The Siege of Boston Developed. 187
for every exposed position of the reported for duty by the thirty-first of
enemy which could be threatened, December. During the preceding
without neglecting the demands of the months, and, in fact, from his arrival
siege itself. Frequent attempts were at Cambridge, Washington had freely
made to force the siege to an early conferred with General Greene. That
conclusion. The purpose was to expel young officer had studied Caesar's
or capture the garrison before Great Commentaries, Marshal Turenne's
Britain could send another army, and Works, Sharp's Military Guide, and
open active operations in other colonies, many legal and standard works upon
and not, merely in the indolence of government and history, while drilling
the mere watchdog, to starve the a militia company, the Kentish Guards,
enemy into terms. " Give me powder and following the humble labor of a
or ice, and I will take Boston," was the blacksmith's apprentice. He fully
form in which Washington demanded appreciated the value of the hours
the means of bombardment or assault, spent before Boston. Together with
and gave the assurance that, if the river General Sullivan, who, as well as him-
would freeze, he would force a decisive self, commanded a brigade in Lee's
issue with the means already at com- division, he looked beyond the lines of
mand. the camp rear-guard, and spent extra
Meanwhile, he sent forth privateers hours in discipline and drill, to bring
to scour the coast and search for vessels his own command up to the highest
conveying powder to the garrison ; and state of proficiency,
soon no British transport or supply- The following is the theory which he
vessel was secure, unless under convoy entertained, in common with Washing-
of a ship-of-war. ton, as to the proper method for prose-
At last. Congress increased the army cution of the war ; and he so expressed
to twent)^-four thousand men and himself, when he first encamped before
ordered a navy to be built. Washing- Boston and united his destinies with
ton redoubled his efforts, confident that those of America.
Boston was substantially at his mercy ; His words are worthy of double
but seeing as clearly that the capture recognition by the citizens of the
or the evacuation of the city would United States, because they not only
introduce a more general and desperate furnish a key to the embarrassments
struggle, and one that would try his which attended the uncertain policy of
army to the utmost. Congress during the Revolution, but
At this juncture. General Howe was they illustrate some of the embarrass- strongly reinforced. When he sue- ments which attended the prosecution ceeded Gates, on the tenth of Octo- of the war of 1 86 1-65. ber, 1775, he "assumed command of First. " One general-in-chief." all his Britannic Majesty's forces, from Second. " Enhstments for the war." Nova Scotia to Florida," and thus indi- Third. " Bounties for families of cated his appreciation of the possible soldiers in the field, extent of the American resistance. It Fourth. " Service : to be general, was a fair response to the claim of regardless of place of enlistment." Washington to represent "7%^ C(3/6';z/(?i-, Fifth. " Money loans to be effected in arms^ Howe's reinforcements had equal to the demands of the war."
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