Bunker Hill Monument

This photo was taken at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown (Boston), Massachusetts. In the photograph are Harden Young, Arthur Richardson, Evan Call, and another elder.

The Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775) was the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War. Though a technical tactical defeat for the Colonial militia, it was a profound psychological victory that proved untrained local forces could stand toe-to-toe against the British Army.

On the afternoon of June 17, British Major General William Howe led roughly 3,000 British regulars in three direct frontal assaults up the hill. Short on ammunition, the militia held their fire until the British were at point-blank range, inflicting catastrophic casualties. American folklore famously attributes the command "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" to Prescott (though some historical accounts also credit Major General Israel Putnam or suggest it was a common tactical instruction of the era to save precious gunpowder). In a letter to John Adams later that summer, Prescott described waiting until the British were within 30 yards before delivering a volley that broke their lines.