Before Washington could reach the Army at Cambridge, the first major battle of the Revolution erupted at Charlestown around a little hill on farmer Breed's property. Concerned with Britsh defense plans, American forces under Gen. Artemas Ward took positions on first Bunker Hill and then Breed's Hill on the night of June 16. The next morning Gen. Gage ordered with a direct frontal attack under Gen. Sir William Howe with 2,400 men. Waiting until they could see the "whites of their eyes," the Americans delivered a devastating fire, reeling the British back twice. A third attack succeeded, however, and the Americans were swept from the hill. It was a costly British victory. Howe suffered 1,100 casualties; the Americans 400. There was little for the Patriots to be proud of, but the Battle of Bunker Hill, as it is mistakenly called, had a marked effect on the British. It was nearly a year before they again took the offensive.

While Washington tried to bring some order to the Continental Army, Congress became concerned about the British in Canada. Fearing that the St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain would be used as an invasion route to the Hudson River, thus dividing the colonies, Congress ordered an American initiative using Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point as a base for taking St. Johns and Montreal. St. Johns fell on November 2 to Gen. Richard Montgomery. Montreal was occupied 12 days later.

Meanwhile Washington proposed another plan--an attack on Quebec by way of the Kennebec River. The march by Col. Benedict Arnold was one of the major epics of the war. After suffering incredible hardships through rough terrain and unusally bad weather, Arnold arrived at the outskirts of Quebec on November 9 with only 600 of his 1,100 volunteers. Montgomery joined him from Montreal and together on the night of December 31, they attacked the walled city in a blinding snowstorm only to be repulsed in disaster. Montgomery was killed and Arnold wounded. The first year of the Revolution ended on an inglorious note.

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