Battle Of Bunker Hill Essay

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775 during the British siege of Boston. The local militia discovered from leaked intelligence that British generals were planning to reinforce the surrounding areas of Boston with British troops to crush the rebellion that resulted from the Battles of Lexington and Concord. During the middle of the night, roughly 1,200 men lead by Colonel Prescott marched to the top of Breed's Hill in Charlestown overlooking the city of Boston and constructed a redoubt. By early morning the British troops noticed the new redoubt and realized Prescott’s artillery was within range of the north side of Boston. The British generals decided to assembly 2,400 troops and launch an attack to the imminent threat. The

It was a pyrrhic victory for the British forces and proved to be a fundamental battle for American Colonists seeking independence. Despite the Colonists successes in the skirmish, if the American militia had better leadership from Colonel William Prescott the story of Bunker Hill would be a different tale. Colonel Prescott’s role as commander in this instance demonstrated his inability to understand, visualize, assess, and lead across the battlefield to ensure mission accomplishment. As the commander, it is inherent to apply critical and creative thinking. Colonel Prescott’s judgment, or lack thereof was the groundwork for the British

Nevertheless, the British could do both because of Colonel Prescott’s visualization. Boston was completely occupied by the British in 1775, with the British Navy controlling both the Charles and Mystic Rivers. These rivers surround the Charlestown peninsula. The Charles River runs along the western and southern portion of Charlestown, whereas the Mystic River runs along the northern and the eastern half. Breed’s Hill left Colonel Prescott and his men exposed to the British at their flanks. The Colonial militia was seen by the British as an undisciplined group of fighters, this would prove true except for subordinates under Prescott’s command who secured the flanks without direct orders. Discipline initiative delayed the Colonial defeat at Bunker Hill, but if Colonel Prescott approached the operation with more sound tactics the militia would have been able control Breed’s Hill from the