1776

British commanders Howe and Gage debated their strategy for taking Boston. All agreed that Dorchester Heights was necessary for its security, including the Americans, but none would attempt to take it. The British dreamed of burning Boston—and the entire coastline—but they fortified Bunker Hill and dug in for the long winter instead.

But digging in was not as simple as it sounded. These British were not used to the American winter, and several men froze to death while standing watch.

The British officers fared much better. They tore down houses for firewood and turned the Old South Church into a place for horses and other kinds of entertainment. Another fine building was converted to a playhouse where they viewed Shakespeare, among other things. One night while the playhouse put on a farce about “General Washington” with his rusty sword as the “star,” loud booms were heard. The crowd laughed, thinking the boom was part of the show. It was not: The Americans were bombing Charleston, a waterfront neighborhood in Boston.

One important difference lay between the American military and the British. Colonists like Nathanael Greene moved through the ranks based on ability, while many of the English received their commissions through political relationships or cash. Another difference was the lackadaisical attitude held on the part of the British, stemming from certainty that beating the Yankees would be no trouble in the end. This was particularly seen in General Howe, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and who spent more time on leisurely activities than considering what his opponent General Washington might be planning. Washington, on the other hand, spent innumerable hours trying to calculate Howe’s strategy. To Howe’s advantage, however, he possessed a full complement of professional soldiers—not the motley army that Washington led.

When the Continental Congress denied Washington’s plan to attack Boston, negative word came that Benedict Arnold had suffered defeat in Quebec. However, this did not stop General Knox from moving armament from New York to Boston. Due to the formidable weather, the journey was life-threateningly hard, but with the cans and mortars in tow, not one piece was lost. For Knox’s noble feat, Washington put him in charge of all the artillery—quite a rise from a lowly bookseller.

Because the colonial troops failed so terribly in Quebec, the Congress decided to smoke the British out as they did with Bunker Hill, only this time the venue would be the Heights of Dorchester. Crestfallen, Washington nevertheless set out to enact the plan. Because the American soldiers’ site was less than one mile away from the British site, hay bales were put up. The troops could not dig into the packed iced. The plan was to lure the British away from Boston, then to attack. The citizenry of Boston knew something momentous was about to happen, and they exchanged letters with Washington and his army. One of Washington’s correspondents was the young Phyllis Wheatley, the first African American to publish a book of poetry.

The siege date was set for March 4, and it was a resounding success. General Howe decided to withdraw from Boston due to a horrible winter storm, but historians consider the storm a convenient excuse. In truth, Howe’s men could not shoot at the Americans, given the high hill on which they stood.

General Howe began a retreat, determined to take all the loyalists with him, meaning the ships had to be overloaded with provisions. Many sacks of food ended up being cut and dumped into the water, causing a food shortage. Several famous men were among those to leave, but farmers and those less noble boarded the ships as well. Howe ordered the remaining men to loot and plunder Boston to deprive the rebels of the means for making war. However, they left much behind—50,000 pounds of wheat, beans, horses, and lumber. On March 20, Washington put Nathanael Green in charge while he went to Cambridge to consider the next move.

Washington and the men were all celebrated due to this marvelous first defeat in their favor. A gold medal was produced to honor Washington. Only a 30th of the American military had won this battle, so all the people rejoiced. Harvard gave Washington an honorary degree. Greene and Knox turned out to be the real heroes of the battle, and Washington changed his mind about New Englanders.