USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. I > Part 24
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In the beginning of September General Wash- ington received about three tons of gunpowder from Rhode Island, but the lamentable deficiency of heavy artillery still rendered the operations of the besiegers weak and inefficient. Indeed, it was held to be of little use to build works that they could not arm, hnt the prosecution of those works gave employment to the soldiers, gave them a cer- tain sense of security, rendered them indifferent to the enemy's cannonade, and prepared the way for the moment when active operations should begin.
On the 13th of September the memorable and ill-starred expedition against Quebec marched from Cambridge under command of Colonel Bene- dict Arnold. The troops left their camps in the evening and proceeded to Newburyport; where they embarked for the Kennebeck. It is not our pur- pose to follow the disastrous fortunes of this little band of twelve hundred men. There was no lack of intrepid spirits to secure success. Morgan, Aaron Burr, Matthias Ogden, and Henry Dearborn accompanied Arnold. This was the third attempt upon the Canadian stronghold, originating at Bos- tou, we have been called upon to chronicle. For the third time it resulted in failure.
Another event of moment was the arrest of Dr. Benjamin Church, surgeon-general of the army, charged with holding a traitorous correspondence with the enemy. The fact was proven beyond reasonable doubt. Being a member of the newly constituted house of representatives, the accused was arraigned at the bar of the house and expelled. By a resolution of congress he was sent to Con- necticut, there to be kept in close confinement. Thus dismally ended the career of a man who had possessed the confidence of his countrymen in a high degree, and who had been rewarded with positions of high honor and trust. The solitary instance of his perfidy renders it all the more con- spicuous. That it was so long successfully con- cealed was unquestionably owing to the exalted position occupied by the traitor.
Early in October General Gage was superseded by Howe, and embarked for England. The king sarcastically referred to him as the " amiable gen- eral." His measures had certainly been such, and such only, as were forced upon him. It was seen at London that the suppression and punishment of rebellion had proceeded but slowly under his administration as military governor. More vigor- ous action was expected from his sueeessor.
The siege progressed quietly until November 9, when the enemy unexpectedly made a descent at Lechmere's Point for the purpose of shooting and carrying away some cattle that were kept there. A landing was effected at high tide, when the Point was isolated from the mainland. For this reason it was some time before the Americans could get across, and then only by wading waist-deep in water. Colonel Thompson, of the rifle regiment, and Patterson, who were nearest to the Point, made a spirited dash for it ; but the enemy had re-em- barked before they could close with them. This was
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the boldest affair yet undertaken by the enemy, and its successful result caused great elation in Boston.
An important episode of the siege, one which offered a golden opportunity for distinction to an ambitious and chivalric spirit, now occurred. Among those who had assisted in planning and superintending the various works erected by the American army was young Henry Knox, of Boston, who had but recently married the lovely and accom- plished daughter of the royal secretary of the prov- ince. Although he had not yet joined the army, he actively aided it as a volunteer engineer until such time as his merit and his services could be appro- priately recognized. The commander-in-chief had already noticed him, and on the 8th of November wrote to congress recommending his appointment to command the artillery in the place of the infirm and venerable Gridley. The officers of the artillery regiment warmly seconded the recommendation.
Ever since the fall of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, the idea of bringing a part of their armament to the lines investing Boston had been prominent. We have already remarked upon the circumstances which had rendered even the partial dismantling of these fortresses inexpedient in the eyes of congress. These objections had now yielded to the acknowl- edged necessity of bringing the siege of Boston to a speedy termination. Washington now found himself free to order the transportation of a siege train from those remote posts. But who should undertake such a task ? Winter had already set in. No means of transportation had been organ- ized ; the distance was three hundred miles, and the roads execrable. Evidently the commission could only be intrusted to a man whom no common diffi- culties would baffle, and whose resources would equal every emergency. Happily the commander- in-chief's knowledge of men did not deceive him. His choice fell upon Knox, who, after incredible exertions, succeeded in bringing the cannon and mortars to the foot of Lake George. Here he liad ready forty-two strong sleds, on which the artillery was conveyed, nia Saratoga, Albany, Kinderhook, and Springfield, to Cambridge. In the exuberance of his spirits at the prospect of successfully accom- plishing what seemed at one time hopeless, Knox wrote to the commander-in-chief : "Three days ago it was very uncertain whether we could have gotten them until next spring; but now, please God, they must go."
