Battle of Breeds and Bunker Hill

Battle of Breeds and Bunker Hill, fought June 17, 1775, near Boston, pitted 6,000 British regulars against about 15,000 American militiamen. British forces crossed from the harbor to Charlestown and began ascending Breeds Hill at 3:00 p.m., with colonial defenders holding the higher ground. The first and second assaults were repelled; in the third, the British seized the position after American ammo exhausted. Casualties were heavy: about 1,000 British and 400-450 Americans. The battle boosted American morale and prompted greater unity, with George Washington named Commander-in-Chief two days earlier.