Under the cover of a midsummer night, 1,200 colonial militiamen worked in frantic silence to construct a redoubt.
: Though the Americans eventually retreated due to lack of gunpowder, the cost to the British was staggering—over 1,000 casualties, including 92 officers. It was a tactical victory for England but a moral triumph for the colonies, proving they could hold their own against a superior army. Breed's Hill versus Bunker Hill - National Park Service breed's hill
When the sun rose, the British were met with the sight of a fortification where none had stood the night before. Under the cover of a midsummer night, 1,200
: By choosing Breed's Hill, the Americans gained a closer vantage point but risked being cut off from the mainland, a "sublime mistake" that the more professional British military failed to exploit immediately. The Crucible of Fire Breed's Hill versus Bunker Hill - National Park
: Facing three waves of frontal assaults by 3,000 Redcoats, Prescott famously commanded his men to conserve ammunition until the enemy was within 40 yards.