While anxiously awaiting the result of Knox's mission, the general-in-chief resolved to close up
the line on his left by fortifying Cobble, or Miller's, Hill, on Charles River. The time of the Connect- icut troops having nearly expired rendered it desir- able to get all the work possible done before they returned home. General Putnam was ordered to secure the position. On the night of November 22d he began throwing up works, proceeding without molestation from the enemy until daybreak. The frozen ground covered with snow made the labor both slow and difficult, but a sufficient protection was raised by dawn to cover the intrenching party. Work was suspended until the following night, when General Heath, with a second detachment, continued the work, which when completed was pronounced to be the best on the American lines, and was called " Putnam's impregnable fortress." The range of hills between Willis's Creek and the Mystic was now a continuons line of batteries, redoubts, and intrenched camps.1
Before the end of the month Captain Manly, with a Marblehead privatecr, captured the British ship Nancy near the coast. The vessel was heavily loaded with ordnance stores destined for the army in Boston, and proved an invaluable prize to the Americans. She had on board four hundred bar- rels of gunpowder, two thousand stands of small arms, thirty-two tons of musket bullets, one hundred thousand flints, thirty thousand six and twelve pounder cannon-balls, with many other arti- cles of the greatest necessity to the besiegers. A thirteen-inch brass mortar was among the trophies which the carelessness of the British convoy caused to fall into our hands. So apprehensive was Wash- ington of an attempt by the enemy to recover the prize, that he instantly despatched Glover with four companies to Marblehead, with orders to call in the militia of Cape Ann while the transportation of the Nancy's cargo to Cambridge was being effected. This most fortunate capture caused great rejoicing in the American camp. On its arrival the mortar was christened the " Congress " by General Putnam and Colonel Mifflin in the presence of and amid the huzzas of all the troops in Cambridge. Several other captures were made which greatly distressed the enemy.
Washington was now to encounter the greatest danger which had yet presented itself. It menaced not only the successful issue of the siege, but the
1 Besides fortifying Cobble Hill, Washington eaused two half- moon batteries to be thrown up on the shore between Lechmere's Point and the bend of Charles River; another at the causeway to Lechmere's Point.
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very existence of the army. The term of enlist- ment was nearing its close, and the new levies au- thorized by Congress to keep up the effective force before Boston were not forthcoming. In a word, the general was confronted by the probability of a speedy disbanding of the army under his command. His belief that the enemy was fully apprised of this state of things did not tend to render the situa- tion any less serious or perplexing. On the Ist of December the Connecticut troops broke up their camps and marched for home in a body, not- withstanding the most urgent appeals to their patriotism, and a positive order from headquarters forbidding their departure until their place in the line could be filled by Massachusetts and New Hampshire militia. It was nearly three weeks be- fore the whole number of militia called for could reach the camp. But this was only the prelude to greater dangers, as the term of enlistment of the Massachusetts and New Hampshire troops would expire on the 1st of January. It was determined at headquarters to improve the intervening time to the utmost. The ground would soon be solidly frozen, and the river would shortly offer a natural bridge between the hostile camps.
Lechmere's Point, the scene of the advance on Lexington, of the recent exploit of the British light-infantry, the stumbling-block of the 17th of June, was next fortified by the Americans on the 17th of December. Washington had planted a mortar-battery here on the 29th of November. It was only about three fourths of a mile from the enemy's batteries at Barton's Point in Boston,1 and was the most serious advance towards a bom- bardment of the town Washington had yet at- tempted. Regarded as a defensive work, merely, it was well situated for checking any movement of the enemy in this direction when the river should become so solidly frozen as to allow the passage of a column of troops, with their artillery, over the ice.
