Much has been written about the Battle of Bunker Hill. For those who follow the history of the Revolutionary War, one of the first things you learn is that the battle did not occur on Bunker, or more properly, Bunker's Hill, but rather on Breed's Hill, which was adjacent to Bunker's Hill.

The whys and wherefores of this discrepancy have been laid to a number of sources, ranging from a decision by Colonial militia leaders, poor maps, and any number of other reasons.

All of that not withstanding, one of our ancestors, Moses Boynton, along with his brother, James, took part in the battle of Bunker Hill, as it is now known.

Moses and James, both of Rowley, MA, fought in that battle in which James was among the estimated 150 Colonial militamen killed.

Some say the battle, which also left more than 1,000 British regulars as casualties, had a very sobering effect on the British.

Although the Colonials technically lost the battle - they retreated when they ran out of ball and powder - they had effectively decimated the ranks of the officer corps of the British army which occupied Boston at the time.

Since June 17, 1775, a number of ancestors have been associated with the Battle of Bunker Hill and the ensuing erection of the nation's first war memorial, The Bunker Hill Monument.

My great great grandfather, John Boynton Wilson, yes, he was also a decendent of Moses Boynton, was, according to stories passed down through the family, involved in the construction of the monument. His home was located at 49 Monument Ave., Charlestown, in the shadow of the great Egyptian obelisk.

My great grandfather, Marcellus Day, a Charlestown resident and builder, was responsible for the construction of the granite and chain fence which surrounds the Bunker Hill Monument.

Rather than rehash the stories of the battle and the history of the monument and its construction, I am going to provide links to a number of sources, some of them perhaps with a New Hampshire bent, since we have lived in the Granite State for a good number of years.

Battle References

Monument References