Kentucky Irish American., 1906-07-07
OF Boston by British Army q
Pleasant Incident in
History.
Washington and His Men Had
the English at Their
Mercy.
How He Led His Soldiers From
City on st. Patrick's
Day.
INCIDENTS OF FAITHFUL PERIOD

Every schoolboy knows the history
of Dorchester Heights and the prom
inent part 1t took in shaping Ameri-
can history. Washington proposed
his plans to his council early in the
year, but none of his officers sustained
him. Reluctantly he gave them up
until March. This was the plan.
Early in March, soon after candle
light" Cobble hill, Lechmere's point
and Roxbury batteries were to make
all the noise that they could and rain
down upon the British garrison a
heavy fire. In the meantime eight
hundred men were to march to Dor
chester Heights, now South Boston,
protecting working party of twelve
hundred with carts loaded with in
trenchment, says the Irish World.
The Heights rose over against Bos-
ton but short distance to the south,
and once covered with American
works there would be no alternative
for the British but to get out of Boston
Plans began to mature. All the farms
in the neighborhood were canvassed.
A train of over three hundred OK
teams the canvassers secured. Bundles
of screwed hay, stacks of gabions,
facines and chandeliers were heaped
up. The moon was at the full and
all that was needed was quiet, cloud
less night, when its great, white Ian
tern would be hanging, unobscured in
the sky.
March 4 came, the sun went down,
the candles began to glimmer in the
American camp in the hamlets of Rox-
bury, Cambridge and Somerville, and
over in the East rose a magnificent,
cloudless moon, that was the great
white lantern mounting the sky for a
special illumination. For two pre-
yious nights the American cannon had
been barking away: but now, the night
of March 4, the cannonade was sharp
as possible and sustained with the
greatest vigor. The British garrison
was in ignorance of anything like a
surprise and all that it could do was to
return the fire from their cannon and
mortars until daylight.
Higher and higher rose the moons
white lantern, and then there was
movement across slender Dorchester
neck. Eight hundred American SOL
diers stole along in the moonlight,
one-half taking position on high
ground nearest Boston. Four hundred
went in the opposite direction to guard
against any attack from a British
castle in the harbor. Now came the
intrenching party, under the command
of Gen. Thomas. The ground was still
frozen and could not easily be turned
up, but there were over three hundred
carts packed, loaded down, heaped up,
that brought materials across Dor
chester neck, and up the slopes of the
frozen heights toiled the oxen, urged
on by their impatient drivers.
Washington was happy--his hour
had come. Not a suspicion of danger
did the British seem to have. They
kept banging away, with cannon and
mortar, because they knew nothing
else they could do How those unrec-
ognized beavers on the heights of Dor
chester toiled away! Carts arrived,
were emptied, went off returning,
some bringing three, even four loads,
and up into form, even into alarming
outline, were piled those waiting gabi-
ons, fascines and chandeliers, while
the moon, mounting higher shed down
its light like a benediction.
At 3 a. m. the beavers were relieved.
Another working party arrived and
worked with fresh energy. Long
earthworks stretched across two hills,
redoubts were thrown up, strong
well-secured in every way. Along the
foot of the Heights went an abbatis,
materials for which trees in the
neighboring orchards had been fur
nished. The top of the ridge had a
decoration of barrels, packed with
stones and earth. AS the slopes OF
the Heights were steep and occupied
neither by shrubs nor trees, these
barriers were intended as a sort oi
welcome, should the British come
marching up, suppostng they should
be so foolish, the barrels were to &c
rolling down.
And now the sun of the fifth oI
March rose above the waters of the
harbor, and to the astonished vision
of the British in Boston, what scene
that morning sun revealed. There Oh
Dorchester Heights was a formidable
fortress. If it remained unchallenged
unassailed, not taken, the British gar
rison in Boston town was doomed.
Lord Howe, the British commander
Immediately summoned a council o
war. 1t was decided to attack the
American works. Twenty-four hun
dred men under Lord Percy embarked
In boats to attack those audacioul
Yankees" The Americans were In th'
most joyous spirits. They had the re
doubts and they had the barrels
packed with earth and stones, ant
l they felt happy and secure. Washing
ton sent his message to go from mar
to man, kindling an intense emotion a
1t sped along. Remember 1t is tn
fifth Of March. day never to be for
3 gotten! Avenge the death Of you
brethren"