The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-06-13
Washington READY 70 Stake.

Washington determined to cut inaction
short and make decisive stroke.
he had been long enough with the
army now to presume upon its conf
dence and obedience. though he fol-
lowed his counsels. Siege cam
non had been dragged through the
unwilling forests all the way from
Ticonderoga; the supplies and the
time had come; and on the morning of
the 9TH of March. 1776, the British
stared to see ramparts and cannon on
Dorchester Heights.
1T was like the work of the genii
OF Aladdin's wonderful lamp" declared
one of their astonished officers.
Occupies Dorchester Heights.
Why they had themselves neglected
to occupy the hills of Dorchester. and
had waited SO patiently till Washing
ton should have time and such guns as
he needed, was question much press
ed at home in England; and their stu
pidity was rewarded now
They had suffered themselves to be
amused all night by furious cannon
aiding out of Roxbury, SomervillA, and
East Cambridge, while two thousand
men. battery of heavy ordnance, and
hundreds of wagons and ox-carts with
timber. bales of hay. spades, crowbars,
hatchets. hammers. and nails. had
been gotten safely to the Dorchester
hills.
When they saw what had happened
they thought of the assault upon Bum
ker's hill, and hesitated what to do.
A violent storm blew up while they
waited. rendering an attack across the
water impracticable, and when the
calmer morning of the 9Th dawned it
was too late; the American position
was too strong. Neither the town nor
the harbor could safely be held under
fire from Dorchester Heights.
The British Evaeuate.
There was nothing for it but to
evacuate the place, and no one gain
said their departure
BY the 18th they were all embarked,
eight thousand troops and nine hun
dred loyalist citizens of Boston, and
had set sail towards the north for Hal
flax. They were obliged to leave be
hind them more than two hundred can
non and great quantity of military
stores of every kind-powder. mus
kets. gun-carriages. small-arms-what-
ever an army might need.
When Washington established him
self in General Howe's headquarters,
in Mrs. Edwards comfortable lodging
house at the head of State street, he
could congratulate himself not only on
surprising victory brilliantly won.
but on the possession, besides, of more
powder and better stores and equip
ments than he could have dreamed of
in his camp at Cambridge.
He caught up his landlady's little
granddaughter one day, set her on
his knee, as he liked to do. and asked
her, smiling. which she liked the bet
ter. the redcoats or the provincials.
The redcoats." said the child
"Ah. my DEAR" said the young gen
eral. a blithe light in his blue eyes,
they look better, but they don't fight.
The ragged fellows are the boys for
fighting"
Washington Leaves Boston.
But he did not linger at Boston.
He knew that its capture did not
end, but only deepened, the struggle,
Reinforcements would be poured out
of England with the spring. and the
next point of attack would unques-
tionably be New York, the key to the
Hudson.
Here again was city flanked about
on either hand by water, and COM
manded by heights-the heights of
Brooklyn. A garrison must be left in
Boston, and New York must be held
for the most part by new levy. as
raw. as i'll organized and equipped. as
factious, as uncertain in capacity and
purpose. as that which had awaited
his discipline and guidance before
Boston.
An Ever-changIng Army.
1t was an army always a-making
and to be made.
The sea was open, moreover. The
British could enter the great harbor
when they pleased.
The insurgents had no naval force
whatever with which to Withstand
them on the water. There were a
score of points to be defended which
were yet without defence on the long
island where the town lay. and round
about the spreading arms Of the sea
that enclosed it; and there were but
eighteen thousand militia-men mus
tered for the formidable task, in the
j midst of an active loyalist popula,
ton.
The thing must be attempted never
theless.
Vital to Hold the Hudson.
The command of the Hudson would
very likely turn out to be the com
mand of the continent and the strug.
gle was now to be to the death.
1t was too late to draw back,
The royal authority had, in fact
been everywhere openly thrown on
even in the middle colonies, where al,
iegiance and opinion hung still at SO
doubtful balance.
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