A causeway was begun across the marsh to Lechmere's Point on the 12th. This must be made practicable for artillery, and raised high enough to allow troops to cross at high tide. During the 14th, 15th, and 16th, approaches were carried to the Point and well up to the summit of the hill, though the work was retarded by a fall of snow. The morning of the 17th being foggy, General Putnam began two redoubts on the hill,
1 Where West Boston Bridge now unites the West End of Boston with East Cambridge.
continuing the work uninterruptedly until noon, when the fog cleared away, discovering the Amer- icans to the enemy. The Scarborough, which was moored in the channel, immediately opened fire with round shot and grape, and the enemy's bomb-bat- tery at Barton's Point began to shell the workmen. Putnam was obliged to withdraw his men, but the work was resumed on the 18th by General Heath. In the mean time the Americans had brought an eighteen-pounder to bear upon the Scarborough from Cobble Hill, with which, at the distance of half a mile, they hulled the ship twice in six shots, compelling her to drop down the stream out of range. As the discomfited vessel floated slowly past their batteries, the Americans gave three rousing cheers. The workmen, having only the enemy's batteries on the opposite shore to contend with, proceeded with their labor, and during this and the succeeding day finished the redoubts. Dur- ing the bombardment the enemy threw a thirteen- inch shell from Bunker Hill into the American lines at Butler's, now Dana Hill, in Cambridge.
The time had now arrived when the troops who had opened the trenches around Boston, and who, for more than six months, had held them with the greatest courage and devotion, were to return to their homes. Many re-enlisted, but to the greater number a brief return to their families had become a matter of necessity. Nevertheless, while this process of dissolving one army and of reorganizing another was going on the situation was truly alarming. From highest to lowest the American generals were in profound anxiety, nor h. d they much expectation of holding their long line should it be attacked by Howe. Indeed, his apathy was incomprehensible ; for a greater opportunity to raise a siege had never offered itself to any gen- eral. So extraordinary a state of affairs drew from Washington this observation : "It is not perhaps in the power of history to furnish a case like ours, - to maintain a post within musket-shot of the enemy for six months together without -,1 and at the same time to disband one army and recruit another within that distance of twenty odd Brit- ish regiments is more than probably was ever attempted."
General Greene wrote from Prospect Hill, Jan- uary 4, 1776 : " Had the enemy been fully ac- quainted with our situation, I cannot pretend to say what might have been the consequences. I
1 The general purposely omitted the word " powder," fearing his letter might fall into the enemy's hands.
1
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INVESTMENT OF BOSTON.
this day manned the lines upon this hill, and feel a degree of pleasure that I have not felt for several days. Our situation has been critical. We have no part of the militia on this hill; and the night after the old troops went off, I could not have mustered seven hundred men, notwithstanding the returns of the new enlisted troops amounted to nineteen hundred and upward. I am now strong enough to defend myself against all the force in Boston."
During these dark days of trial, the undaunted spirit of the commander-in-chief supported the cause confided to his hands with heroic constancy. His resolution communicated itself to his lieuten- ants. The routine of the army was kept up when there were scarcely men enough to furnish the necessary gnards and outposts. Everywhere a bold and confident front was maintained. Militia from the nearest towns were hurried to camp, and armed in some cases with muskets taken by force from those old soldiers who were departing. On the first day of the New Year, while distress and apprehension prevailed throughout the half-mauned works, the flag of the Thirteen United Colonies, blazoned with its thirteen stripes, was for the first time hoisted and saluted as it floated above the battlements of Prospect Hill.
The spirit of daring was by no means extinct behind the American lines. On the 8th of January Putnam sent Major Knowlton, with two hundred men, to destroy some houses on the main street in - Charlestown which had escaped the conflagration of the 17th of June, and were now in quiet occupa- tion of the enemy. At nine in the evening the de- tachment left Cobble Hill, crossed the mill-dam, and divided into three parties for the purpose of firing the houses. Owing to misapprehension of orders, or too great precipitation, the houses nearest the mill were first set on fire. The enemy's citadel on Bunker Hill was instantly in the greatest com- motion. The long roll was heaten, the heavy guns fired at random ; while Putnam and his officers were amused spectators of the scene from the re- doubt on Cobble Hill.
