siege boston siege boston april march opening phase american revolutionary war new_england prevented movement land british_army garrisoned city boston massachusetts sides deal resource supply personnel issues course siege british resupply reinforcement activities limited sea access months siege british abandoned boston sailing nova scotia siege began april battles lexington concord militia surrounding massachusetts communities blocked land access boston formed continental_army militia george_washington commander chief june british seized bunker casualties heavy gains insufficient break continental_army hold land access boston military actions remainder siege limited occasional raids minor skirmishes sniper fire november washington sent year old turned soldier bring boston heavy artillery captured fort technically complex demanding operation brought cannons boston area january march artillery fortified overlooked boston harbor threatening british supply british commander saw british position withdrew british forces boston british stronghold halifax nova scotia march celebrated today evacuation day background prior british imposed taxes import duties american colonies inhabitants objected lacked british parliamentary representation response acts protest british troops command general sent occupy boston province massachusetts bay parliament authorized actions local provincial government led reformed continued meet called organization local militias coordinated accumulation weapons military supplies terms closed boston port caused unemployment discontent british forces sent seize military supplies town concord april militia companies surrounding towns opposed battles lexington concord concord british forces routed confrontation north bridge british troops march boston engaged running battle suffering heavy casualties new_england colonies later colonies south raised militias response alarm sent boston siege digging immediately battles april massachusetts militia loose leadership superseded general late 20th formed siege line extending boston effectively surrounding boston sides particularly blocked land access land access boston peninsula leaving harbor sea access british control days immediately following creation siege line size colonial forces grew militias new_hampshire rhode_island connecticut arrived scene general wrote surprise number rebels surrounding city rebels supposed wars french showed conduct attention general turned attention easily positions south ordered lines defenses pound guns boston proper hills quickly fortified main defense city time hills strengthened decided abandon removing forces retreated concord boston town entirely vacant high lands left heights commanding view harbor city british greatly restricted movement city fearing weapons besieged eventually reached informal agreement allowing traffic provided firearms carried residents boston turned muskets patriot residents left city loyalists lived outside city boston left homes fled city felt safe live outside city patriots control countryside men arriving boston joined loyalist regiments attached british army siege blockade harbor city remained open royal_navy vice admiral sail supplies nova_scotia places colonial forces little stop shipments naval supremacy british fleet american able harass supply ships food prices rose quickly soon shortages meant british forces short rations generally american forces able gather information happening city people escaping boston effective intelligence rebel activities early skirmishes authorized raise forces taking near southern end known heavy weapons lightly defended arnold arrived vermont disputed territory new_york new_hampshire 9th joined militia company connecticut independently arrived idea taking company joint leadership arnold allen captured fort crown point captured large military vessel raid fort saint jean recovered cannons weaponry supplies nascent continental_army find useful grip boston boston lacked regular supply fresh meat horses needed hay ordered party outer harbor bring hay boston mainland noticed took alarm militia called british party arrived came fire militia militia set fire barn island destroying tons hay prevented british taking tons continental forces partly response incident worked clear harbor islands livestock supplies useful british british marines attempted stop removal livestock islands americans resisted course action british schooner diana ran aground destroyed recovered weaponry attempt help quell rebellion issued proclamation june offering pardon lay arms exception instead rebellion ignited anger patriots people began arms british receiving reinforcements reached strength men generals arrived hms began planning break city plan decided british command fixed date taking june june colonists learned british plans response sent instructions heights ordered colonel night june led men constructed fortifications bunker hill june british forces general howe took peninsula british succeeded tactical objective taking high ground peninsula suffered significant losses men killed wounded including officers killed british losses heavy direct attacks american forces americans losing battle stood british regulars success successfully repelled assaults engagement point siege essentially stalemate stalemate general george_washington arrived cambridge july set headquarters took command newly formed continental_army following day time forces supplies arriving including companies far away maryland virginia washington began work militias closely resembling army appointing senior officers militias typically elected leaders introducing organization disciplinary measures militias required officers different ranks wear distinguished superiors july moved headquarters cambridge later known home end july arrived units raised pennsylvania maryland virginia accuracy rifle previously unknown new_england forces harass besieged forces washington ordered defenses improved trenches dug extended boston activities little effect british occupation working parties fired time time guarding works july retaliation american attack british pushed american advanced guard burned houses days later august american killed body hung neck retaliation american marched lines began attack british troops continued sharp shooting day killing wounding british losing man august british