1775 ...TOP
Battle of Breed's Hill      Siege of Boston     Montreal     Quebec
G.W. from Philadelphia to Boston            

Some BATTLES OF THE  
AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

   The battles at LEXINGTON and CONCORD

Future heroes, Doctor Joseph Warren, Samuel Adams and John Hancock at Lexington were warned by William Dawes and Paul Revere of an impending British raid by their soldiers upon provincial munitions stored at Concord, Mass. On April 19, 1775, the first shot was fired at Lexington where 8 Americans were killed. Word passed the six miles to Concord by couriers.  A few hours later, the British troops arrived and ransacked the town of Concord.  At North Bridge, the "Minutemen" struck at the superior force. The British retreated to the center of town.  Soon hundreds of local men ran to the Lexington Road and took ambush positions behind walls and trees.  That day, 39 Americans were wounded and over 100 British were wounded or missing. And 49 Americans died; 73 British soldiers died.

Good news ! FORT TICONDEROGA and Crown Point, N.Y. were captured on May 10 and 12, 1775 by Ethan Allen and about 200 men with Benedict Arnold.  A recent photo of the Fort <==. 

The battle at BREED'S HILL near BUNKER'S HILL
British General and Governor Thomas Gage with Generals William Howe, John Burgoyne and Henry Clinton set out to seize Dorchester Heights, but then, on June 17, had to focus on Charlestown Neck and a frontal attack on Breed's Hill (British loss was over 1,000 vs. The Americans loss of about 440). A painting!

Among the dead was young Doctor Joseph Warren (today, many "Warren counties" are named after him). He became much-loved in New England.   He was a doctor, who first inoculated people in Boston for small-pox.  He was a friend of Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, and a spy for America and a genuine New England hero.

Before his death, Joseph Warren had just been appointed Major General, but he fought without an official commission.  It would be a delight if Congress would award that commission to him belatedly, now !

 

American General Israel Putnam was present; British reinforcements were needed before they could claim this to be their victory.

A C T I O N  -  ! ! !

The Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia decided upon action.  They appointed George Washington as "Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies" on June 19.  Washington immediately purchased five horses and sent his other horses and chariot back to Virginia.

On June 23, General Washington, aide-de-camp Thomas Mifflin, General Charles Lee, aide-de-camp Samuel Grifflin, General Schuyler, Joseph Reed and a troop of light horse headed north toward Boston on horseback.
 

Before reaching Trenton, they met a courier bearing news of the battle of Bunker's and Breed's Hill.

At New Brunswick, NJ, they requested a meeting at Newark regarding safety in the New York area.  

At Newark, Gouverneur Morris, Richard Montgomery, John Hobart and Melancthon Smith met the party.  They crossed the Hudson River at Hoboken and landed at Laight Street on Manhattan Island, near Greenwich (Village).  

On June 26, they appeared before New York's Provincial Congress.  They then 

proceeded by way of Kingsbridge, fourteen miles north of New York town.  The troop of light horse under Captain Markoe returned to Philadelphia.  General Schuyler left the group near Long Island Sound at New Rochelle, NY.

 

On June 28, 1775, Washington, Lee, Mifflin, Griffin, and Lee's Aide de Camp may have stayed at Isaac Beers' house.  They reviewed and praised a military company of students from Yale in New Haven, CT.  

 

Washington then stayed overnight at Wethersfield, CT at (possibly) the Deane-Chester home, before riding on to Springfield, MA.

They met with members from the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts Bay.  Then Moses Gill and Dr. Ben Church accompanied them via Brookfield, Worcester and Marlborough to Watertown, MA, where they received an address from the Provincial Congress.

 

They arrived at Cambridge, MA. on July 2, 1775 and slept at Samuel Langdon's - Harvard College's "President House"- also known as Wadsworth House.  The college buildings and many houses in Cambridge were occupied by troops. 

At nine A.M on July 3, the Commander-in-Chief took command of the army at Cambridge Common.  Then he visited several posts in the area occupied by troops of the United Provinces of North America.  

The army around Boston consisted of troops from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire, totaling about 14,500 men.  Already, fortifications had been constructed at Prospect Hill, Winter Hill, Boston Neck, Roxbury and other sites.  Most sites were in view of each other by just over a mile.

On July 5, Generals George Washington and Charles Lee met the civilian volunteer and bookseller-engineer, Henry Knox, who then accompanied them to Roxbury Fort to view the fortifications; Knox was complemented on the fortifications.
[Knox was commissioned a colonel of artillery on November 17, 1775;  on December 27, 1776, he would be made a brigadier-general.  On November 15, 1781, he would be advanced to major-general; he would become Washington's Secretary of War in the 1790's]  

Washington visited all the American posts, including those on the sea coast east of Boston.  From Winter and Prospect Hills, he reconnoitered the strong British positions at Bunker's Hill and elsewhere.

On July 9, the Generals met in a Council of War and all determined to defend their posts as occupied.   Washington began training militia and enlisting additional men into the Continental Army.  

