The Battle of Breed's Hill Trivia Quiz

Answer: All of these have been given as reasons.

Some authorities assert that when the colonials reached the top of Bunker Hill they decided to fortify Breed's Hill, because it was steeper and closer to the British. Others contend that there was a mix-up in orders. Col. William Prescott in a letter written after the battle stated that he was given orders to fortify Breed's Hill.

Answer: June 17,1775

Approximately 1,200 men worked all night on June 16 and during the next morning to complete the fortifications. The British were shocked to see the almost completed fort on the morning of June 17 and began their attack in the early afternoon.

Answer: Thomas Gage

Prior to the battle Gage received welcome reinforcements, but along with reinforcements came three new major-generals, Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne, all of whom coveted Gage's command. Howe was the field commander at the battle. Clinton brought reinforcements over from Boston during the battle, and "Gentleman Johnny" watched the action from Cobb's Hill in Boston.

Answer: Artemas Ward

Artemas Ward, as commander of the Massachusetts militia under the Committee of Public Safety, was in nominal command. However, there were many militia generals who were vying for command, including Gen. Israel Putnam. George Washington was appointed to head the Continental Army on June 15, but he didn't come to Cambridge until July.

Answer: William Prescott

Col. Prescott was outranked by Gen. Israel Putnam and Gen. Joseph Warren. Putnam may have been in overall command on the field, but Prescott commanded the actual battle at the hill. Gen. Warren, a physician and surgeon, was not only a newly appointed major-general but was also the chairman of the Committee of Public Safety and the president of the Provincial Congress.

When Prescott noticed Warren at the hill, he offered the command to him, but Warren declined, saying that he had come to volunteer himself and his musket to serve under Prescott. Prescott is also reputed to have said, "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes." Prescott's grandson, also named William, was the well known historian who authored "The Conquest of Mexico" and "The Conquest of Peru".

Answer: earth

Down by the Mystic River were a rail fence with a stone foundation and a hastily constructed stone wall. However, the fortifications on the hill were earthworks. The fort was about 130 feet square with entrenchments about 5 to 6 feet deep.

Answer: Charlestown Neck

The neck was a strip of land connecting the Charlestown peninsula and the mainland and was only 35 yards wide in places. Many claim that there would have been a lot less bloodshed had Clinton's suggestion been accepted. The colonials were short on food and water and probably would have had to surrender if cut off.

Some say that Gage thought that the colonials would just run when confronted by British troops and, therefore, that such a seige was unnecessary. In any event Gage adopted Howe's plan.

Answer: All of these answers are correct

In addition, the only suitable spot for landings and evacuations was about one-half mile away from the neck.

Answer: False

This statement is a myth of the Revolution. Howe's plan was not so simple and called for three forces. The first, under Brig. Gen. Robert Pigot, would move through Charlestown to the fort but not attack. It would just fix the colonials in place. The second, under Howe, was the main force and would attack the fortifications on the Mystic River side.

The third force of picked light infantry would hot-foot it up the Mystic River beach under cover of the bluffs, turn the colonials' flank and attack the breastworks from behind as Howe began his attack.

When the assaults took place both of these attacks were smashed with heavy losses. Howe then rallied the troops and assaulted the hill again. This second assault was a direct frontal attack. It resulted in a bloodbath, and the British were repulsed again.

The third assault, which was successful, was also a frontal attack. It has often been said that even the best plans don't survive contact with the enemy.

Answer: True

He is quoted as saying, "I shall not desire any one of you to go a step farther than where I go myself at your head". It is surprising that he wasn't killed or wounded. Howe's aide de camp was killed while at his side.

Answer: The troops were grouped in deep columns.

The previous assaults were by lines of troops attacking in waves. By forming the troops into deep columns, the whole line was not exposed to fire at the same time. One has to wonder why Howe didn't organize his troops this way for the first and second assaults. Arrogance, pride, stupidity, etc, etc.

Answer: They were were supplied with the wrong size shot.

The six pounders were supplied with twelve pound shot. The story of all wars. If they had been attacking downhill, I guess the Brits could have rolled the shot at the rebels. Unfortunately for them they were attacking uphill. The heavy artillery over on the Boston side did bombard the fort but rather ineffectivley.

The British ships also attempted to cannonade the fort, but they couldn't elevate their guns enough and were also ineffective.

Answer: The colonials were out of ammunition.

Notwithstanding the reorganization of the British troops into columns, they would probably have been repulsed again had the colonials not run out of ammunition. When their supply of musket balls was exhausted, some of the rebels fired pebbles and nails.

It is inexplicable and inexcusable that the American command did not provide for the resupply of food, water, powder, ammunition, and proper reinforcements. Despite the fact that they were out of ammunition and that the British were working them over with the bayonet, the colonials did not break and run.

They retreated in good order.

Answer: bayonet

The colonial troops were not professional soldiers but were farmers and tradesman, etc. Most had no experience with the bayonet. Moreover, their muskets were civilian weapons and were not even fitted for bayonets. Until much later in the war the colonials were afraid of the British bayonet.

As an example of how far the Continental Army progressed during six years of war, the successful attacks on two outer forts at Yorktown the night before the British decided to surrender were made with the bayonet only. Alexander Hamilton led one of these attacks.

Answer: John Pitcairn

It should be noted that Major Pitcairn did not order his men to fire at Lexington but specifically ordered them not to fire unless he gave the command. He was a very popular officer among the British, the Tories and even some of the Patriots in Boston. His son was also wounded in the battle.

Answer: It was set on fire.

The small detachment of colonials began sniping at Pigot's troops, and he asked for artillery support from the ships. The ships began bombarding the town with hot shot, which were red hot cannon balls, and with carcass shot, which were hollow shot filled with a hot tar mixture.

Naturally, the town caught fire and burned almost to the ground. Fortunately, most of the inhabitants had already evacuated before the start of the battle.

Answer: Joseph Warren

See the discussion under question #5. Dr. Warren was killed by a musket ball to the head in the last few minutes of the battle. His death is depicted in a famous painting by John Trumbull.

Answer: 400-450

Most of the casualties occurred after the British overran the hill during the third and final assault. As in all wars the kill ratio favored the defenders. All of the British officers' accounts of the battle grossly overstate the size of the colonial forces and the number of rebels killed.

Answer: 1,000

This number doesn't seem that large, but it was about one-fifth of Gen. Gage's entire Boston command. It was truly a Pyrrhic victory, and the British generals, Parliament, King, press, and public were appalled. Gen. Gage said that the losses sustained were "greater than we can bear", and Gen. Clinton observed that another such victory "would have ruined us." It ultimately cost Gen. Gage his command.

The British learned their lesson and never again directly attacked dug-in Americans.

Answer: March,1776

On March 5, 1776 General Howe looked up from Boston to see that Washington had fortified Dorchester Heights with troops and heavy artillery. Henry Knox had helped bring the cannons all the way from Fort Ticonderoga. Howe was faced with two options, to attack the colonials or withdraw.

He wavered but chose withdrawal. The last of the British troops were loaded on ships on March 17, and they sailed on March 27. Boston, at last, was in the hands of the Americans.