The Battle of Bunker Hill may, in fact, be something of a misnomer. This seminal battle in the war for American independence actually encompassed two Boston hills--Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. These two rises in the landscape saw the first pitched battle between the American colonists and the British forces. It was also the first time those British forces realized that the colonists were far more prepared for war than anyone had guessed.
The colonists had some advantages: They were on their own turf, for one. For another, decades of backwoods hunting and fending off Native Americans had resulted in a nation of marksmen who were already intimately familiar with guerilla tactics. It was a whole new way of fighting, and stood in sharp contrast to the traditional European battles. Time was, each army formed up in even lines and simply shot at one another. "Running and gunning," especially while camouflaged, was a game the British were simply not prepared to play.
That said, the colonists also had some disadvantages, primary among them the lack of blackpowder for their rifles. This meant that available ammunition and powder had to be shepherded carefully. That's why General Prescott asked his troops not to fire "until you see the whites of their eyes."
Watch this great segment from "American Rifleman Television" to hear the thrilling story of the U.S. Army's first fight.
