Bunker Hill

As the British charge up Bunker Hill for the first time, their spirits high, they are soon slaughtered by the Continental Army’s superior position. British soldiers near death or already dead are scattered around the battle field; soon many more will soon meet the same fate. This is what the beginning of the Battle of Bunker Hill looked like. It was the Continental Army’s first major victory, even though the British had captured the battle field. Looking at the causalities the real victor of this glories battle is easily distinguished, did the British General Gage want to win that much that he sent many men to their demise to win?

The Continental Army’s fortification stood strong, strong enough to take on almost three ferocious charges from one of the world’s greatest armies. If the Americans had the proper supplies for such a battle, maybe the outcome would have been different, or maybe it would have just prolonged the inevitable. Still the Battle of Bunker Hill was most defiantly the first major victory for the Continental Army.

How could an army so powerful lose so many men, and how could an army juvenile lose so little? The casualties of the Battle of Bunker Hill were so different, it’s almost unreal. The Continental Army lost around 400 men, which was pretty respectable. England on the other hand lost a jaw-dropping 1,150 men at the end of the battle. The highly trained British army lost almost three times more men then the “infant” army of the American’s. This was because of the Continental Army’s superior defensive placement on the field. They had a complete overview of the battlefield and easily picked off the British as they charged up the hill. It was suicide for the British to charge the hill but the General Gage was not going to lose this battle. He sent his men on three charges up the hill and would have sent them up a third time if he had to. Victory meant that much to him.

Looking at the supplies each side had appeared quite lopsided. The British, like always, brought more then enough supplies for the battle. They had enough supplies for two battles. The Continental Army on the other hand barely had enough supplies to fund a snowball fight. The Continental Army did make do with what they had, and defended the hill from two ferocious charges by the British, but were overwhelmed by the third charge. What if the Continental Army had the right supplies for the battle? Could the outcome of the battle have been much different? Could the Continental Army have withstood the third charge and possible won the battle, or would the British still take the hill with even more casualties?

The British clearly outnumber the Continental Army with their superior soldiers. The Continental Army scrounged up a mere 1,500 men for the battle. The British brought over 2,400 men for the occasion. Britain thought they brought more then enough men for this battle, which in the end was a mistake. The British soldiers we also properly trained for the battle. While the Continental Army could not hit the broadside of a barn, some had never been in or trained for a battle before. Still they did the best they could, and their best was quite surprising.

Some of the very best fought in this battle. The British had General Gage and General Howard. General Gage wanted this victory so bad that he sent his men up the hill three consecutive times. Out of those three times the last one was the only successful one. The continental army had two great generals, General Warren and General Putnam. General Putnam was quoted for the famous quote of “Don’t fire until you see the white of their eyes.” This quote meant for the men not to shoot unless there would be a confirmed kill. They did this so they would not run out of ammo. The battle was gruesome and seemed to never end. General Warren met his demise at this battle where he was