The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1888-06-11
me TYacuation 81 Roston il 177e.

The Evacuation OF Boston In 1776s
When Gen. Howe comprehended The
real peril Of his situation In Boston,
after the fertilization Of Dorchester
Heights by Washington, lie began to
devise means for securing the safety OF
his army. (See Siege Of Boston. y
Less than 8, 900 New England farmers,
meanly clad, poorly fed, and made
quately disciplined, had created the
peril by their vast labors in q single
night.
When the terrifying of Dorchester
Heights was undertaken, q severe can
nonade and bombardment, from bat
teries along the American line from
Roxbury to the extreme left, were
opened on the town to divert the atten-.
ton Of the British from the secret La
bors Of the provincials.y That was on,
March 2, and was repeated two other
succeeding days. At o'clock on the
evening Of March 4, Gen. Thomas,
with 1000 men provided with intrench-
ing tools, proceeded to take possession
of Dorchester Heights. ~ i:
A train of 800 carts and wagons,
filled with fascines and bundles of
pressed hay, followed, all moving in
perfect silence. Within an hour they
were all on the heights, undiscovered
by the enemy il the city, where every
ear was filed with the no ~ Of the can
nonade and bombardment, which the
Americans kept up from o'clock III
the evening until dawn. IA relief party
appeared on the heights at 8 o'clock,
and at daylight on March 5, the. amir
Versary of the Boston massacre, the
astonished Britons saw two redoubts
on Dorchester Heights, armed with
cannons that commanded the town
of Boston, and manned by resolute
men. g.. 1='
On the summit Of the steep hills
were barrels filled with stones to be
rolled down upon the ascending assail-
ants, and strong abatis, formed of
the trees of adjacent orchards, pro
tected the foot of the heights. Howe
was overwhelmed with astonis hment,
and exclaimed: II know not what I
shall, do! The rebels have don more
in one night than my whole army
would have done in month. Adj
miral Shuldham said: IF they. retain
possession of the heights, I cannot
keep ship in the harbor." /
It was determined to drive the Amer
leans away by direct assault, and 2,4OO
picked soldiers, the flower Of the army,
were placed under the command OF
Lord Percy, with orders to drive the
Americans from the Heights. Percy
embarked his men and awaited the
darkness of night. A storm suddenly
arose; at midnight it was gale, that
drove several British ships ashore, and
on the morning Of the 9th the rain fell
SO copiously that.the troops could not
move.
Howe, in dismay, called council of
war: The terrified loyalists, demanded
of the General the sure protection
which he had promised them. Wash.
ington was preparing to lombard and
attack Boston at two points, when the
council determined to evacuate it.
The resolution spread dismay among
the loyalists or Tories. They, too,
determined to leave, and endure the
perils and discomforts of sea voyage
and privations in strange land, rather
than / brave the resentment, 81 Sthe
Wings whom they. had helped to op-
press. Howe offered to leave Boston
in the feet if Washington would let
him do so unmolested. A tacit consent
was given, but the American command
er did not relax his vigilance. He
planted new battery and wcs ready
to attack tie British at any moment.
The embarkatiou was delayed until
Sunday morning. March II, Howe hop
ing for the arrival of re-enforcements.
At four o'clock in the morning the
troops and loyalists began their en-
barkation. The latter could not carry
much Of their goods with them, the
war-ships and transports were SO few
What they could not take with them
they destroyed. The soldiers broke
open and pillaged many of the! stores,
and sycophantic New York Tory was
authorized by Howe to seize dry goods
and clothing belonging to Wing mer-
chants and place them in the vessels:
The soldiers wantonly defaced hand
some furniture, and valuable goods
were cast into the sea.
At sunset on that beautiful Sab
bath day the great feet had left
Boston for Halifax, bearing away
1.10O loyalists with the army to Nova
Scotia. The nation, through Congress,
thanked Washington for thegreat de-
liverance, and gave him a beautiful
gold medal.