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Battle of Bunker Hill Timeline

(June 17, 1775)

The Battle of Bunker Hill, fought on June 17, 1775 during the Siege of Boston, was one of the earliest major engagements of the American Revolutionary War. Although most fighting took place on nearby Breed's Hill, the battle became an iconic demonstration of colonial resolve. British forces eventually captured the fortifications, but at a staggering cost of over 1,000 casualties, proving that inexperienced Patriot militia could inflict devastating losses on the world's most powerful army. Less

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'Whites of Their Eyes' Origins

Adolphus orders musketeers to hold fire until close range

1594 - 1632

The idea behind the famous order dates originally to Swedish general-king Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632), who gave standing orders to his musketeers never to give fire until they could see their own image in the pupil of their enemy's eye, emphasizing disciplined, close-range volleys.

Image source: Gustavus Adolphus

Adolphus orders musketeers to hold fire until close range

Gustavus Adolphus born

1594

Gustavus Adolphus, the Swedish general-king whose military innovations would influence tactics for generations, was born in 1594. His ideas on infantry discipline later inspired the famous order associated with the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Agnew's order at the Battle of Dettingen

Jun 27, 1743

The earliest similar quotation came from the Battle of Dettingen on June 27, 1743, where Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw warned the Royal Scots Fusiliers not to fire until they could see the white of their e'en, an early version of the famous phrase.

Image source: Battle of Dettingen

Agnew's order at the Battle of Dettingen

Prince Charles of Prussia uses the phrase

1745

In 1745, Prince Charles of Prussia used a version of the 'do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes' instruction, helping carry the tactical admonition through European military tradition.

Image source: Battle of Bunker Hill

Prince Charles of Prussia uses the phrase

Frederick the Great repeats the order

1755

In 1755, Frederick the Great repeated the famous instruction about holding fire until the enemy was at very close range, and the phrase may have been mentioned in histories with which the colonial military leaders were familiar.

Image source: Frederick the Great

Frederick the Great repeats the order

Wolfe uses the order on the Plains of Abraham

Sep 13, 1759

General James Wolfe used the hold-fire order on the Plains of Abraham when his troops defeated Montcalm's army on September 13, 1759, another precedent for the discipline later attributed to the Americans at Bunker Hill.

Image source: Battle of the Plains of Abraham

Wolfe uses the order on the Plains of Abraham

Road to Battle

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Apr 19, 1775

The battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 marked the outbreak of armed conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen American colonies. In their aftermath, thousands of colonial militiamen converged on the Boston area, setting the stage for the prolonged standoff that would lead to the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Image source: Battles of Lexington and Concord

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Colonial militia besieges Boston

Apr 19, 1775

In the aftermath of the battles of Lexington and Concord, a colonial militia of some 15,000 men surrounded the town of Boston and placed it under siege, trapping the British garrison inside the city and beginning the Siege of Boston.

Image source: Siege of Boston

Colonial militia besieges Boston

Artemas Ward takes command of the siege

Apr 19, 1775

The colonial militia that surrounded and besieged Boston operated under the overall command of General Artemas Ward, who directed the encirclement of the town following the fighting at Lexington and Concord.

Image source: Artemas Ward

Artemas Ward takes command of the siege

Colonial leaders learn of British fortification plans

Jun 13, 1775

On June 13, 1775, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that the British were planning to send troops out from the city to fortify the unoccupied hills surrounding it, which would give the British control of Boston Harbor.

Continental troops assemble in Cambridge

Jun 16, 1775

On the night of June 16, 1775, 1,200 Continental troops assembled in nearby Cambridge under the command of Colonel Prescott before marching toward the Charlestown peninsula. A small granite monument just north of Harvard Yard bears an inscription commemorating this assembly.

Battle of Bunker Hill

Battle of Bunker Hill

Jun 17, 1775

The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. Though a costly British victory, the battle demonstrated that inexperienced colonial forces could stand up to the British army in pitched combat.

