Posted on 06/20/2022 5:51:48 AM PDT by Perseverando
"Don't Shoot Until You See the Whites of Their Eyes!" commanded Colonel William Prescott, repeating the order of General Israel Putnam, JUNE 17, 1775. Colonel William Prescott's men were in the center redoubt located on Breed's Hill, adjacent Bunker Hill, guarding the north entrance to Boston Harbor.
Samuel Swett wrote in his History of Bunker Hill, that as the 2,300 British soldiers advanced: "The American marksmen are with difficulty restrained from firing. Putnam rode through the line, and ordered that no one should fire till they arrived within eight rods ... Powder was scarce and must not be wasted. They should 'not fire at the enemy till they saw the whites of their eyes ...' The same orders were reiterated by Prescott at the redoubt."
Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed March 20, 1942: "Our Army is a mighty arm of the tree of liberty. It is a living part of the American tradition, a tradition that goes back to Israel Putnam, who left his plow in a New England furrow to take up a gun and fight at Bunker Hill."
At the beginning of the battle, a stray musket ball from a British gun killed an American soldier, resulting in other soldiers running away.
To stop the confusion, Colonel William Prescott climbed on top of the the wall of the fortification, stood upright and walked back and forth, rallying his men.
When British General Thomas Gage saw Prescott through his telescope, he asked a local loyalist, Abijah Willard, who happened to be Prescott's brother-in-law, if Prescott had enough courage to fight.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanminute.com ...
This myth, that the British were bumbling, tea-sipping elitists who underestimated the American forces, ought to stop being perpetuated. Gage commanded the experimental light corps during the French and Indian War and fought alongside Americans quite extensively. Howe’s elder brother died in the F&I War and was noted as one of the most beloved officers in America.
The Brits used the exact same tactic at Fort Carillon in 1758. Would anyone argue that they held French regulars in contempt? It was simply a time during which, barring input from more imaginative officers, a situation such as this was handled with a bloody frontal assault.
Very moving.
Today facing a different “king” I wonder what would be the result. My guess, nothing akin to that.
Eventially an exploitable weakness was found in this tactic when enemy soldiers started wearing sun glasses.
“no one should fire till they arrived within eight rods”
A rod is about 5 meters.
Today the motto has been abbreviated to, “don’t shoot until you see the whites”.
Excellent. Thanks for posting.
Breed's Hill ping
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Recessional of the Sons of the American Revolution:
“Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to ourDr. Benjamin Franklin, when asked if we had a republic or a monarchy, replied "A Republic, if you can keep it."
forefathers who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
an independent Supreme Court and a nation of free men.”
OTOH, if you've got a lot more ammo, go ahead, just open fire. Thanks NonValueAdded. 17750617 keyword.
Good comments, generally.
Never mind the ignorant myth about how genius “Americans” fought guerilla tactics rather than the “stupid” frontal assaults as mentioned, or volley shooting in open fields.
This is equivalent to criticizing medieval/Renaissance formations and battle armor.
It is ignorant.
In fact, hardly any guerilla operations went on except in the South with skirmishers. Most recognized large “battles” were indeed pitched battles with volleys from each side right at each other.
People might as well ask why the 18th cent troops were not still wearing plate armor.
Freedom is hardly won and easily lost.
Time for Patriots to fight the good fight of faith and freedom to do whatever it takes to recover our Free Constitutional Republic!
Cursed is the man that trusts in man (and his government). Jer. 17:5.
Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord and whose hope is the Lord. Jer. 17:7.
It wasn't a stray bullet, it was a cannonball from one of the warships firing from the Charles river, and it decapitated a soldier.
I never read about anyone running afterward, but seeing that must've been disconcerting for anyone unfamiliar with combat.
Weapons of the time were notoriously inaccurate at long range of 50-100 yards. The closer they got to the shooter, they more likely they would be killed...................
Good thing the Brits weren’t wearing sunglasses.
The brits didn’t have much of a choice but a frontal assault. They tried to flank the redoubt on the banks of the Mystic River at the outset, which failed in a bloody short action. There were snipers in Charleston which prevented flanking from the other side. The Mystic River was too shallow and landing his men further up the Charles would’ve put them between colonial forces on Breeds and Bunker Hills.
No doubt they hadn’t much respect for the colonials but that didn’t affect their strategy.
In 1939, Jim Moran put on a re-enactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill, using men with various eye conditions including myopia and conjunctivitis. H. Allen Smith describes the whole thing in Chapter XI of the book Low Man on a Totem Pole.
Definitely. And due to the give-em-the-bayonet when you get there formations, the closer they got, the wider the target. Don't waste shots. OTOH, to maintain more or less continuous fire, the professional armies of that time also had deep ranks. And clearly they had iron discipline to walk into the teeth of fire like that. If concentrated fire (the whites of their eyes approach) knocked down enough of the redcoats to make them break for their original position, great. Not a good idea to get involved in a hand-to-hand struggle with a body of pros though.
Got bad news for ya man... It’s done lost!! The question is now, when do we start shooting to get it back??
Got bad news for ya man... It’s done lost!! The question is now, when do we start shooting to get it back??
It’s weird too, because their future was so bright...
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