The Washington critic., 1890-03-25
SOME OLD NnwspArnRs,
They Are Worth Their Weight In Cold
and Are Preserved Carefully


they Are Worth Their weight in Gold,
and Are Preserved Carefully
from ne Boston Adgertiser.
1t is extremely interesting TO read in
the newspapers of the last century the
accounts there given Of events which
we regard as historic. Away up on the
upper floor Of the Boston Athoneum IS
a well preserved file of these old news.
papers, worth to- day their weight in
gold. Here are a number of bound
volumes of the New England chronicle
or the Essex Gdsotte, a quaint publica-
ton which later on was called the I5de.
pendent Chronicle and UHjU6rSdL AdU6r-
tiseT. In 1775 II bore the imprint of
Samuel Hall, Harvard College" a
little later ii was said to be "printed by
Samuel Hall at his office next to the
Oliver Cromwell Tavern in School
street" Still later the name of Hall
disappeared and il bore the name Of
"Powars and Willis at their office op.
posite the new court house, Queen
street" The issue of this queer old
paper for March 21, 171G, Ct was printed
weekly is very interesting, especially
to those Bostonians who saw the flags
floating from the city stalrs yesterday
and remembered that it was Evacuation
Day. Read what it says:
Last Sabbath the British Army in
Boston, under General Howe, consist
ing of upward Of 1000 men, after suf-
fering an ignominious blockade for
many months past disgracefully Quilted
all their strongholds in Boston and
Charlestown, fled from before the
Army of the United Colonies, and
took refuge on board their ships. The
most material particulars of this signal
event are as follows; About 8 O clock
body of the enemy were seen to march
from Bunker's HILL and, at the same
time, q very great number of boats,
filled with troops, put off from Boston
and made for the shipping, which
mostly lay below the Castle. On the
first discovery of these movements the
Continental Army Immediately paraded,
sc veral regiments embarked in boats
and proceeded down the river from
this place.
"About the same time two men were
sent to Bunker's Hill, in order to make
discoveries. They proceeded accord
ingly, and when arrived making a sig
nal that the fort was evacuated, a de-
tachment was Immediately sent down
from the Army to take possession of it.
The troops in the river, which were
commanded by General Putnam,
landed at Sewall's Point, where they
received intelligence that all the British
troops had left Boston, on which de-
tachment was sent to take possession of
the town, while the main body returned
up the river. About the same time
General Ward, attended by about 500
troops from ROXbury, under the com
mand of Colonel Ebenezer Learned
(who unbarred and opened the gates),
entered the town from that quarter,
Ensign Richards carrying the standard
1.-THE command of the whole being
then given to General Putnam, he pro
ceeded to take possession Of all the i'm
portant posts, and thereby became pos
sessed, in the name of the Thirteen
United Colonies of North Ameri "a, of
all the fortresses in that large and once
populous and flourishing metropolis,
which the flower of the British Army,
headed by an experienced general and
supported by formidable fleet of men
ofwar, had but an hour before evacuated
in the most precipitate and cowardly
manner. God grant that the late worthy
inhabitants, now scattered abroad, may
speedily reoccupy their respective
dwellings and never more be disturbed
by the cruel hand of tyranny; and may
the air of that capital be never again
contaminated by the sinking breath of
Toryism.'