BUNKER HILL, BATTLE OF. The first se vere battle of the American Revolution, fought June 17. 1773, on Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill. Charlestown, Mass., between about :3000 British troops under General Bowe and about 1500 Americans under Col. William Prescott. On the night of the 16th Prescott was sent to fortify Bunker Hill. the possession of which would com pel the evacuation of Boston by the British; but he threw up an earthwork on Breed's Bill in stead, and there awaited the English attack. On June 17, at 3 P.M., the British charged tip the hill. but were driven back with great loss. A second charge also was repulsed. At 4.30 o'clock. however. the British advanced again, and this time, the powder of the Americans being spent. succeeded in dislodging Prescott's men and forcing them from the field. The losses in killed, wounded. and missing were 1054 (includ ing 157 officers) for the British, and about 450 for the Americans. Among those killed on the
American side was General Warren. In the course of the engagement Charlestown was set on fire by British shells and was burned to the ground. Though Howe secured a strategic point which enabled him to retain his hold on Boston, the battle was morally a victory for the Ameri cans. in that it demonstrated their fighting ca pacity. and greatly increased the spirit of resist ance throughout the country. The best account of the battle is probably that in Richard Froth ingham, siege of Boston (Boston, 1849). Con sult. also. G. E. Ellis, History of the Battle of Banke•'s (Breed's) Hill (Boston. 1875). and an excellent and discriminating artiele by C. F. Adams. Jr., in Vol. 1. of The American Histori cal Review (New York, 1896).