Breed’s Hill is one of the heights in Charlestown that overlooks Boston, and was a key location in the Revolutionary War. By holding the hill, the Colonists threatened the British occupation of the city. On June 17, 1775 - the day of the so-called “Battle of Bunker Hill”- the British were determined to dislodge the Colonists with a frontal attack. The Colonists withstood two British charges, but their resistance to a third charge was weakened by a shortage of powder and shot. This ill-timed lack of artillery ultimately lead to the British forces reaching the top of the hill. This painting, created by Dennis Malone Carter, is the artist’s imaginative reconstruction of that dramatic moment. While the hand-to-hand combat that he illustrates probably did give some of the Colonists time to escape, the painting’s title hardly does justice to the grand scene of clashing armies on the day. The painting is dated 1857 and currently hangs in Faneuil Hall.