surprise breakout set fire tavern withdrew defenses night americans attacked burned lighthouse killing british soldiers capturing loss life august night washington sent men dig hill near neck despite british bombardment americans successfully dug trenches early september washington began drawing plans moves dispatch men boston invade quebec second launch attack boston washington felt afford send troops quebec received intelligence british american spies british intention launching attack boston reinforced september troops command left quebec washington summoned council war case amphibious assault boston sending troops bay flat boats hold men washington believed extremely difficult men winter came war council plan unanimously rejected decision attack present early september washington authorized appropriation local fishing vessels intelligence gathering supplies british activity precursor established aftermath present day portland maine provincial assemblies connecticut rhode_island begun ships authorized early november british soldiers went raiding expedition acquire livestock head cattle lost lives skirmish colonial troops sent defend point november colonial captain commanding schooner lee captured valuable prizes siege british nancy outside boston harbor carrying large supply ordnance military stores intended british troops boston winter approached sides faced problems americans short gunpowder soldiers given spears fight event british attack american troops remained unpaid end year british howe replaced commander october faced different problems wood scarce began cutting trees tearing wooden buildings including old north meeting house add supplying city increasingly difficult winter storms rise rebel british troops hungry ready desert soon worse smallpox broken city washington army faced similar problems smallpox soldiers rural communities exposed disease washington moved infected troops separate hospital option available given public stigma washington proposed assault boston october officers thought best wait harbor frozen february water frozen washington thought spite shortage powder try assault rushing ice officers advised washington desire launch attack boston arose fear army desert winter easily knew howe break lines army present condition learned completely trust howe inactivity abandoned attack ice great reluctance exchange cautious plan cannon arrived mid january orders london general small fleet set sail carolinas men objective join forces additional troops arriving europe port southern colonies military operations early february british raiding party crossed ice burned end siege november february colonel team engineers retrieve tons heavy artillery captured fort bringing frozen hudson connecticut rivers technically challenging complex operation arrived cambridge january fortification heights cannons size range previously available americans fortifications city night march americans began bombard city cannon british responded american guns direction colonel continued exchange fire british march exchange fire little damage damage houses kill british soldiers boston march washington moved cannon thousand men overnight occupy overlooking boston winter ground frozen making digging trenches impractical washington men instead logs branches available position overnight general howe said god work night army months british fleet range american guns putting troops city risk immediate response british hour cannon barrage heights effect british guns reach american guns height failure barrage howe officers agreed colonists removed heights hold boston planned assault heights storm attack took place british elected instead withdraw march prominent sent letter washington stating british destroy town allowed depart washington given letter formally rejected addressed title letter intended effect evacuation began american fire hinder british departure march seeing movement british opened massive fire barrage lasted night killed men damage day colonists went collected fired evacuation march issued proclamation ordering inhabitants goods colonists continue war loyalist authorized receive goods return gave certificates effectively worthless week british fleet sat boston harbor waiting favorable winds loyalists british soldiers loaded ships time american naval activities outside harbor successfully captured diverted ports colonial control british supply ships march wind favorable leave turned march wind turned favorable troops authorized burn town disturbances marching ships began ships underway fleet departing boston included ships people aboard british troops women children aftermath americans clean british fleet sailed away americans moved reclaim boston thought british turned british left place risk smallpox men picked prior exposure disease entered boston command colonial army entered march risk disease judged low washington essentially british threat burn boston hindered departure city escape outer harbor entirely easy directed captain harass departing british fleet success capturing prizes ship carrying brush general howe fleet finally left outer harbor left wake small contingent vessels primary purpose intercept arriving british vessels successfully halifax numerous ships carrying british troops originally destined boston british troop ships landed boston fall american hands british departure ended major military activities new_england colonies washington fearing british going attack new_york_city departed april army manhattan beginning new_york new_jersey campaign units derived american units participated thirty currently existing units colonial era fate british generals general howe severely criticized british press parliament failures boston campaign general given command general action disaster saw capture troops command general clinton command british forces america years fate loyalists massachusetts loyalists left british evacuated boston went england rebuild lives returned america war stayed nova scotia settling places like active future development nova scotia new_brunswick following siege boston effectively ceased military target continued focal point revolutionary activities port acting important point fitting ships war leading citizens important roles development future united_states boston area communities mark march end siege evacuation day
Siege of Boston