The uproar on the enemy's lines at Charlestown was soon communicated to the camps at Boston. It happened that on this evening a burlesque rep- resentation of the Blockade of Boston, written by General Burgoyne, was being performed in Faneuil Hall for the entertainment of the officers of the garrison. At the very hour the farce began, Knowlton opened the ball at Charlestown. The
roar of artillery was heard by an Irish sergeant outside the playhouse door, who immediately rushed into the theatre and upon the stage, vocif- erating, "Turn out ! turn out ! they 're hard at it, hammer and tongs!" Supposing the sergeant was acting a part, the whole audience loudly applauded the naturalness of his alarm, and it was some moments before he could make himself heard. When the applause subsided, the bewildered ser- geant cried out, "What the d -- are ye all about ? If ye won't believe me, you need only go to the door, and there ye 'll hear and see both." General Howe, who was present, immediately rose and ordered the officers to their aların-posts; and thus was the reality substituted for the farce of the blockade. Knowlton's men returned from their daring excursion without loss, having pene- trated within the British lines and almost to the muzzles of the guns on Bunker Hill.
During January General Lee left camp for New York. On the 16th, in consequence of a resolu- tion of congress authorizing an assault on Boston, the commander-in-chief submitted the question to a council of war, giving his own favorable judg- ment in support of the measure. Notwithstanding this, the council, while agreeing that a vigorous attempt should be made as soon as possible, decided it inexpedient at the present moment. News of the disastrous end of the Quebec expedition, which reached headquarters at this time, could not but exert a depressing influence. Powder was still scarce, and the ice was hardly practicable. The general-in-chief apparently gave up the idea of an assault with reluctance.
The 24th of January was a memorable day in camp, it having witnessed the arrival of the gallant Knox, with his park of artillery, from Ticonderoga and Crown Point. He now received his commis- sion as colonel of the artillery, and with it the thanks of the commander-in-chief. From this moment the actual siege of Boston began.
In Boston, General Howe found difficulties to multiply with the advance of the season. The subsistence of his troops and of the inhabitants was the most serious problem with which he had to deal. General Burgoyne had truly said that Boston was untenable with the present means and numbers of the army, but a sentiment of pride forbade its abandonment so long as it might be maintained. To be driven from this stronghold of rebellion which the king, the ministry, the parliament, had so especially marked for their re-
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
sentment, involved a loss of prestige to British power and British arrogance not to be thought of. Morcover, it was now seen that the little flame kindled in an obscure corner of Massachusetts had spread throughout the length and breadth of the colonies, and that wherever a British army marched it would be met and resisted to the bitter end. A few of the British officers in Boston comprehended the change. They comprehended the absurdity of attempting to put down three millions of people with seven or eight thousand regular soldiers. The siege had developed power, resources, resolu- tion, of which they had hitherto little comprehen- sion. Instead of the rebel, it was their own army that was becoming contemptible.
Howe, nevertheless, doggedly persisted in hold- ing Boston. He was a very different man from his predecessor, Gage; but then he had some con- spicuous weaknesses of his own. Boston under his control became strictly a garrisoned town un- der all the restraints of martial law. The troops manifested a much greater degree of discipline and subordination under their new general, who was · respected for his valor and feared for his severity. The loss of so many transports, which were bring- ing supplies of fuel, provisions, and clothing for the army, entailed real suffering among the garri- son and inhabitants ; for the latter were now de- pendent upon the military authorities for food and fuel. The bay swarmed with rebel privateers, the shore was for miles encompassed by rebel intrench- ments.
In order to make his supplies of provisions go as far as possible, Howe sent at one time four hundred, at another three hundred, of the poorest inhabitants out of the town to be cared for by their countrymen. To provide fuel, he caused the vacant houses and even the Second Church of the town to be demolished. The garrison at Charles- town were provided in the same way. To increase the suffering, the small-pox broke out within the town in a malignant form. The difficulties which beset Sir William Howe account in a great meas- ure for the non-appearance of a British column of attack outside their works during that memo- rable month of December. The distance from his point of supply rendered the British commander's situation one of peculiar embarrassment ; but by the middle of January it had considerably improved.
