Battle of Bunker Hill

Bunker Hill, Battle of, one of the first engagements in the American Revolutionary War (June 17, 1775), involving some 2,300 British troops under generals Thomas Gage and Sir William Howe, and some 1,500 inexperienced American volunteers under Colonel William Prescott, Major-General Israel Putman, and General J. Warren. The British had planned to occupy Bunker Hill (near Charlestown, Mass.) as a good site for the defense of Boston. However, the rebels dug themselves into neighboring Breed's Hill under cover of night. Colonial troops opened fire on the arriving British troops, causing heavy casualties. Although the British eventually took Breed's Hill, the Americans, who had lost only about 450 men and proved their skills against seasoned troops, gained greatly in morale.

See also: Revolutionary War in America.