Francis Lord Rawdon: Bunker Hill Profile

British Lieutenant Francis Lord Rawdon survived his first military engagement on June 17, 1775 at the Battle of Bunker Hill. This young officer previously disparaged Britain's North American colonists as "scoundrels" and unworthy opponents. Primary sources capturing the day's events, however, reveal that the colonists' tenacity at Bunker Hill transformed Rawdon's dismissal into begrudging admiration.

Before the Battle

Francis Lord Rawdon, second Earl of Moira and later Marquis of Hastings, was born into an Anglo-Irish family in Moira, County Down, Ireland in 1754. His father, John Rawdon, was the first Earl of Moira and served as a peer in the Irish parliament. Rawdon received his education at Harrow, England, and embarked on his military career at age fifteen. With assistance from his uncle, Lord Huntingdon, Rawdon secured a commission as an ensign in the Fifteenth Regiment of Foot in August 1771. Although he gained admittance at Oxford University that year, Rawdon terminated his studies and settled on purchasing a commission as a lieutenant in the Fifth Regiment of Foot in 1773. The following July, Rawdon arrived in Boston.^[1]

Rawdon quickly formed a contemptible view of Britain's North American colonists. A man looking for action and hoping to make a name for himself, Rawdon did not care about the politics of the colonies. Moreover, he perceived the colonists as unworthy opponents on the battlefield. Similar to many other British officers in 1775, Rawdon viewed them as inferior. In his own writing, he dismissed the colonists as "scoundrels" and stated that he desired a "more reputable enemy;" to fight.^[2] Rawdon did not participate in the events at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. After another lieutenant suffered wounds that day, Rawdon was transferred in his place to the grenadier company and served under Captain George Harris.^[3]

The Battle of Bunker Hill

Rawdon experienced his first fighting two months later during the Battle of Bunker Hill. On June 17, he took part in storming the colonists' redoubt on Breed's Hill. General John Burgoyne recognized Rawdon's courage and leadership that day in correspondence to English government officials later in the month. Burgoyne wrote: "Lord Rawdon has this day stamped his fame for life." Thus, Rawdon's heroism secured a lasting military reputation.^[4] The colonists' galling musket fire decimated the British infantry's assault twice, and Rawdon later wrote of the attack in a letter to his uncle Lord Huntingdon:

Our men at last grew impatient, and all crying out, 'Push on! Push on!' advanced with infinite spirit to attack the works with their small arms. As soon as the rebels perceived this, they rose up and poured in so heavy a fire upon us that the oldest officers say they never saw a sharper action. They kept up the fire till we were within ten yards of them; nay, they even knocked down my captain, close by side me, after we got into the ditch of the entrenchment.^[5]

Rawdon exemplified bravery and decisiveness that afternoon. During the last attack Rawdon's company commander, Captain George Harris twice tried to enter the redoubt.^[6] During his second attempt, a musket ball grazed Harris' head and he toppled into the arms of Rawdon who saved him from being trampled by the grenadiers. Rawdon ordered four soldiers to take Harris back to the beach, but on exposing themselves from the ditch, colonists hit three of the four. Rawdon took command of the remaining troops and charged the wall of the redoubt where he successfully breached the position.^[7] Rawdon's action compelled General Burgoyne to write to Lord Stanley, "Lord Rawdon behaved to a charm; his name is established for life."^[8] Besides a musket ball piercing his cap, Rawdon miraculously came through the battle unscathed. He eagerly wrote his uncle, "I was everywhere in the thickest of the fire and flatter myself that I behaved as you could wish."^[9]

Rawdon's perception of the colonists' fighting ability morphed during the battle. In addition to proving their tenacity, the colonists inflicted heavy casualties on British forces. Rawdon himself witnessed their slow, reluctant retreat from the rail fence. As he described to his uncle: "The rebels were obliged to abandon their post, but continued a running fight from one fence, or wall, to another, till we entirely drove them off . . ." After the battle, Rawdon remarked that the loss of officers and rank and file were "very great." For example, only eleven Grenadiers remained in his company. At the same time, Rawdon exaggerated the number of colonists whom they fought, claiming it was 6,000.^[10] It is estimated that between 1,400 and 1,800 colonial forces engaged directly in the day's battle.^[11]

