User:Bslaceypstcc/sandbox

Geography
1775 map of the Boston area (contains some inaccuracies) Boston, situated on a peninsula, was largely protected from close approach by the expanses of water surrounding it, which were dominated by British warships. In the aftermath of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the colonial militia, a force of about 15,000 men, had surrounded the town, and effectively besieged it. Under the command of Artemas Ward, they controlled the only land access to Boston itself (the Roxbury Neck), but, lacking a navy, were unable to even contest British domination of the waters of the harbor. The British troops, a force of about 6,000 under the command of General Thomas Gage, occupied the city, and were able to be resupplied and reinforced by sea. In theory, they were thus able to remain in Boston indefinitely.

However, the land across the water from Boston contained a number of hills, which could be used to advantage. If the militia could obtain enough artillery pieces, these could be placed on the hills and used to bombard the city until the occupying army evacuated it or surrendered. It was with this in mind that the Knox Expedition, led by Henry Knox, later transported cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to the Boston area.

The Charlestown Peninsula, lying to the north of Boston, started from a short, narrow isthmus (known as the Charlestown Neck) at its northwest and extended about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeastward into Boston Harbor. Bunker Hill, with an elevation of 110 feet (34 m), lay at the northern end of the peninsula. Breed's Hill, at a height of 62 feet (19 m), was more southerly and nearer to Boston. Although at an advantage due to the height of Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill, it also essentially trapped the American soldiers at the top. The town of Charlestown occupied flats at the southern end of the peninsula. At its closest approach, less than 1,000 feet (300 m) separated the Charlestown Peninsula from the Boston Peninsula, where Copp's Hill was at about the same height as Breed's Hill. While the British retreat from Concord had ended in Charlestown, General Gage, rather than immediately fortifying the hills on the peninsula, had withdrawn those troops to Boston the day after that battle, turning the entire Charlestown Peninsula into a no man's land.

Analysis
Much has been written in the wake of this battle over how it was conducted. Both sides made strategic and tactical missteps which could have altered the outcome of the battle. While hindsight often gives a biased view, some things seem to be apparent after the battle that might reasonably have been within the reach of the command of the day.

Years after the battle, and after Israel Putnam was dead, General Dearborn published an account of the battle in Port Folio magazine, accusing General Putnam of inaction, cowardly leadership and failing to supply reinforcements during the battle, which subsequently sparked a long lasting and major controversy among veterans of the war, various friends, family members and historians. People were shocked by the rancor of the attack, and this prompted a forceful response from defenders of Putnam, including such notables as John and Abigail Adams. It also prompted Putnam’s son, Daniel Putnam, to defend his father using a letter of thanks written by George Washington, and statements from Colonel John Trumbull and Judge Thomas Grosvenor in Putnam’s defense. Historian Harold Murdock wrote that Dearborn's account "abounds in absurd misstatements and amazing flights of imagination." The Dearborn attack received considerable attention because at the time he was in the middle of considerable controversy himself. He had been relieved of one of the top commands in the War of 1812 due to his mistakes. He had also been nominated to serve as Secretary of War by President James Monroe, but was rejected by the United States Senate (which was the first time that the Senate had voted against confirming a presidential cabinet choice). Several contradictory accounts of the event sparked discourse, but New Englanders attempted to resolve conflicts by suggesting to erect memorials dedicated to Bunker Hill rather than a specific person.

Quote 1) In 1775 Charlestown, including Breed’s Hill, was peninsula of limited size and hilly formation, connected with the mainland by a single narrow causeway, which was, at times of sufficiently high tide, itself overflowed. When, therefore, on the night of the 16th-17th of June, Colonel Prescott led his force across the causeway, and established it upon Breed’s Hill, he put and those who followed him in a trap where, with an enemy having complete control of the sea, and so commanding his rear and both flanks, it merely necessary to snap the door and hold him utterly powerless either to escape or to resist. He had literally thrust his head into the lion's mouth.

Quote 2) Besides, the Americans could occupy only the top of Bunker’s Hill, because the frigates and corvettes of the enemy would catch them on the flank as soon as they left the height. Such, however, was the result of this fight, honorable in every aspect for our allies, that one cannot calculate what would have been that of a complete victory.

Quote 3) Daniel Putnam also broadened the field of attack against Dearborn. Whereas Dearborn relied upon personal memories of Bunker Hill, Putnam recuited allies to vouchsafe his father's honor and furnish a seemingly more objective history based on expert testimony. A letter of thanks from George Washington to Israel Putnam at the close of the war enabled Daniel Putnam to shroud his father with a protective mantle from the issustrious commander-in-chief. Would Washington thank a man without merit? Surely not was the implied answer. Two recent statements from Colenel John Trumbull and Judge Thomas Grosvenor fortified Putnam's defense. A soldier turned historical painter, Trumbull supplied an account told him in 1786 by John Small, a British colonel, which praised General Putnam's chivalry upon the redoubt. Putnam had stopped his men from shooting Small, recognizing him as a beloved comrade-in-arms from the past. Not only was Putnam in the thick of the fight, but he showed mercy to a foe, an admirable trait.

Quote 4) Discordant memories stimulated attacks and counter-attacks, as partisan forces attempted to imprint their version of events upon the public. To prevent the past from becoming a continual battlefield, New Englanders also sought to resolve the memory conflict. They could not agree about individual contributions at Bunker Hill -- too many contradictory accounts had surfaced -- but people could acknowledge the overall significance of the event. This at least furnished common ground for political combatants. At this juncture, the memory debate sidestepped the Dearborn/Putnam situation to embrace a monument to the Battle of Bunker Hill by the early 1820s. Memorials to an event, rather than a particular person, could permit partisans to close ranks, and promote the "sectional nationalism" that validated New England's identity as a torchbearer of the American Revolution.