Archive for March, 2017

AMERICAN REVOLUTION – SIEGE OF BOSTON

Posted on: March 1st, 2017 by hauleymusic No Comments

In the aftermath of the failed Concord
expedition, the thousands of militiamen
that had converged on Boston remained.
Over the next few days, more arrived
from further afield, including companies
from New Hampshire, Connecticut, and
Rhode Island. Under the command of
Artemas Ward, they surrounded the
city, blocking its land approaches and
putting the occupied city under siege.
The British regulars fortified the high
points in the city.

While the British were able to resupply
the city by sea, supplies in Boston were
short. Troops were sent out to some of
the islands in Boston Harbor to raid
farmers for supplies. In response, the
colonials began clearing those islands
of supplies useful to the British. One
of these actions was contested by the
British in the Battle of Chelsea Creek,
but it resulted in the loss of two British
soldiers and the British ship Diana.

The need for building materials and
other supplies led Admiral Samuel
Graves to authorize a Loyalist merchant
to send his ships from Boston to
Machias in the District of Maine,
accompanied by a Royal Navy schooner.
The Machias townspeople rose up,
seizing the merchant vessels and then
the schooner after a short battle in
which its commander was killed. Their
resistance and that of other coastal
communities led Graves to authorize
an expedition of reprisal in October
whose sole significant act was the
Burning of Falmouth. The outrage in
the colonies over this action contrib-
uted to the passing of legislation by
the Second Continental Congress
that established the Continental Navy.

The colonial army also had issues with
supply, and with command. Its diverse
militias needed to be organized, fed,
clothed, and armed, and command
needed to be coordinated, as each
militia leader was responsible to his
province’s congress.

While the British were able to resupply
the city by sea, supplies in Boston
were short. Troops were sent out to
some of the islands in Boston Harbor
to raid farmers for supplies. In response,
the colonials began clearing those
islands of supplies useful to the British.
One of these actions was contested by
the British in the Battle of Chelsea
Creek, but it resulted in the loss of two
British soldiers and the British ship
Diana. The need for building materials
and other supplies led Admiral Samuel
Graves to authorize a Loyalist merchant
to send his ships from Boston to
Machias in the District of Maine,
accompanied by a Royal Navy schooner.

The Machias townspeople rose up,
seizing the merchant vessels and then
the schooner after a short battle in which
its commander was killed. Their
resistance and that of other coastal
communities led Graves to authorize an
expedition of reprisal in October
whose sole significant act was the
Burning of Falmouth. The outrage in
the colonies over this action contrib-
uted to the passing of legislation by the
Second Continental Congress that
established the Continental Navy.

The colonial army also had issues with
supply, and with command. Its diverse
militias needed to be organized, fed,
clothed, and armed, and command
needed to be coordinated, as each
militia leader was responsible to his
province’s congress.

References:

1. Federal Writers’ Project (1977).
Rhode Island: A Guide to the Smallest
State. US History Publishers.
ISBN 978-1-60354-038-4.

2.Brooks, Victor (1999). The Boston
Campaign. Combined Publishing.
ISBN 1-58097-007-9.

3. French, Allen (1911). The Siege
of Boston. McMillan. OCLC 3927532.

4. Leamon, James S (1995).
Revolution Downeast: The War for
American Independence in Maine.
University of Massachusetts Press.
ISBN 978-0-87023-959-5

5. Miller, Nathan (1974). Sea of Glory:
The Continental Navy fights for
Independence 1775-1783. New York:
David McKay. ISBN 978-0-679-50392.

NEXT MONTH: BUNKER HILL