Battle Of Bunker Hill Essay

The Battle of Bunker Hill is perceived strategically through the words of Colonel William Prescott, "Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” A notorious contention during the American Revolutionary War encompassed not only decisive action military strategy and theory, but one of the purest understandings of mission command at its foundation. A single affirmation to his men, revolutionizing the art of command and science of control, formulated a tactical philosophy that is studied to this day by military scholars. Colonel William Prescott assumed command of the Patriots during the Battle of Bunker Hill, absent of orders and facing unwavering odds, achieving victory through the implementation of the modernly understood mission command

COL Prescott was appointed as the Colonel of the Pepperell Company in Massachusetts (Pavao, 2014). On June 16, 1775, COL Prescott was provided with 1,200 Soldiers and given the mission to defend Charleston. The musket and bayonet were the only Continental Army weapons available and ammunition was scarce. In the cover of darkness, COL Prescott led his Patriots onto Charlestown Peninsula, 110 feet high to the top of Breed’s Hill and began establishing trenches and fortifications. The Battle of Bunker Hill, which was actually fought on Breed’s Hill, began with British naval gunfire and the massing of 2,000 troops on the Charlestown Peninsula (Pavao, 2014). The Americans, under the command of COL Prescott, survived three waves of British attacks at Bunker Hill, however, they were ultimately forced to retreat and surrender the town of Boston. Although the British won the battle, British casualties were estimated at 1,154 compared to 441 American casualties. The British underestimation of COL Prescott and his Patriots ultimately changed the tide of the American Revolutionary

The received order was to fortify the Charleston peninsula and repel the British advance to Boston. The chain of command was anything but unified, leaving state commanders in opposition of one another the majority of the time. COL Prescott, coming to this realization as the British were landing on the peninsula, ordered Captain Girdley and his battery to maneuver in opposition while Captain Knowlton and the men of Connecticut provided support (Pavao, 2014). Furthermore, he ordered Colonel Robinson and Major Wood to secure flank positions. COL Prescott envisioned the fight on the terrain alongside his desired end state and conveyed that to the allied commanders. Although hasty, the clear orders unified Patriot formations, ultimately allowing the Patriots to inflict a massive casualty rate on the attacking