The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-08-20
FOR THE DEFENSE or BOSTON.

FOR THE DEFENSE OF BOSTON.
Traces Of Bresstworks Of the Revolutions
ary Period.
Some slight traces OF the first regular
breastwork constructed by the Cont
nentals when they circumvallated Bos-
ton may yet be seen upon the estate OF
the late Nathaniel ]. Bradlee, at the
corner Of Hghlamd and Cedar streets,
Roxbury, in tho rear Of his residence,
and on which stands his observatory.
The estate, which was recently sold.
II being cut up into lots, and apartment
houses will be erected thereon. The
estate was long known an DR.. Porter's
cow pasture, the doctor having inherit
ed it through his wife, who was q
daughter of Maj. Nathaniel Ruggles.
The work was irregular in it's out
lines, following the natural conflgura-
ton of the rock, except on it's northern
side; it's eastern base now forms ter
race. It extended about 400 feet from
north to south, with an average width
Of about $50 feet. The northeast and
southwest sides Of the rock were very
steep. The walls of the fort were IL
feet thick and five feet high, and each
angle was Fashioned. The main gate
or entrance was ON the side opposite
the almshouse. Two heavy cannon
were mounted here on the evening OF
June "a, and ON July q 24-pounder
also, which, says Heath, was fired
twice; the second shot grazed the enc
my's parapet. then struck in the parade,
and occasioned some confusion. Byits
elevation, this fort completely COM
manded the avenue to Boston over the
Neck. In 1924 this slower fort" SO
called to distinguish it from the one
built to the south Of it, was thus de-
scribed: cts interior occupies about
two acres of ground, and as the hill is
bare of soil, the place may still be seen
where the earth was taken to form the
ramports. This fortiflcntion has not
been at all injured, and the embrasures
may still be noticed where the cannon
were placed which fred upon the ad-
vanced line of the. enemy. A former
owner of the estate, Mr.. Alvah' Kit
tredge, found ON building the dwelling
house in 1886 that the breastwork great
" DISTRACTED it's light on the west side,
and had it removed. He related the fol-
lowing incident connected with the
siege:
Before the work was taken away.
Mr.. Aaron Willard, the well-known
clockmaker, then very aged, visited me
and told me that when he was 16 years
old he came to Roxbury as ifer Of a
company of minute men from Grafton,
his native town, and that they, with
many others, were set at work imme-
diately to throw up the redoubt here.
After a hard days work they threw
themselves upon the ground behind it
and slept soundly, wrapped in their
blankets. Just as the sun rose the next
morning they were reused from their
slumbers by 24-pound shot, which
plowed through the breastwork, and
scattering the soil on him and Others.
finally buried itself in the earth.
Without waiting for further compl-
ments Of the same nature, they speed
lily withdrew, standing not upon the
order of their going, and, regardless OF
bruises, tumbled over each other in
their l1asty descent of the steep rock
in the rear. He pointed out the spot
where he judged the ball must have
lodged, and there it was found when l
afterward took the work down.
1.-THE earliest reference to this fort
occurs in a letter from Henry Knox,
afterward Gen. Knox, to Ills wife, dated
Roxbury, July 8, ITS. Yesterday, as
was going to Cambridge, I met the
generals washington and Leg, who
begged me to return to Roxbury, which
did. When they had viewed the works
they expressed the greatest pleasue
and surprise at their situation and ap-
parent utility, to say nothing Of the
plan, which did not escape their
praise"
Washington wrote to the president of
congress on July 10 that Gen. Thorn
as had thrown up a strong work on the
hill about 200 yards above the meeting
house, which, with the brokenness Of
the ground, had made that pass very