistments ran out. In December 1776, Col. Alexander Scammell was commissioned to command the 3rd Regiment. on 11 December 1776. Some of the company commanders had been commissioned as of November 8, 1776, and were already in New Hampshire recruiting, and several more captains were added by March 1777 to complete

9095-401: The third attack. The third assault was to concentrate squarely on the redoubt, with only a feint on the colonists' flank. Howe ordered his men to remove their heavy packs and leave all unnecessary equipment behind. He arrayed his forces in column formation rather than the extended order of the first two assaults, exposing fewer men along the front to colonial fire. The third attack was made at

9202-468: The time that the third attack came, there were only 700–800 men left on Breed's Hill, with only 150 in the redoubt. Connecticut's Captain John Chester saw an entire company in retreat and ordered his company to aim muskets at them to halt the retreat; they turned about and headed back to the battlefield. The British rear was also in disarray. Wounded soldiers that were mobile had made their way to

9309-592: The top commands in the War of 1812 due to his mistakes. He had also been nominated to serve as Secretary of War by President James Monroe , but was rejected by the United States Senate (which was the first time that the Senate had voted against confirming a presidential cabinet choice). The colonial regiments were under the overall command of General Ward, with General Putnam and Colonel Prescott leading in

9416-513: The troops. The rising sun also alerted Prescott to a significant problem with the location of the redoubt: it could easily be flanked on either side. He promptly ordered his men to begin constructing a breastwork running down the hill to the east, deciding that he did not have the manpower to also build additional defenses to the west of the redoubt. The British generals met to discuss their options. General Clinton had urged an attack as early as possible, and he preferred an attack beginning from

9523-407: The walls. The works on Breed's Hill did not go unnoticed by the British. General Clinton was out on reconnaissance that night and was aware of them, and he tried to convince Gage and Howe that they needed to prepare to attack the position at daylight. British sentries were also aware of the activity, but most apparently did not think it cause for alarm. A sentry on board HMS  Lively spotted

9630-515: The war. Stark became known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his role in the 1777 Battle of Bennington . Free African-Americans also fought in the battle; notable examples include Barzillai Lew , Salem Poor , and Peter Salem . Another notable participant was Daniel Shays , who later became famous for his army of protest in Shays' Rebellion . Israel Potter was immortalized in Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile ,

9737-426: The waters of the harbor. The British troops occupied the city, a force of about 6,000 under the command of General Thomas Gage , and they were able to be resupplied and reinforced by sea. However, the land across the water from Boston contained a number of hills which could be used to advantage. Artillery could be placed on the hills and used to bombard the city until the occupying army evacuated it or surrendered. It

9844-596: The winter with the main army, this time at Valley Forge . He led the last maneuvers in the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778. He accompanied the Sullivan Expedition in 1779, leading a brigade in the victory at Battle of Newtown . Afterward Poor was assigned to Lafayette's division and mainly saw garrison duty in New Jersey . Some sources say that Poor was shot in a duel near Hackensack, New Jersey , on September 6, 1780, and died two days later from

9951-538: The works were spotted on Breed's Hill. It was 2 p.m. when the troops were ready for the assault, roughly ten hours after the Lively first opened fire. This leisurely pace gave the colonial forces ample time to reinforce the flanking positions that would have otherwise been poorly defended and vulnerable. Gage and Howe decided that a frontal assault on the works would be a simple matter, although an encircling move, gaining control of Charlestown Neck, would have given them

10058-602: The wound, (according to the journal of soldier Elijah Fisher, Poor was in a duel with "a Major" and died two days later.) although the Army surgeon reported that he died from typhus . He was buried in the First Reformed Dutch Church Cemetery in Hackensack. George Washington and Lafayette both attended his funeral, and Washington wrote to inform Congress of Poor's death. He noted that "he

10165-535: Was a tactical victory for the British, but it proved to be a sobering experience for them; they incurred many more casualties than the Americans had sustained, including many officers. The battle had demonstrated that inexperienced militia were able to stand up to regular army troops in battle. Subsequently, the battle discouraged the British from any further frontal attacks against well defended front lines. American casualties were much fewer, although their losses included General Joseph Warren and Major Andrew McClary ,

