Battle of Bunker (Breeds) Hill

Duty Honor Country

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I am in the process of doing some research into the Battle of Bunker Hill and Colonel Prescott and have come across an historical retake of the battle using primary sources. Some of what I have read goes against what has been considered fact in the battle. I will list a few things I have come across but have yet to finalize a position:

1. The British only conducted 2 assaults. The first attack consisted of a feint on the redoubt while the British light infantry and grenadiers flanked the redoubt. The flanking movement ran into the "rail fence" and were repulsed. The feint forces engaged the redoubt as planned at 100 yards. When the American fire stopped, the British advanced thinking the Americans retreated. The Americans fired again at 30 yards inflicting casualties on the British. The commander of that forces turned around since his force was not the assault force. The American history books read these assaults as 2 different ones when in fact they were part of the same assault.

2. Numerous Americans fled the field before and during the battle. The Artillery inside the redoubt fired a few rounds and abandoned their guns for safety. GEN Putnam ran into these men and threatened to shoot them unless they did their duty. A different history book said these guns were firing effectively so I am conflicting. There are other accounts of the other 2 regiments having a lot of men fleeing the field.

3. There was no resupply system in place for the redoubt. The men went into battle with that they had. What they had was meager to begin with. General Ward had no powder to send to the troops.

4. Food and water were issued for the men but were never taken to battle. 3,000 rations, water and rum were issued to the 1,200 men that left to take the hill. In the morning after the redoubt was built. COL Prescott was informed many men had no rations.

5. COL Prescott got too much credit for the battle. As the British formed up, COL Prescott saw his left flank by the swamp was in the air. He sent 150 men from GEN Putnam's regiment and 2 four pound guns to "oppose them." The men took off in a different direction leading Prescott to think the men abandoned the field. The men took it upon themselves to set up on a fence. Right before the battle, 200 New Hampshire men under John Starks arrived on the battlefield. Starks decided to move in by the other troops on the fence line securing the flank against the water. Starks fortified the fence and put up markers 50 yards away telling the men not to shoot until the British got to those markers.

I will do more digging but these are interesting facts to the Battle of Bunker Hill
 
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