On June 17, 1775 a bunch of Colonial militia took on the cream of the Brit Empire...the Brit Regulars consisting of their elite Grenadiers, Light Infantry and Marines were drubbed at the Battle of Bunker Hill (the fighting actually took place on Breed's Hill).
Common militia from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire stood fast and drove the Brits back down the hill twice.
Being vastly outnumbered and out of ammunition the Colonial Militia was forced to withdraw on the third assualt.
Although the Brits held possesion of the hill, their exhaustion and high casulaties prevented the much vaunted regulars from doing much more. The Brits lost 226 men to the Militia 115 killed. More importantly the over all casualty count was
Brits- 1054
Militia- 450
Knowing the disaster that had befallen his troops, Brit General Clinton stated in his diary...
"A few such more victories would have shortly put an end to British Dominion in America."
How true and correct he was because within years the villianous Brit Empire would lose the war.
"We have ... learned one melancholy truth, which is, that the Americans, if they were equally well commanded, are full as good soldiers as ours."
Common militia from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire stood fast and drove the Brits back down the hill twice.
Being vastly outnumbered and out of ammunition the Colonial Militia was forced to withdraw on the third assualt.
Although the Brits held possesion of the hill, their exhaustion and high casulaties prevented the much vaunted regulars from doing much more. The Brits lost 226 men to the Militia 115 killed. More importantly the over all casualty count was
Brits- 1054
Militia- 450
Knowing the disaster that had befallen his troops, Brit General Clinton stated in his diary...
"A few such more victories would have shortly put an end to British Dominion in America."
How true and correct he was because within years the villianous Brit Empire would lose the war.
"We have ... learned one melancholy truth, which is, that the Americans, if they were equally well commanded, are full as good soldiers as ours."
—A British officer in Boston, after the battle