Aftermath and Command

British commander dismissed after battle report

Jun 20, 1775

A British commander was dismissed from office just three days after his report on the battle was received, reflecting dissatisfaction in London with the enormous casualties suffered in the pyrrhic victory at Bunker Hill.

General Howe assumes replacement command

Oct 1775

Although the dismissed commander had been removed from office shortly after his report was received, General Howe did not replace him until October 1775, when he took over the top command of British forces during the Siege of Boston.

Image source: William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe

General Howe assumes replacement command

Howe declines decisive action after Long Island

Aug 1776

In the aftermath of the Battle of Long Island in 1776, General Howe again possessed tactical advantages that might have delivered Washington's army into his hands, but he once more refused to act, allowing the Continental Army to escape destruction.

Image source: Battle of Long Island

Howe declines decisive action after Long Island

Stark becomes the Hero of Bennington

1777

For his role in the 1777 Battle of Bennington, John Stark became widely known as the Hero of Bennington, cementing the reputation he first earned as a commander at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Image source: John Stark

Stark becomes the Hero of Bennington

Stark fights at the Battle of Bennington

Aug 16, 1777

John Stark, a hero of Bunker Hill who famously told his men to aim at the handsome coats of the British officers, played a key role in the 1777 Battle of Bennington, a significant American victory during the Saratoga campaign.

Image source: Battle of Bennington

Stark fights at the Battle of Bennington

Commander relieved of duties in the War of 1812

1812 - 1815

One of the commanders connected to the battle's legacy was relieved of one of his top commands during the War of 1812 due to his mistakes, a blemish on a career otherwise tied to the Revolutionary War era.

Image source: War of 1812

Commander relieved of duties in the War of 1812

Commemoration and Legacy

Bunker Hill Monument cornerstone laid

Jun 17, 1825

On June 17, 1825, the fiftieth anniversary of the battle, the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument was laid by the Marquis de Lafayette, with an address delivered by Daniel Webster before a large gathered crowd.

Image source: Bunker Hill Monument

Bunker Hill Monument cornerstone laid

Centennial military parade in Boston

Jun 16, 1875 - Jun 17, 1875

On June 16 and 17, 1875, the centennial of the battle was celebrated in Boston with a grand military parade honoring the hundredth anniversary of the famous engagement on the Charlestown peninsula.

Centennial reception with Sherman and Wilson

Jun 17, 1875

As part of the centennial celebrations, a reception featured notable speakers including General William Tecumseh Sherman and Vice President Henry Wilson, marking one hundred years since the battle.

Sesquicentennial celebration of the battle

Jun 17, 1925

Celebratory events marked the sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, in 1925, continuing the tradition of commemorating the pivotal early Revolutionary War engagement.

Bicentennial celebration of the battle

Jun 17, 1975

Celebratory events also marked the bicentennial of the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1975, held amid the wider bicentennial observances of the American Revolution taking place across the United States.

Cyclorama added during museum renovation

2007

A cyclorama depicting the battle was added in 2007 when the museum was renovated, giving visitors an immersive panoramic view of the fighting on Breed's and Bunker Hills.

Image source: Bunker Hill Monument

Cyclorama added during museum renovation

250th anniversary Bunker Hill Commemoration Week

Jun 2025

In June 2025, multiple events were held during Bunker Hill Commemoration Week, celebrating and exploring the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill and its enduring place in American history.

Key Facts

  1. The battle was fought primarily on Breed's Hill, not Bunker Hill, due to a miscommunication in the Patriot defensive plans.
  2. British forces under General William Howe launched three assaults; the first two were repelled before the third succeeded after the Patriots ran out of ammunition.
  3. The British suffered roughly 1,054 casualties, including about 226 killed—the highest British officer casualty rate of any engagement in the war.
  4. Patriot commander Colonel William Prescott is famously credited with ordering his troops: 'Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.'
  5. Although a tactical British victory, the battle convinced many Americans that independence from Britain was achievable and strengthened support for the revolutionary cause.

Source

This Battle of Bunker Hill timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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