Typically, this weekly article covers a Wednesday-to-Tuesday. However, this week we will cover a few more days in order to bump up the days as The Wanderer prints on Thursdays, and I feel it will make it more relevant to the reader, rather than reading things that happened the prior week. Therefore, this article covers more days to catch up, February 25 to March 7, 1776; the week after will cover March 8 to March 14, etc.
This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check up on what was going on 250 years ago in and around the colonial Province of Massachusetts Bay. Last week, General George Washington convened with his officers and spoke with the Continental Congress regarding plans for the planned move on Boston. Cold weather, the same that decimated the forces that attacked Quebec, is helping here, with much of the Charles River and port area around the city frozen over, allowing more encirclement and a spread-out assault. Though they still struggle with powder and manpower, Washington is mobilizing the men and moving into position.
On February 25, 1776, plans for a capture of Boston are nearly finalized. Still struggling with supplies, Washington writes to Major General Philip Schuyler in New York, saying, “I have adopted every measure which my judgment directed for procuring arms in these governments for the army under my command, – I am under the disagreeable and melancholy necessity of informing you, that there is at this important crisis a very great deficiency, and that there is now a considerable number of men at these encampments without any in their hands, nor do I know that there is any prospect or probability of providing them.” He has asked this of Schuyler as well as confidants in New England. Time is ticking on Boston, and supplies must be gathered.
That same day, Washington and his officers have finalized a plan should they need to play their hand early. Major General Horatio Gates, Brigadier General Nathanial Greene, Major General Israel Putnam, and Brigadier General John Sullivan have presented General Washington with a rough plan should the British lash out early. For this, they laid out a system of signals to notify each other of British movements. For example, “Signal in case the Enemy begin to embark, a flag on Roxbury Meeting House; If they actually land at Dorchester two flags.” This is all while troops, and notably artillery pieces, move into position in Boston’s sightline.
He writes to John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, the following day, saying, “We are making every necessary preparation for taking possession of Dorchester Heights as soon as possible, with a view of drawing the enemy out – How far our expectations may be answered, time can only determine.” He is confident of this movement of troops, as the encirclement of the city is becoming a reality, adding, “We shall be able to command a great part of the town, and almost the whole harbor.” Troops are on the verge of assault as Massachusetts militia are told to be ready to move in at a moment’s notice.
In an effort to keep a lid on his movements, Washington writes to Major General Artemas Ward on March 1, mentioning, “A gentleman or two from Maryland, having some business of importance to negotiate at the lines, have applied for, and been refused leave to attend personally.” Men are being turned away, for if they get too close, the troop movements could be revealed to the British in Boston.
On March 2, 1776, the grand plan has taken shape and begins to take motion. Under Colonel Henry Knox who had brought the artillery from Ticonderoga, American guns begin shelling the city from afar in the night, only to have British guns return fire. This exchange goes on for a few days, with little damage done on either side except the destruction of some of Boston’s homes and the killing of some unlucky British soldiers.
On March 3, Washington’s General Orders tell his men, “No officer, or soldier, under any pretense, is to be absent from his post,” without express permission from their superior. He adds, “The General flatters himself, that every officer, and soldier, will endeavor to give, such distinguished proofs of his conduct, and good behavior, as becomes men, fighting for every thing that is dear, and valuable to freemen; remembering at the same time what disgraceful punishment will attend a contrary behavior.” He also instructs men to be ready to push forward to advanced positions like Roxbury, though he still does not explicitly mention Dorchester.
Washington writes to Major General Ward that same day, and notes that his officers “thought it dangerous to delay taking post on Dorchester Hills.” He believes it will take about 800 men at night to secure the neck leading to Boston.
On March 5, Washington instructs around 2,500 men to secure Dorchester Heights, not knowing if the British will flee immediately to the sea or if the battle will drag on. Around 800 men are sent in to cover those, with a band of carriages and tools for entrenching positions following behind. Brigadier General Rufus Putnam, cousin of Israel Putnam, sets forth his plan for the use of felled timbers and bundles of sticks/brushwood to hastily erect fortifications overnight atop the hills, thus allowing artillery pieces to be run up and stationed in fortified positions. By 4:00 am, fortifications were erected and defended by small grapeshot cannons.
The British were so surprised by the speed of this encampment, that General William Howe is said to have remarked, “These rebels have done more work in one night than I could make my army do in three months.” The following morning, British soldiers would experience much heavier artillery fire than the prior nights, with their returning fire not even able to reach the tops of Dorchester Heights, leaving American positions unscathed.
Howe made plans for a march across to break these positions, preparing a detachment of around 2,400 men. Receiving word of this, Washington increased forces on the hills to around 6,000. Late in the day on March 5, a heavy snow would roll in, thus neutralizing the possibility of a British breakout. This heavy fire and bombardment from multiple directions would afflict the British positions and the city of Boston for the coming days.
This Week in Revolutionary War History
By Sam Bishop