Why do we refer to ‘The Battle Of Bunker Hill’ when the action took place on Breeds Hill?
Also, and this is perhaps a little late, congratulations to the US on a fine victory.
Thanks.
Bunker’s Hill because Bunker’s was the highest of three hills on the Charleston Peninsula. The actual field works were on, as you point out, on Breed’s Hill.
A fine victory is questionable. The New England militia was driven off the hill and did not succeed in their objective of making Boston untenable by the British. What it did accomplish was to dissuade any number of British officers of the notion that the colonial militia would not stand and fight when directly confronted. This supposition was based on the experience of Concord-Lexington which the British regarded as not a fair fight. This conviction that the colonials would cut and run when directly confronted explains why Gage elected to make a frontal assault on the colonial field works rather than cut off the narrow neck of the peninsula and let the colonials wither on the vine.
For the British the experience was a sobering one. They managed to take serious casualties and lose some important officers, including MAJ Pitcaren(SP?) of the Royal Marines who may have given the order to fire at Lexington. After three separate assaults the British overran the American trenches but could not destroy the colonial force which made a fighting withdraw to the mainland and kept itself in existence. It was an American victory in the sense that the colonial army remained in existence and it convinced all of the British officers who were present that the suppression of the rebellion was not going to be the work of a afternoon. It also established the myth of American marksmanship.
The Colonists had learned that the British intended to occupy the heights of Charleston (where the hills lie) and Dorchester Heights (south of Boston). The orders given before the battle were to occupy Bunker Hill (the higher of the two hills, located closer to the colonist’s lines). This would have made an occupation of Breed’s Hill by the British untenable, as it would have been dominated by the colonist’s position on Bunker.
For whatever reason (troops from outside the Boston area not understanding the order, an aggressive spirit on the part of Prescott, whatever), the first redoubt was actually built on Breed’s Hill. This hill directly overlooked Boston and the Harbor, and compelled the British to attack it as a defensive effort.
It is not entirely clear how the name Bunker’s hill got attached to the battle, but the original orders to the forces taking the Charleston peninsula is the most likely cause.
(BTW, the battle was a loss for the colonists, although it was a Pyrrhic victory for the British who so depleted their forces that they were unable to defend Dorchester heights, allowing Washington to occupy that hill and force them to abandon Boston.)
http://www.americasrevolution.com/article1005.html
Col. Prescott’s military mind chose to fortify the hill that was lower and closer to the enemy. However, Bunker Hill was the local landmark, and so after the battle was over, it was the local landmark that got the mention in the tale-telling, and later, in the history books.
The Battle of Oriskany didn’t take place in Oriskany itself, either.
http://www.npac.syr.edu/projects/ltb/teacher_journeys/battle.html
The Battle of Bennington didn’t take place in Bennington.
Spavined Gelding, the fine victory refers to the whole shooting match. I am not in favour of colonialism, retrospectively or otherwise.
This looks like the perfect opportunity to point out again that Wellington and Blucher defeated Napoleon and Ney between the villages of Mont St. Jean and Plancenoit. Wellington and Blucher officially met on the battlefield a little south of the main battle at a place called La Belle Alliance. The Beautiful Alliance.
Wellington insisted the battle be named for Waterloo, which had no major role in the battle, because it would be easier for the British people to pronounce. Well, the Iron Duke was a no-nonsense kind of guy. What can you say?
As my 5x great grandfather, Adam Ross, fought at the battle of Bunker Hill, for the rebels, let me say thank you for the congrats!
PS, Grampa Ross was a private during that battle, but rose to the rank of corporal before the war ended!