On July 13, the British fired a heavy cannonade at provincial workmen at Roxbury; Washington visited the encampment.

Washington then established his quarters in Cambridge at the John Vassall house - later, Craigie Longfellow house, (until he left for New York in April of 1776). [Later, this was the home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]. 

Though Washington could be easily recognized, because he was about a head taller than most men of his day,  it was decided that the men would quickly recognize their new leaders, if  the Generals wore Ribbands across the chest.

The Commander-in Chief wore light blue, Major Generals and Brigadier Generals wore pink and Aide-de-Camps wore green ribbands.

Thatcher's Military Journal described General Washington as, "His Excellency was on horseback in company with several military gentlemen ... His dress is a blue coat with buff colored facings, a rich epaulette on each shoulder, buff underdress, and an elegant small sword; a black cockade in his hat."

Washington began to bring order where he found confusion and disorder.  

The army was divided into three grand divisions.   

The left wing was headed by Major-General Lee on Winter and Prospect Hills.  

The center was under Major-General Putnam, stationed at Cambridge.  

The right wing was placed under Major-General Ward at the heights at Roxbury.  

 
Washington with General Ward

The British enemy was a concentration of about 12,000 men.   The provincial forces were about 16,000 men, but they were spread over about 8 1 / 2 miles in a semi-circle around Boston.

Washington employed some privateers to begin sinking British ships.   

Two companies of riflemen marched from Maryland, two companies (under Captain Daniel Morgan) marched almost 600 miles from Virginia, and eight companies of riflemen (a battalion, commanded by Col. William Thompson) were raised in Pennsylvania and marched to the Boston area.  These were the first troops ordered to be raised by the Continental Congress.  The foot-sore riflemen began to arrive in late July and early August 1775. 

 

The fact was that there were only 9,937 pounds of gun powder available, just enough powder to furnish 1/2 pound per man (eight rounds per man).  A general council was called.   Washington issued dispatches to several states for relief.  New Jersey sent six or seven quarter-casks to Boston.  On August 16, a relief supply of six or seven tons of powder arrived from Philadelphia.  This was just enough for 25 cartridges per man.   

British General Gage had received a report of Washington's dire situation; however, he thought that the information was dis-information designed to draw his army into a snare.

On August 20, Washington wrote to General Schuyler of a plan to penetrate into Canada via the Kennebec River.  It began in mid-September with 1100 musketeers and riflemen under Colonel Benedict Arnold, with the riflemen from Virginia and Pennsylvania under Captain Daniel Morgan.   Two hundred men under Colonel Enos returned to avoid starvation.

On August 23, 1775, King George III issued a Proclamation of Rebellion - accusing treason.

On August 26, under a very heavy British cannonade from Bunker's Hill, continental troops of Washington took possession of Plowed Hill of Mount Benedict - in front of Bunker's Hill. 

On September 11, a council of war considered making an attack on Roxbury, and on Boston via boat;  it was not yet deemed expedient.  On September 18, Washington rode-out to reconnoitre the South and West shore of Boston Harbor.

In September, the tiny new American Navy re-captured an American ship named "UNITY."  Some islands in Long Island Sound were plundered of livestock by a small American fleet with Washington's knowledge.

The Rhode Island Assembly authorized that two vessels be fitted out.  The first was commanded by Abraham Wipple and the second by Christopher Wipple.  Connecticut authorized two vessels also.  

On September 2, Washington commissioned Captain Nicholas Broughton of Marblehead, MA to take command of the Schooner Hannah at Beverly.   

There was much praise in many quarters of General Washington.  He seemed to be much loved and admired for "his polite condescension and noble deportment".

Regarding the first traitors  
to the Revolutionary cause, in addition to the member of the Committee of Safety for Massachusetts that deserted to General Gage with information of gun powder shortage,  Dr. Benjamin Church of Connecticut was discovered in an attempt to correspond to the British enemy.  

A council of war considered this on October 3, and they submitted their recommendations to Congress. Doctor Church was imprisoned in Norwich for two years.  Due to his bad health, he was then released to sail to the West Indies -in May of 1776.  The vessel disappeared at sea.

On October 6, Washington and a party visited the shores of Chelsea.  He was aware that General Gage was leaving America, to be replaced by General Howe, who would be aided by his brother Admiral Howe.  

The army began to prepare for winter with the supposition that the they would not move in the near future.  

The British enemy served a daily cannonade, but felt pinned and besieged.  They were not mobile, but, else, were well-situated and heavily fortified on the their two peninsulas (surrounded by many war ships and many floating batteries) at Charlestown and Boston.  

Washington wrote that a clash would result in a great slaughter on the American side, unless the British were to show cowardice, which was unlikely.

[To get to know the area, walk around ==> Salem, Mass.  (A bit slow) ...and visit the ==>Adams family houses (A bit slow)]

The Massachusetts-Connecticut coastal towns from Falmouth to New London were being harassed by British cruisers.  On August 9, a British brig under Lt. Mowatt had thrown bombs into Gloucester, Mass. after attempting a landing.

