New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-06


A plan for a grand combined msvemest saa raa.,r,i
Tie flights OF Dorchester were to be occap cd oq he
night Of the Alb Of March, ia order tbaI the sosici
lated battle might be fought on the anniversary OF n.
ever memorable 5th Of March, l77o. As soon a. sbs
conflict WIS engaged the flights, Putnam was "a
cross hoDI Cambridge with body Of 1000 men, lsaf
In two divisions in Boston, and forcing his var
through The town burst open the Qualifications on IA
neck, and thus admit division of the A-rican snv
from koxbury. To distract and occupy the sttentoa
OF the enemy the town was severed, bonbardel from
Somerville East Cambridge and Roxbury during the
nights Of the I'd, 81 and 4th of March. am toll BE-
professional tha these dispositions cyinco con
summate military skill; and show thai W Arlington
too often compelled by his situation TO pursue tho Ps-
bian policy, pOss, seed O talent for military cosnbina
ions that CT titles hun 70 place among the foe mos
military of the past any other age Loud 40
plausel. The ith of March, the day so long aai
auUousy expected, at length arrives The troops are
Put in motion in the evening from the American haes
st Roxbury and Dorchester. An advanced guard OF
SEQ ureceoes the carts with inrenching tools cane
rtxi with he main body 100 strong under Gen.
Tlomss, the whole followed by train of 90 ragons
load,d with fasoines, gabons and oundlcs Of hay.
They cross Dorchester neck without being perceived
and re oh their destination in Two divisions, foe
each of the hi hts. Bundles Of hay were placed
the side Of the causeway al the most exposed pars,
rs protection in the enemy should discover snf
attempt interrupt the movement. Under this shel.
ter parties from the American army passed several
times during the night without being perceived though
il was briA hi moonlight. Ths owing no doubt tn
the opposite qusuer by which also the whole
surrounding country WIS thrown into state Of
painful expectation and alarm. The operations
were conducted by Grldlcy, an exp rencef
engineer of the old French war, and before morning
the deitnses Il ough mcom lete were adequate
eanst tle grapeshot aud mus>etrS. Washington
was present the Hights. In the stricness OF NH
ary duty the presence of tie Coumander-in-Chei was
noi required perhaps not permitted, but the oP
Grafton was important 20 be trusted entirely TO sub
ordinates. Accompanied by MIR. James Bowdoin,
then youth of seventeen, afterward your respected
elow-oizcn and the representative of Dorchester in
the Convention OF Massachusetts which adopted tho
Constitution OF the United States, Washington,
whose headquarters were az Cambridge, reJaircd on
this eveutful night TO Dorchester Highs He has left
no ,crd descIipve of the scene, or of his thoughts
and emotions al what he mutt have regarded at that
time az the cyentiul hour Of bis life, and the most
critical moment of the war. The moon shining in its
full luster phoy the words of W lshington,
through the clear cold AR of early March, revealed
every object with thar spectral disncmess with which
things present themselves 10 the strauing eye at a
great unciure All Immediately around him intense
movement but carried on in death-like silence moth
ing heard but the ncessan tread of busy feet aud the
duh sound of the mattock upon the SOL fro1e deep
TO 4 axe II necessary 10 place the chief reliance
on the fasoines and the gabions Beneath him the
slumbering batteries of the castetic roadstead AMI
iaIbOr filed with the vessels of the royal feet mo-
tionless except as they swung round at their moor
ings at the turn of the midnight tide the beeaguerei
city occupied with powerful army and con-
siderable Ionconbatant population, startled into un-
natural vigilance by the ucossant and destructive
nonade but yei unOhservaDt of the great operations ia
progress so near Them the surrounding country
dotted with a hundred rural settlements, rouset
from The deep sleep of New-England village by
the unwonted tumult and glare. IL has been stated
in one on two well authenticated cases OF persons re-
stored after drowning, where life has been temporarily
ex'ingused in the full glow of health, with the facul
ties unimpsired by disease in perfect action that in
the last few minutes of conscious existence the
whole series of the events of the entire life comes
rushing back to the mind distinctly bat with IN
conceivable rapoity; that the whole lie ID hved
over az ain in moment, Such narrative by per-
son of high official position and perfect credbility
have read. We may well suppose that at this most
critical moment of Wushingions life similar coucen-
traiiOn of thought would take place, aud that tho
eyeIts Of his past existence as they had prepared hun
fri-hs training while yet boy III the wilderness
his escape from drowning and the rifle OF the savage
on bis perilous mission TO NenaDgo-the shower OF
non bail through which he rode unframed on Brad
dock field would crowd through his memory;
thar much also the past life OF his country, mo
early stages of the great conflict now Drou9bt 70 s
ciisis-and still more solemnly the possibilities Of the
future for himself and for America would press upon
bn-iLe ruin Of the patriotic cause If be failed al the
Outset: the triumI haLt consolidation oil Tue reyounos
if he prevailed-wth higher visions Of the hopeful
family of rising Staes--fbeir suspicious growth ADD
rrorperoua misunderstanding like dream OF angels
IN the remoter prosI oil this attended with the inn
merse dosie of honest fame, for we cannot suppose
that even Washington was free from what Milton
Cas the last phrmir Of noble mnds Applause =
the intense inward glow of manly heroism about 10 act
ITS Great part on a sublime heaer-the sofin of tho
man CHRISTENING the severity of The chettain, and
Cceply tou, bed at the suferings aud bereavemens
about be caused by the conflict Of the morrow; tho
still euderer emotions hat brel hed their sanctty ovec
all The reet-ihe thought of the faithful ano beloved
wifi who had followed him from Mount Vernon, and
of the aged mother whose heart aching in her yr
enia home for glad tidings of Georse, wro was al
'ways good boy lCheers AL these pctures-yisons
-ioelnle-paDgs-iOo vast for WORKSHOP deep for
tcorf-bui swelling doubt in one unuttered prayer
10 Heaven we may well imagine have filled the soul
of Washington at that decisive hour IA he stood upon
the heie hts Of DOrcesier with the holy stars for his
campfire, and the deep folding shadows OF night,
looped by the band OF God to the four quarters OF
tie ky for ibc curtains of his tent Great cheerngl-
1t would hove been pleasing tasS, feow-cihzens,
had time permitted il, 10 the fortunes of our ma
tive town through the period which has elapsed rom
the Decar alton Of Independence TO the present tne
1t would have exhibited, At least since the commence
ent of this century, picture OF steady growth and
almost uninterrupted prosperity, OF which few brighter
examples can lie found in the Commonwealth. IL -
within this period that Jay own family associations
With Dorchese r and my personal rec0econs fall.
seem even now to hear the voice of the ancient
bell which cheered this morning with it's festa peal,
as years ago il called together the citizens OF Dor
chester 10 the meeting house yonder bill to listen
TO the eUlogy on Washington from the the lips OF one
whom called too 10 depOre, aud who Is not
TO be named by after the lapse OF 80 many years
but with tenderness and yeneraiion. In this period,
under the influence of the principles of SOLID national
growth which gave character 10 the earliest settle
ineits of Massachusetts, and of which, thank Heaven
the force is not yet cxpendedOf that love of liberty
which prompted the Declaration of Independence, and
of that spnt OF aernal affection which produced the
last great fruit of the ReyOlution-tbe Union of tho
States under constuOD of coniederaled republican
gOyerrment-ouf country has increased in population,
in wealth, in strength, in all that benefits or adorns
the societies of men, till ST inds the admiration OF the
world. O. happy citizens did ye but know your bess-
cd, nau dorQ hut mo- Qur hlp.s-