Today is Veteran's Day. While we're remembering and paying respects to the men and women that have fought for our freedom over the years, we should also remember our first set of veterans - those that fought in the American Revolution. Those that originally gave us our freedom. Those that helped to form the great nation we live in.
The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle in the American Revolution. Bunker Hill is also in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and only a ten or so minute walk from the U.S.S. Constitution. Ironically, the monument, like the battle, is not on Bunker Hill. It's on Beacon's Hill. The story goes that the British had an incorrect map and intended to fight on Bunker Hill but went to the wrong hill. Abigail Adams, who later became the First Lady and even later became the First Grandma, witnessed the battle and wrote about it in her diary. Can you imagine witnessing such a battle almost in your own backyard? Back then, this area was sparsely populated. Now, the monument park is surrounded by a neighborhood. Cars line the street as off street parking is a rare treasure.
This is actually the view of the monument as we came up the hill:
It's a 221 foot granite obelisk. Like the Washington Monument and the San Jacinto Monument, you can go to to the top. Unlike the Washington and San Jacinto Monuments, there are no elevators. So, if you plan to go to the top, make sure you're in shape, have your walking shoes, and aren't afraid of confined spaces. Oh, and arrive earlier than we did so the monument will be open.
As you walk up, you see this:
As for the battle, it occurred on June 17, 1775. June is typically warm and a bit rainy in Boston. However, due to the rain, the weather can also be chilly in June.
The very inexperienced colonials were told to hold their fire "until you see the whites of their eyes," to preserve precious ammunition. Our militia was in its very early days and consisted of many inexperienced warriors. Heck, at least in this battle, it consisted mostly of farmers. However, we were also led by many former British officers, who were battle trained. Regardless, the colonials were fighting a much more experienced and equipped British army.
In the end, the British did prevail in this battle. The colonials survived two major surges (finally losing on the third) and caused the British to suffer major casualties. While the colonials suffered a considerable number of casualties themselves, the number of British casualties far outweighed the number of colonial casualties. In the end, the British realized that the colonials, though inexperienced, were much more of an opponent than they thought we would be.
The original monument on this site was an eighteen foot wooden obelisk erected in 1794 by the King Solomon's Lodge of Masons to honor Dr. Joseph Warren. Dr. Warren, at the time of the battle, had recently been elected Major General of the colonial army. He was also a mason. He perished in the third surge of the battle.
In 1823, a group of prominent local citizens began to work to erect a more permanent monument. The monument we have now was completed in 1842 and dedicated on June 17, 1843 in a major national ceremony.
Also, like so many of the sites in the Boston area, the museum (which is across the street from the Massachusetts gate) and monument are free to visitors.
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