On September 30, 1775, two men were killed and houses were shattered as Stonington, CT was bombarded.  

On October 18, Mowatt landed at Falmouth (now Portland, ME),  he allowed two hours for removal of women and children from the town; he then bombarded the town, destroying 139 houses - and 278 stores were destroyed.  However, the inhabitants stood their ground and prevented his landing. Washington sent details to Congress, using the words "outrage", "barbarity", and "cruelty" to describe these attacks.  

On September 24, 1775, Ethan Allen (who had earlier led the Green Mountain Boys in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga) - without approval of Montgomery, took thirty men and attacked Montreal.  Washington described it as an act of imprudence, excessive ambition and insubordination.  

Allen and the thirty men were defeated.  (He was taken prisoner by British General Prescott, sent to Quebec, and then on to England;  he was later returned via Halifax to New York town, where he was exchanged for British Colonel Campbell on May 6, 1778).           

From October 18 through 22, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Harrison and Thomas Lynch acting as a committee of Congress met with a council of war at Cambridge.   With them were representatives from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire.  They began by urging an attack on Boston, but were dissuaded.   They stayed to cover minor Congressional matters for two more days.

General Schuyler became ill in September, before  Fort St. Johns was taken; he turned over his command to General Richard Montgomery -  for an advance upon Montreal via Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River to the St Lawrence River.  Schuyler gave support by forwarding supplies and raising additional troops.

   

On November 8, Benedict Arnold and troops, including Aaron Burr - after a two-month torturous excursion through Maine - arrived at Levis across the St. Lawrence from Quebec.

Also, American forces had advanced up Lake Champlain in New York led by General Richard Montgomery.  They achieved victory at Montreal on November 11, 1775.  Sir Guy Carleton withdrew to Quebec.

Washington wrote to General Schuyler on November 5 regarding the Boston area, 

"Finding the ministerial troops resolved to keep themselves close within their lines, and that it was judged impracticable to get at them, I have fitted out six armed vessels, with the design to pick up some of their store-ships and transports.  The rest of our men are busily employed in erecting barracks."

The American schooner Lynch, under Captain Nicholas Broughton, and the Franklin, under Captain Selman, both set sail north, at the end of October, towards the St. Lawrence River.  

Other schooners went out onto the high seas.  They were the Lee, under Captain Manly, the Warren, the Adams,  the Harrison, under Captain Colt, and the Washington, under Captain Martindale.  (He and his crew were eventually captured and taken to England).

On November 18, Washington was near Roxbury in conference with Generals Ward, Thomas and Spencer and Colonel Rufus Putnam.  They also went to Lechmore's Point, where an access causeway through a marsh would soon be built.

On November 22, a large detachment under Major General Putnam broke ground on Cobble Hill and worked through the day and night throwing up a defense work.  Washington wrote,

 "... the earth is hard as a rock."  General Heath's detachment completed the construction on November 23.

A week later, Captain Manly aboard the American ship Lee, captured a British store-ship bound for Boston at Cape-Ann.  The prize yielded 32 tons of leaden balls, 100,000 flints, 2000 stand of arms, and a 13 inch brass mortar.

Washington attended a service at Doctor Appleton's "the Old Congregational Church" in Cambridge, near Dane Hall of Harvard.  General Putnam's chaplain, Abiel Leonard gave the sermon.  

On December 4, Washington wrote to remind Congress of the great need for more powder.   

 

On December 11, Martha Washington arrived at Cambridge with her son, John Parke Custis and his wife. 

A British ship discovered the party working on Lechemere's Hill.  The ship and British soldiers on Mount Horam in west Boston began a cannonade.  One of the United Provinces' men was wounded.  Blasts from our two 18 pounders from Cobble Hill drove the ship away.  

Washington continued to fortify Lechemere's Point during severe weather.

General Charles Lee was sent to Rhode Island to lay out works and give directions to fortify "the island".  

Lee endeavored to make friends there.   He had several Tory citizens arrested.  After 10 days, Lee returned to Cambridge.  

It was observed that British General Clinton was fitting out ships for a southern expedition;  so, General Lee was soon (in early January) sent to begin fortifications of New York town and vicinity.

Loss at QUEBEC
In December battles, General Montgomery was killed, Arnold was wounded and the Anti-British troops abandoned the attack on Quebec in defeat.

 

British Admiral Samuel Graves burned Falmouth (Portland, Maine) on December 31, 1775 ...

Visit ===> Boston === (Takes a bit of time, walk Freedom Trail here !)  

#1775, #NEXT 1776, #1777, #1778, #1779, #1780, #1781, #1782, #1783, etc.
Westward-ho! ... Continue module ==> 1800 ... 1812 ... 1813 ...1814 ... 1815 ... Zebulon Pike ... 2nd National Anthem

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