To return to the besiegers ; Washington on the 16th of February summoned another council of
war to consider the feasibility of attacking Boston. The basin of Charles River was now frozen over. Although General Gates opposed the movement, and it was again negatived by a vote of the ma- jority, the commander-in-chief could not conceal his dissatisfaction with the decision, for he had promised himself to end the siege with one gal- lant blow.
At this council General Ward again directed at- tention to the forgotten, or neglected, heights of Dorchester. He urged, with good reason, that the ohject of bringing on a general engagement, or of driving the enemy from Boston, would be as well or better accomplished by taking possession of these heights. We need not recapitulate the rea- sons for this opinion. The question of seizing and fortifying Dorchester Heights was then submitted and agreed to by the council. General Ward was directed to take the necessary measures to carry this decision into effect with the troops under his command. The Massachusetts Council was noti- fied of the intention, and requested to order in all available militia to the lines at Roxbury and Dor- chester.
The dénouement was now approaching. Thanks to Knox, the forts at Lechmere's Point, Cobble Hill, and Lamb's Dam in Roxbury had been armed with heavy guns and mortars ; but, having no pow- der to spare, Washington waited for the decisive moment. At about eleven o'clock on the night of the 2d of March the signal was given at Cambridge to begin the bombardment. The American bat- teries at once opened fire. Shot and shell fromn Lechmere's Point fell far within the town, doing considerable damage to buildings and causing a few casualties among the garrison. The enemy returned the fire with spirit from Bunker Hill, Barton's Point, and the Boston lines, without dam- age to the works or troops of the besiegers. Dur- ing this night's bombardment four or five mortars burst in the American batteries. The greater part of the enemy's shells either fell short or did not explode. At daybreak firing ceased.
The ensuing night, and that of Sunday, the 4th, the bombardment was again renewed with greater violence than ever. All night long projectiles from the hostile batteries were traversing the air in fiery circles, illuminating the heavens like incessant flashes of lightning. The explosion of artillery, the crash of falling buildings, the bursting of shells in the streets, caused the frightened inhabitants to believe the town doomed to swift destruction.
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With General Howe the question was, whether it was a simple bombardment, or the prelude to an assault. If the latter, he was fully prepared.
The morning resolved his doubts. It was the 5th of March, the anniversary of the Boston Mas- sacre. He saw the heights of Dorchester crowned with hostile batteries, and filled with hostile troops whose cheers bore their defiance to his ears. With- out doubt it was to be the pendant of Bunker Hill. There were only two alternatives, and no one doubted what Howe's decision would be. He im- mediately ordered five regiments under arms to be embarked for the Castle under Brigadier-General Jones. The grenadiers, light-infantry, and other troops were made ready to attack on the side near- est the town, while Jones's column, landing at a point opposite the Castle, advanced on the farther flank of the rebel intrenchments.
In occupying Dorchester Heights, the mistakes of Bunker Hill were avoided and its lessons care- fully heeded. Fascines, bundles of hay, chandeliers, had been provided beforehand. Two thousand men under Thomas were assigned for the duty. Soon ' after nightfall they marched, and by eight o'clock were upon the ground to be intrenched. The ad- vanced guard of eight hundred men then divided in two detachments, one moving on to the point nearest the Castle, the other to that nearest Boston. Bundles of hay were placed along that side of Dor- chester Neck exposed to the enemy's fire. The engineers having laid out the works, the fatigue- party of twelve hundred at once fell to work on the frozen ground ; but their task proved to be one of extreme difficulty, for the frost had penetrated to the depth of eighteen inches. The use of the chan- deliers and fascines was now apparent. The former were simply thick planks, laid horizontally upon the ground, having sharply pointed joists fixed up- right at either end. The chandeliers being first placed at proper distances apart, the space between the uprights was filled with fascines. In half an hour the faces of the redoubts were completed. Behind the protection of this rampart, which, at a distance, had every appearance of a strong intrench- ment, the Americans plied mattock and spade with persevering industry, while carts loaded with ma- terials continually passed and repassed the neck without the least interruption from the enemy. Everything proceeded with order, regularity, and despatch ; everything favored the commanding general's purpose. All night the cannonade and bombardment fiercely continued. At three in the
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