Learn Our History Today: On June 17, 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought when British troops launched an assault, ironically, on American held Breed’s Hill near Charlestown, Massachusetts. The British launched two assaults on the Americans under the command of Colonel William Prescott, suffering massive casualties when the Americans held their fire until the last minute and then released a smashing volley. The British ranks were devastated, and they were forced to retreat and regroup. The redcoats then launched their third and final attack driving the Americans out of their positions. The Americans on Breed’s Hill had mostly run out of ammunition, and when the bayonet equipped redcoats poured into the American redoubt, the bayonet-less militiamen started fleeing. One of the final Americans to leave was Colonel William Prescott himself, who fought many a redcoat with his saber. The British had won the day at the Battle of Bunker Hill, but at an appalling loss. The British lost 1,054 men out of 3,000 engaged. The Colonists on the other hand, lost less than half the number of the British, losing 450 men out of 2,400. Also, on June 17, 1877, Major General George Crook and 1,300 U.S. Troops were ambushed by a force of 1,500 Sioux Indians under the command of Crazy Horse in what became known as the Battle of the Rosebud. Crook’s men had unsaddled their horses and began relaxing near Rosebud Creek in southern Montana when more than a thousand mounted Indians converged on them. Luckily, Crook’s 262 Indian allies had anticipated an ambush, and as soon as the Sioux attacked, they launched a brave counter-charge, stopping the Sioux onslaught long enough for Crook to get his men in order. For the rest of the day, fighting continued between the two groups until the Sioux finally left the field. The U.S. troops suffered 28 killed and 56 wounded, and the Sioux had suffered a mere 13 casualties. A massacre had been skillfully avoided at the Battle of the Rosebud by the courage and skill of the Crook’s Indians.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:28:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015