10272-496: Was chosen to join Washington's inner circle as the Army Adjutant General . The de facto command of the 3rd Regiment fell to Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Dearborn . Under Dearborn the 3rd regiment was at the Battle of Monmouth , where some of its most soldierly men participated. The 3rd then wintered near Danbury, Connecticut . In 1779 the 3rd Regiment was assigned to the Sullivan Expedition , and saw heated action at

10379-532: Was detached into Charlestown to snipe at the British Marines as they advanced on the redoubt where the bulk of the American forces were deployed. Crosby's company's actions (along with one other company) resulted in the British ships on the Charles River loading their cannon with hot grapeshot and burning Charlestown. The battle occurred in three phases, and the 3rd Regiment participated in

10486-413: Was even covered with bravery and military skill". It was so effective that most of the wounded were saved; most of the prisoners taken by the British were mortally wounded. General Putnam attempted to reform the troops on Bunker Hill; however, the flight of the colonial forces was so rapid that artillery pieces and entrenching tools had to be abandoned. The colonists suffered most of their casualties during

10593-507: Was friends of Putnam and Trumbull. Other central figures include Andrew McClary who was the last man to fall in the battle. The Bunker Hill Monument is an obelisk that stands 221 feet (67 m) high on Breed's Hill. On June 17, 1825, the fiftieth anniversary of the battle, the cornerstone of the monument was laid by the Marquis de Lafayette and an address delivered by Daniel Webster . The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge

10700-533: Was of the opinion that the hill was "open and easy of ascent and in short would be easily carried." General Burgoyne concurred, arguing that the "untrained rabble" would be no match for their "trained troops". Orders were then issued to prepare the expedition. General Gage surveyed the works from Boston with his staff, and Loyalist Abijah Willard recognized his brother-in-law Colonel Prescott. "Will he fight?" asked Gage. "As to his men, I cannot answer for them," replied Willard, "but Colonel Prescott will fight you to

10807-524: Was on his way to Boston as the new commander of the Continental Army , and he received news of the battle while in New York City. The report included casualty figures that were somewhat inaccurate, but it gave Washington hope that his army might prevail in the conflict. We have ... learned one melancholy truth, which is, that the Americans, if they were equally well commanded, are full as good soldiers as ours. A British officer in Boston, after

10914-418: Was performed on Bunker Hill, but Breed's Hill was closer to Boston and viewed as being more defensible, and they decided to build their primary redoubt there. Prescott and his men began digging a square fortification about 130 feet (40 m) on a side with ditches and earthen walls. The walls of the redoubt were about 6 feet (1.8 m) high, with a wooden platform inside on which men could stand and fire over

11021-462: Was renamed as the 8th Continental regiment and joined Washington's main army in December 1776 at winter quarters near Morristown, New Jersey . The Continental Congress named Poor a brigadier general on February 21, 1777. That spring, his brigade was sent back to Ticonderoga. He withdrew with the rest of Arthur St. Clair 's force of July 5. Moving south, they joined General Horatio Gates before

11128-556: Was situated on a peninsula at the time and was largely protected from close approach by the expanses of water surrounding it, which were dominated by British warships. In the aftermath of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the colonial militia of some 15,000 men had surrounded the town and besieged it under the command of Artemas Ward . They controlled the only land access to Boston itself (the Roxbury Neck), but they were unable to contest British domination of

11235-538: Was specifically designed to evoke this monument. There is also a statue of William Prescott showing him calming his men down. Enoch Poor Enoch Poor (June 21, 1736 ( Old Style ) – September 8, 1780) was a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire . Poor was born and raised in Andover , Province of Massachusetts Bay . His father Thomas Poor had been part of

11342-513: Was to lead the major assault, driving around the colonial left flank and taking them from the rear. Brigadier General Robert Pigot on the British left flank would lead the direct assault on the redoubt, and Major John Pitcairn would lead the flank or reserve force. It took several trips in longboats to transport Howe's initial forces (consisting of about 1,500 men) to the eastern corner of the peninsula, known as Moulton's Point. By 2 p.m., Howe's chosen force had landed. However, while crossing

11449-496: Was with this in mind that Henry Knox led the noble train of artillery to transport cannon from Fort Ticonderoga . The Charlestown Peninsula to the north of Boston started from a short, narrow isthmus known as the Charlestown Neck and extended about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeastward into Boston Harbor. Bunker Hill had an elevation of 110 feet (34 m) and lay at the northern end of the peninsula. Breed's Hill had

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