After the Battle

Rawdon's actions at Bunker Hill established his military credentials and prefigured a tumultuous career. During the following month, Rawdon received a promotion to captain of the Sixty-Third Regiment of Foot. By 1781, Rawdon, now a Colonel of the Volunteers of Ireland (a battalion he created comprised of deserters from the Continental Army), left the American colonies due to sickness.^[12] On return to England, the French captured his ship and held the passengers for several months before releasing them. Rawdon came back to Britain a hero and embarked on a joint political-military career that lasted until his death in 1826. He served, for example, in both the Irish and British parliaments and fought against the French in the Napoleonic Wars before being made Governor-General of India from 1813 to 1823.^[13] In John Trumbull's painting The Death of Dr. Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Rawdon is depicted holding the British Ensign.

Contributed by Patrick J. McGarrity, Park Ranger

Footnotes

[1] Paul David Nelson, Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Marquess of Hastings Soldier, Peer of the Realm, Governor-General of India (Teaneck, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2005), 20-24.

[2] Richard M. Ketchum, Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill (New York: John Macrae/Henry Holt and Company, 1962), 121.

[3] Nelson, Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 25.

[4] Ibid, 28.

[5] Francis, Lord Rawdon to his uncle, Francis, tenth Earl of Huntingdon, June 20, 1775 in The Spirit of ‘Seventy-Six: The Story of the American Revolution as Told by Participants, eds. Henry Steele Commager and Richard B. Morris (New York: Harper & Row, 1975), 130-131.

[6] Thomas J. Fleming, Now We Are Enemies: The Story of Bunker Hill (New York: St Martin’s Press, 1960), 291.

[7] Ketchum, Decisive Day, 172.

[8] General John Burgoyne to Thomas Stanley, Esq. Boston June 25, 1775 in The Spirit of ‘Seventy-Six: The Story of the American Revolution as Told by Participants, eds. Henry Steele Commager and Richard B. Morris (New York: Harper & Row, 1975), 133-134; General John Burgoyne to Thomas Stanley, Esq. Boston June 25, 1775 posted by G. Thomas Fitzpatrick on rectaratio.blogspot.com, last modified June 17, 2006.

[9] Francis, Lord Rawdon to his uncle, Francis, tenth Earl of Huntingdon, June 20, 1775 in The Spirit of ‘Seventy-Six: The Story of the American Revolution as Told by Participants, eds. Henry Steele Commager and Richard B. Morris (New York: Harper & Row, 1975), 130-131.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Boston National Historical Park, “The Battle of Bunker Hill,” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-battle-of-bunker-hill.htm, accessed October 21, 2021.

[12] Christopher Hibbert, Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution through British Eyes (New York: Avon Books, 1990), 239-240.

[13] “Francis Rawdon,” Boston National Historic Park, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, Ninety Six National Historic Site, last modified July 2, 2020, https://www.nps.gov/people/francis-rawdon.htm.

Bibliography

• Boston National Historical Park. "The Battle of Bunker Hill." National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-battle-of-bunker-hill.htm. Accessed October 21, 2021.
• Commager, Henry Steele and Richard B. Morris, eds. The Spirit of ‘Seventy-Six: The Story of the American Revolution as Told by Participants. New York: Harper & Row, 1975.
• Fleming, Thomas J. Now We Are Enemies: The Story of Bunker Hill. New York: St Martin's Press, 1960.
• General John Burgoyne to Thomas Stanley, Esq. Boston June 25, 1775 posted by G. Thomas Fitzpatrick on rectaratio.blogspot.com, last modified June 17, 2006.
• Hibbert, Christopher. Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution through British Eyes. New York: Avon Books, 1990.
• Ketchum, Richard M. Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill. New York: John Macrae/Henry Holt and Company, 1962.
• Nelson, Paul David. Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Marquess of Hastings Soldier, Peer of the Realm, Governor-General of India. Teaneck, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2005.