Bunker Hill

This dramatic painting of the storming of Bunker Hill, or Breed's Hill, demonstrates the danger of being an officer, leading from the front and being deliberately targeted by the Colonists. The grenadier caps are wrong for the period because, in 1768 the embroidered coloured mitre caps were replaced by fur caps. However, it is possible that the Royal Irish Regiment had to retain their old blue-fronted caps as they had been in North America since 1767 and may not have been issued with the new ones. It would also be unlikely that the soldiers would wear white leggings as these were reserved for parades and black one worn on campaign. The bugle, as seen on the right of the picture, was not used by the grenadier companies but was probably used by the light companies.