The Origins of the Phrase: Older Than the Revolution

Interestingly, similar expressions were used before Prescott. Variants of the phrase appeared as early as the 1740s in European conflicts. General James Wolfe is said to have used something similar in 1759 during the Battle of Quebec. Still, it was Prescott’s use that immortalized it—burning it into the lore of the American Revolution.

Legacy of the Command

The phrase has become a symbol of discipline under fire. It reflects the American Revolution itself: an uprising not born of recklessness, but of strategy, patience, and iron will. Over the centuries, the line has been misattributed and mythologized—sometimes credited to Israel Putnam or even Andrew Jackson in later conflicts—but the bulk of evidence, including eyewitness accounts, points to Prescott.

Though William Prescott never became a household name like Washington or Jefferson, his words outlived him. He died in 1795, but his command lives on in textbooks, documentaries, and battle reenactments.

A Moment That Defined a Nation

In the desperate defense of a nameless hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Colonel William Prescott issued a command that would echo for centuries. It was not just about saving bullets—it was about asserting control, imposing calm in the face of chaos, and turning ordinary men into soldiers. In those words, we hear not just a battlefield order, but the voice of a young nation learning how to fight—and win—on its own terms.

“Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.”
It wasn’t just a command. It was the moment the Revolution found its focus.

The Man Behind the Words: Colonel William Prescott

While multiple figures from the American Revolution have been associated with the line, most historians credit Colonel William Prescott, a Massachusetts farmer-turned-soldier, with issuing the command during the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.

Prescott was a veteran of the French and Indian War, a man of steel resolve who had seen the wastefulness of battle up close. In the chaos of Bunker Hill, his men—mostly militia, not trained soldiers—were running low on ammunition and trembling in the face of advancing British regulars. Prescott’s solution was both psychological and practical: wait. Let the redcoats come as close as possible, then fire. Every shot had to count.

“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes,” he is said to have commanded.

The phrase was more than memorable—it was lifesaving. By waiting for the enemy to be nearly point-blank, the ragtag militia inflicted massive casualties on the British. Though the hill was eventually lost, the battle was a strategic victory for the Americans: it shattered the illusion of British invincibility and galvanized the revolutionary cause.