William Prescott

William Prescott (February 20, 1726 – 1795) was an American colonel in the Revolutionary War who commanded the rebel forces in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Prescott became widely attributed for the famous quote, "Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes," an important instruction to his soldiers in order to conserve ammunition.

Prescott was born at Groton, Massachusetts to Benjamin Prescott (1696-1738) and Abigail Oliver Prescott (1697-1765). He married Abigail Hale (1733-1821) on April 13, 1758, and they had one son, also named William, in 1762. Prescott owned a house in Pepperell, Massachusetts, on Prescott Street. The house is now owned by William Graves. Prescott served in the French and Indian War.

When the American Revolutionary War began, Prescott was a colonel of the local militia at the siege of Boston, and commanded the forward American position at the Battle of Bunker Hill. After the battle, his militia unit was adopted into the newly created Continental Army, and he was commissioned the colonel of what became the 7th Continental Regiment. The regiment was active in the battles for New York City in 1776 and the Saratoga Campaign of 1777. He is depicted in the painting of the "Surrender of General Burgoyne" at Saratoga by John Trumbull, [ [http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/rotunda/surrender_burgoyne.cfm Surrender of General Burgoyne ] ] [citeweb |title=Key to the Surrender of General Burgoyne |url=http://americanrevolution.org/burgkey.html|accessdate=2008-01-20] which hangs in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Prescott retired from the army in 1777.

His grandson William H. Prescott was a noted historian and author. His younger brother Oliver Prescott also served during the war as a militia general, and the cousin of Rebecca Minot Prescott; who married American founding father Roger Sherman.

The former town of Prescott, Massachusetts, was named in his honor. The town was disincorporated in 1938 as part of the building of the Quabbin Reservoir, and the land now makes up Prescott Peninsula, which divides the main branches of the reservoir.

Prescott's likeness was made into a statue for a memorial for the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Prescott's house is located in North Pepperell, Massachusetts.

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