After colonial forces fortified Breed's Hill (adjacent to Bunker Hill) overlooking Boston Harbor, British General Howe ordered three frontal assaults up the slope. Twice the redcoats were driven back with devastating losses. On the third charge, colonial powder ran out and the Patriots were forced from the hill with bayonets. The famous order 'Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes' epitomized the disciplined American defense.
Though a technical British victory, the battle cost more British officers than any engagement in the entire war. It proved colonial forces could fight in pitched battle, and emboldened Congress to appoint Washington as Commander-in-Chief.
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Eight days before Little Bighorn, Lakota and Cheyenne warriors under Crazy Horse intercepted General Crook's column of 1,300 soldiers and Crow and Shoshone scouts along Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory. The battle lasted six hours, ranging across three miles of terrain. Crook's force held the field at day's end but was so badly battered that he was forced to retreat and spend weeks resupplying — leaving Custer without support.
The Battle of the Rosebud is often overshadowed by Little Bighorn, but it was strategically decisive. By stopping Crook's column, Crazy Horse ensured that Custer would face the full concentration of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors alone. Without Crook's 1,300 men as part of the converging three-pronged offensive, the campaign unraveled.
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