Bunker Hill Reenactment - Hudson, MA, July 23rd 2022 

Apparently they were told not to do that, but I guess it was too tempting.

Time stamp?

@@HistoryBoy 10:33

They definitely did a great job putting it together! May you be blessed with less atrocious weather than we had, though.

@@ChristheRedcoat haha, much appreciated my friend!

Same, tbh

The day when fifer just didn't play was the saddest in my life.

Wait, you weren’t there? I could have sworn I saw you. Maybe I just had heatstroke.

@@ChristheRedcoat nope, plague in the house so I had to stay home. Greg was sergeant for the weekend. Bummed to miss the battle, not so much the heat.

@@marxbruder Ah, that’s a shame. Well, at least you’re staying cool.

It’s parapet firing

You’re welcome! It was a very energetic event, despite the heat.

Recommend watching while in a sauna to achieve full immersion.

It sure was. How'd everyone make out, today?

Ok during the battle since it was shorter today, but one of our guys had to be taken to the hospital afterwards. He’s okay now, though.

Oh jeez. Glad he’s doing okay!

I was sweating buckets and I wasn't even dressed up!

(Always Sunny Frank Voice) “Yes.”

Thanks!

Jokes aside, this looked really cool! I've really got to get into reenacting some day.

Thank you!

Logistical issues due to limited space.

I saw a few people I recognized there, too, and was also too shy, so I know the feeling!

Possibly because there’s a number of different regiments being represented, each with their own slightly different uniform, but since none of the companies are at full strength, there’s not as much of a “uniform” look. It was also very hot on this day, so some regiments have ditched their waistcoats, which is an actual documented practice but it does cause their overall appearance to be not quite as “pretty” as it you might expect.

@@ChristheRedcoat I understand. I’ve never been to a reenactment, and I should imagine it’s very difficult bringing together many different groups into a cohesive single force. I’m not being critical, honest, I just felt that they didn’t seem to be “uniform” in neither their drill nor their tactics!

@@RobinHullBuilds Completely understandable! Having variances in tactics and drill is not necessarily inaccurate, though. Some of the groups being represented are light infantry, and not every regiment would necessarily be receiving the same level of drill, especially not at this point in the war. After all, this was a peace-time army up until very recently.

@@RobinHullBuilds Also, the mechanical precision drill we see today from modern soldiers wasn't a thing in the 18th Century. As long as the troops moved and fired as one and maintained discipline under fire that was good enough, "snap" wasn't important.

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 yes, of course. I guess what we’ve seen in movies about the period is as accurate as a broken clock 😂

This particular event was the first one of its type that they’ve done at this site. But there are others all throughout the state and all summer long.

He did a very good job for the most part. Nobody’s perfect, though.

Some of those Massachusetts colonials were "gungi" enough to go hand to hand but not all were. When you're out of ammunition and the "bad guys" have bayonets and you don't discretion is usually the better part of valor.

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Those that fought there might not agree. There was ample hand-to-hand fighting before the Americans withdrew.

@@jwkennington Well, I don't want to get into a dogfight over this but I've been a student of the Revolution for close to 50 years and know the history of the Bunker (Breed's) Hill battle. Mind you, I'm not saying the militamen cut and ran, they withdrew in good order. I should explain the term "gungi," it's Vietnam era Marine slang for crazy mad, so certainly some, but definately far from all, of those colonials went hand-to-hand, there was a lot of hate for the Redcoats among those men. Hate will make you do things you normally wouldn't. Hey, there was some hand-to-hand fighting with the Redcoats on the retreat from Concord and Lexington, but we can't say it was universal. See where I'm coming from? Absolutely though, milita could be deadly when placed behind strong fortifications and with plenty of ammunition on hand. They were devastating at Bunker Hill and would be again at New Orleans in 1815.

It was brutal.

Honestly, I usually don’t find them to be very loud at all.

In the famous painting showing Dr Warren being wounded and the bayonet deflected by Capt Atwell-Small who later went to Halifax. Had a grandson who much later went to Queen Victoria and presented reasons for her to consider Nationhood for Canada. Imagine he achieved what Americans did but without firing a shot.

Do you mean the guys on the left side of the line at 3:41? I believe those are the Queen’s 16th Light Dragoons.

We’re the 16th Queen’s Light Dragoons:)

The hill is at the very end of the field. Usually they drive tanks in that area, hence all the dust.

Well in real life. They be trying to fight a battle in full uniform under fire against men up a small hill and behind a line of defence works so any hill would be deadly for them. And even though it wasn't real they was still in wool uniforms running around all day that so called small hill is big enough on a hot day lol

Breeds & Bunker Hills are much bigger in real life

North American reenactments do not use ramrods. It’s a safety concern and in no way a fault of this specific event.

@@ChristheRedcoat Unfortunately, an essential part is missing. Do you tell this your Audience? Iam just very surprised - In USA you can own so many types of lot more dangerous weapons. But it is a "safety concern" not to use a ramrod? You are professionals, not a frightened soldier in battle. Reenactors always talk about of historical Correctess and feel and understand this past times! That is marvelous! For me is using the ramrod an essential part to feel inside a battle... And: Who rams quicklier, survives. Important thing... All i told you now, is NOT meant badly. It is a thing that just irritates me. I love those things like you do. Even though i come from Austria - Europe. (I have recently a uniform of the 64th Reg. of Foot and of course a Brown Bess)

Yes, it is a very serious concern. All it takes is one person forgetting to remove their ramrod, and all future events at the site are in jeopardy. To say that we're professionals is honestly giving a lot of us too much credit. If anyone is hurt by an errant projectile, it becomes a very serious liability not just for immediate health reasons, but also insurance reasons. Nobody wants to deal with that. Ergo, ramrods are out of the question.

@@ChristheRedcoat Are there somewhere groups in USA, which use ramrods? And where could i find them?

Not that I am aware of. Certainly none that would be permitted to do so at any large-scale events of any note.

Okay.

That’s just untrue & frankly ignorant. Texas had many non-Texans fighting with them. David Burnet was from New Jersey. Sam Houston was a Virginian. Davy Crockett from Tennessee. James Bowie from Kentucky…. In fact most were not from from Texas at all.