William Prescott

William Prescott
Statue of Colonel William Prescott in Charlestown, Massachusetts
Born	(1726-02-20)February 20, 1726 Groton, Province of Massachusetts Bay
Died	October 13, 1795(1795-10-13) (aged 69) Pepperell, Massachusetts
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain  United States
Service/branch	Massachusetts Militia Continental Army
Years of service	1745–1786
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	King George's War Siege of Louisbourg French and Indian War Battle of Fort Beauséjour American Revolutionary War Siege of Boston Battle of Bunker Hill New York and New Jersey campaign Saratoga campaign Shays' Rebellion

William Prescott (February 20, 1726 – October 13, 1795) was an American colonel in the Revolutionary War who commanded the patriot forces in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Prescott is known for his order to his soldiers, "Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes", such that the rebel troops may shoot at the enemy at shorter ranges, and therefore more accurately and lethally, and so conserve their limited stocks of ammunition. It is debated whether Prescott or someone earlier coined this memorable saying.^[1]