Bunker Hill

This is the part of our walk that almost killed me.  We had already been walking for several hours seeing all the sights.  We arrived at Bunker Hill and climbed the steps to this monument when Stephen told me that you can climb to the top of the monument!  Of course, I agreed because I am a tourist, after all!  We climbed the 294 steps, enjoyed the view for a while, and then climbed back down, which was harder for some reason.  I got outside and my legs started shaking and cramping while I was exclaiming, "oh no!" over and over.  I thought I was going to collapse!  I powered through, however, and finished the entire Freedom Trail that day and we still had a lot more walking to do!  I walked over 23,000 steps and climbed 57 flights of stairs on this day!

 

 

The Bunker Hill Monument stands 221 feet tall at Breed's Hill, the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution fought on June 17, 1775. Control of this high ground near the harbor was important to the British occupation of Boston. When colonial forces chose to fortify Charlestown, they bypassed the more dominant "Bunker Hill" and dug in on Breed's Hill which was lower and closer to the water.
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" is the legendary order attributed to Colonel William Prescott to make sure that each shot would count. The poorly trained and ill prepared colonial forces repelled two major assaults by the British Army before retreating. Almost half of the British soldiers were either killed or injured. Although the colonists lost the battle, their bravery and strong showing against the British encouraged them to fight on.

 

View from the top:

 

U.S.S. Constitution