Bunker Hill & Breeds Hill
History has a funny way of getting things wrong.
One of the most famous battles of the American Revolution wasn’t actually fought where its name says it was. The Battle of Bunker Hill, remembered in classrooms and history books for more than 250 years, was fought almost entirely on nearby Breed’s Hill.
So why does history still call it the Battle of Bunker Hill?
The answer involves confusion, military planning, and a name that simply stuck.
The Situation
By June 1775, fighting had already broken out at Lexington and Concord. British forces occupied Boston, while thousands of colonial militia surrounded the city, preventing them from moving freely.
Both sides understood that whoever controlled the high ground overlooking Boston Harbor would have a tremendous military advantage.
The colonial leadership decided to occupy the hills on the Charlestown Peninsula before the British could.
The Original Plan
Colonel William Prescott was reportedly ordered to fortify Bunker Hill, the taller hill farther from Boston.
During the night of June 16, Prescott and roughly 1,200 men marched onto the peninsula carrying picks, shovels, and axes.
Instead of building their main fortification on Bunker Hill, they built a large earthen redoubt on the lower Breed’s Hill, much closer to Boston, putting them within striking distance of British positions.
This remains a point of contention for historians, and we may never know. Some believe Prescott took the more aggressive approach, while others saw Breed’s Hill as tactically better, even though it was more exposed.
Some irony here, although it can’t be proven and is open to speculation. Breed’s Hill was the more aggressive position. Had the Continental Army fortified Bunker Hill as originally suggested, it might have delayed the British attack, though probably not prevented it altogether. The confrontation might have played out differently, but we’ll never know.
The Battle
At dawn on June 17, the British were stunned to find American fortifications overlooking the city.
British commander General Thomas Gage ordered an immediate assault.
Wave after wave of British regulars climbed the hill under heavy colonial fire.
The famous order often associated with the battle—
“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
—may or may not have actually been spoken, but it reflected the reality facing the militia. Ammunition was scarce, so every shot had to count.
The British attacked three times.
The first two assaults were thrown back with devastating losses.
Only after the Americans exhausted nearly all of their ammunition did the British finally capture the position during the third assault.
A British Victory That Felt Like a Defeat
Technically, the British won the battle.
They captured the hill and forced the colonial militia to retreat.
But the victory came at an enormous cost.
More than 1,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded—nearly half the force involved in the assault.
The Americans suffered far fewer casualties and proved they could stand up to one of the world’s best-trained armies.
The battle dramatically boosted colonial confidence and convinced many British officers that defeating the rebellion would be far harder than expected.
So why is it still called the Battle of Bunker Hill?
This is where history gets interesting.
Although nearly all the fighting occurred on Breed’s Hill, the operation was intended to secure Bunker Hill.
Early reports, maps, military correspondence, and newspaper accounts frequently referred to the engagement as the action at Bunker Hill.
By the time more accurate descriptions spread, the name had already become established.
History rarely changes names once they become widely accepted.
That’s why many historical events, places, and discoveries still use names that aren’t completely accurate today.
Final Thoughts
The Battle of Bunker Hill reminds us that history isn’t always as straightforward as it appears.
Although the fighting took place on Breed’s Hill, the name “Battle of Bunker Hill” stuck almost immediately and has remained in use ever since.
The name may be technically wrong, but the battle itself marked an important turning point in the American Revolution. It demonstrated that colonial forces could inflict heavy losses on the British Army and gave the growing rebellion confidence that victory might actually be possible.
Sometimes history remembers the right event—even if it remembers the wrong hill.
What I find interesting about this piece of history is that I grew up in New England. Driving into Boston, you can see the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, which looks much like the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Here’s an interesting fact: the Bunker Hill Monument was completed in 1842, six years before construction of the Washington Monument began. Boston is full of history like this, and sometimes the stories behind the landmarks are just as interesting as the landmarks themselves.
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