Final answer:
General Prescott fortified Breed's Hill, repelling two British assaults before losing ground due to lack of ammunition. High casualties on the British side resulted in a pyrrhic victory, boosting American morale and showing that the colonists could challenge British forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
General William Prescott led 1,500 American troops on the night of June 16, 1775, to take control of Bunker Hill but instead fortified Breed's Hill. During the Battle of Bunker Hill, the American forces valiantly repelled the first two British assaults with devastating effects on the British troops. However, due to a shortage of ammunition and British reinforcements, the Americans were eventually overpowered and forced to retreat from Breed's and Bunker Hills back to Cambridge. Although a technical victory for the British under Major General Sir William Howe—resulting in 226 British fatalities and over 800 wounded—the battle encouraged the American forces and shook British confidence significantly.
The British Navy's bombardment proved ineffective, but it demonstrated the Americans' willingness to fortify strategic locations and face the British forces. Organizational and logistical difficulties beset both sides, with the Americans struggling with command issues and the British bringing the wrong ammunition for their artillery. The British attack, despite setting Charlestown on fire to dislodge American sharpshooters, resulted in the high casualty rate that eventually compromised British General Gage's standing and marked Howe's future leadership with a significant early setback.