Next Tuesday, June 17, 2025, is the bicentennial of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the decisive Revolutionary War fight that took place 30 miles south of here. In honor of this 250th anniversary, I am reposting a story I’ve published several times, followed by another past blog post about those who lived in this vicinity who fought in that battle.

Before considering the details of the Battle of Bunker Hill, it is helpful to review the chronology of (some of) the early engagements of the Revolutionary War:

• April 19, 1775 – Fight at Lexington and Concord
• May 10, 1775 – Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture Fort Ticonderoga
• June 17, 1775 – Battle of Bunker Hill
• December 31, 1775 – Benedict Arnold & Richard Montgomery attack Quebec City
• January 1776 – Henry Knox arrives outside of Boston with cannon from Ticonderoga
• March 17, 1776 – After Washington’s troops fortify Dorchester Heights, the British evacuate Boston.

Although Lowell was not founded as a town until 1826, the area that became Lowell was inhabited in 1775 by many farmers and merchants who were members of the local militia companies. Some were veterans of the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

On the morning of April 19, 1775, the firing at Concord’s North Bridge could be heard here in what was then part of Chelmsford which was just 14 miles away. The local militia companies formed up and moved out. Many participated in the fighting as the British retreated back to Boston that day.  The same militia companies remained on duty on the outskirts of Boston and fought at Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.

The Americans precipitated the battle by occupying and fortifying the high ground of Charlestown’s Bunker and Breeds Hills on the evening of June 16/17. These strategic heights had been left unoccupied and the colonists learned or suspected that the British had imminent plans to cross the Charles River from Boston and emplace troops on the two hills.

When the British awoke on the morning of June 17 and acknowledged the threat these new fortifications posed to their base in Boston, they immediately organized an attack on the American position. Although the actions at Lexington, Concord, and the retreat back to Boston had been deadly, there had been large scale confrontation between the British Army and the American militia. Consequently, as they prepared to attack on June 17, the British commanders believed that the untrained militia would immediately flee in the face of the advancing British troops. The British commanders were wrong.

The British, led by General William Howe (no relation), landed on the Charlestown peninsula on the morning of the 17th, took half the day to get organized, and then attacked the dug-in Americans three times. Each time they were repulsed with heavy casualties until the colonists ran out of ammunition and were overrun. The victory was costly for the British who suffered more than 1000 casualties (228 killed and 800 wounded). The Americans suffered significant casualties but far fewer than the British, and most of the American troops were able to retreat to safety.

The real impact of Bunker Hill occurred months later when the news of the heavy casualties finally reached England. Many who saw Lexington and Concord as an unfortunate misunderstanding and who were working for reconciliation, abandoned all hope of a peaceful and fast resolution of the conflict and resolved themselves to a long and costly fight.

****

Bunker Hill Honor Roll

BUNKER HILL ROLL OF HONOR

On the second floor of Lowell’s Pollard Memorial Library there hangs a framed proclamation titled “Bunker Hill Roll of Honor.” It identifies those who lived on the land that became the city of Lowell who participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Here is the text of the document.

****

BUNKER HILL ROLL OF HONOR

The lists of the names of the men from Chelmsford, Dracut and Tewksbury, who fought on that memorable 17th of June, have been compiled from the original records, and it seems but a slight recognition of their services to preserve these lists which form a Roll of Honor of the men who fought on Bunker Hill.

The men who lived and loved and labored within our original boundaries and whose patriotism on that day made it possible for our fair city of Lowell to have existence.

Chelmsford

Officers: Colonel Ebenezer Bridge; Lieutenant Colonel Moses Parker; Major John Brooks; Adjutant Joseph Fox; Quarter-Master John Bridge; Surgeon Walker Hastings; Assistant Surgeon John Sprague.

Captain Benjamin Walker’s Company

Charles Fletcher; Zaccheus Fletcher; Joseph Blood; Joseph Osgood; Joshua Durant; Thomas Marshall; John Adams; Robert Tier; Ebenezer Gould.

27th Regiment under Captain John Ford

Lieutenant Isaac Parker; Ensign Jonas Parker; Sergeants Moses Parker, Daniel Keyes, Parker Emerson, Jonas Pierce; Corporals John Bates, Benjamin Barret, William Cambell; Drummer William Ranstead; Fifer Barzilla Lew of Dracut.

Privates: John Keyes, Alexander Davidson, John Chambers, Samuel Britton, Moses Parker, Benjamin Pierce, David Chambers, Ebenezer Shed, Samuel Wilson, Nathaniel Foster, Benjamin Parker, James Drum, Isaih Foster, Joseph Chambers, Isaac Barrett, Benjamin Farley, Enouch Cleveland, Benjamin Butterfield, Samuel Howard, Moses Esterbrook, Robert Auger, Elijah Haselton, John Glode, Jesse Dow, Joseph Spalding, Francis Davidson, Oliver Cory, Samuel Marshall, Ruben Foster, Timothy Adams, John Parker, William Rowell, Benjamin Hayward,  James Alexander, Nathaniel Kemp, Soloman Keyes, Noah Foster, Jonas Spalding, Josiah Fletcher, James Chambers, Silas Parker, Robert Richardson, William Brown, Soloman Farmer, Thomas Bewkel.

Mortally wounded at Bunker Hill – Lt. Col. Moses Parker and Capt. Benjamin Walker.

****

Dracut

Captain Peter Coburn’s Company

Captain Peter Coburn; Lieutenants Josiah Faster, Ebenezer Varnum; Sergeants James Varnum, Micah Hildreth, Phineas Coburn, William Harvey; Corporals John Hamock, John Taylor, Jesse Fox, John Barron.

Privates: Nehemiah Jagnest, Benjamin Barron, John Bradley, Daniel Clough, Timothy Davis, William Emerson, Timothy Foster, Jesse Fox, Gardner Gould, Abijah Hills, Soloman Jones, David Lindsey, Jonathan Richardson, John Roper, Barnabas Stevens, Elijah Tuttel, John Varnum, Joshua Varnum, Henry Barron, Soloman Wood, Samuel Whiting, Moses Clement, Benjamin Crosby, Seth Didson, Zebediah Fitch, Abijah Fox, Thomas Gardner, Jonathan Hamblett, John Hall, Samuel Jenners, Nathaniel Kittredge, William Parker, Moses Richardson, Amos Sawyer, John Thissel, Joseph Tuttel, Jonas Whiting, Jonas Varnum, William Varnum, Thomas Wright.

In other Companies were

Moses Barker, Moses Barker Jr., William Brown, Smith Coburn, Joseph Hibbard, Chester Parker, Barzilla Lew.

Mortally wounded or killed at Bunker Hill

Benjamin Crosby, John Thissel, Joseph Hibbard

Tewksbury

Captain Harden’s Company

John Burt, Joshua Thompson, William Harris, Moses Gray, Samuel Manning

Captain Walker’s Company

Lieutenant John Flint; Sergeants Luke Swett, Eliakim Walker, David Bayley, Peter Hunt; Corporal Philip Fowler; Drummer Phineas Annis; Fifer Isaac Manning.

Privates: John Bayley, Jonathan Beard, John Dutton, Amos Foster, Jonathan Frost, Jonathan Gould, John Hall, Nehemiah Hunt, Josiah Kidder, Eliphalet Manning, Joseph Phelps, Samuel Bayley, John Danderly, Timothy Dutton, Jacob Frost, Joseph Frost, Jonathan Gray, John Howard, Paul Hunt, Asa Laveston, Daniel Merritt, Hezehiah Thorndike.

Taken prisoner or killed at Bunker Hill: Philip Fowler, Jacob Frost