Most fighting in the Battle of Bunker Hill occurred on Breed’s Hill, despite the battle’s traditional name. This distinction is an important detail in the Revolutionary history commemorated by America250.
On the night of June 16, 1775, colonial forces fortified Breed’s Hill on the Charlestown Peninsula, across the water from Boston. The position was closer to Boston than Bunker Hill and offered a strategic location overlooking the harbor and city.
British troops attacked on June 17. They repelled the colonial defenders after three assaults, but suffered heavy casualties. The engagement was technically a British victory because the British captured the peninsula, yet it demonstrated that colonial forces could resist trained regular troops.
The battle retained the name Bunker Hill because Bunker Hill was the original intended objective and the larger geographic landmark. The famous command to conserve ammunition is associated with the battle, though the exact wording and speaker remain debated.