Boston
Boston
Siege of Boston
Following the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord in April, 1775 that began the American Revolution, the British Army under military governor Thomas Gage retreated to the safety of Boston. The city was soon surrounded by American militia from several states led by General Artemas Ward. For two months, both armies consolidated their forces and constructed defenses; eventually American troops would outnumber the British by around 16,000 to 11,000 men. The British attempted a breakthrough in June under General William Howe, resulting in the Battle of Bunker Hill, but they were ultimately forced to return to Boston with heavy casualties. On July 2nd, George Washington arrived from Philadelphia and took command of the American forces, now officially the Continental Army. The winter was hard on both armies but the siege continued. Yankee fortifications on the hills around the city were bolstered in November by the arrival of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga, 200 miles away in the heavy snow, under the leadership of Henry Knox. Washington ordered the bombardment of the city on March 5, 1776, and after a few days of heavy artillery fire from Dorchester Heights and other high ground around Boston Harbor, Gage decided to withdraw. His army departed the city with the help of the British Navy and retreated to Halifax, ending the eleven-month siege. The American victory took the focus of the war away from the New England colonies and proved that the new Continental Army, even after their defeat at Bunker Hill, could compel the more experienced British to withdraw from a battlefield.
Battle Facts
Result
American Victory
COMMANDERS
Forces Engaged
27,000
American
16,000
British
11,000
Total Estimated Casualties
79
American
19
British
95
Rev War
Historical Map
HISTORICAL MAP | The Siege of Boston, Massachusetts from 1775 to 1776
Rev War
Historical Map
HISTORICAL MAP | Battle of Bunker Hill, Massachusetts on June 17, 1775
Rev War
Battle Map
BATTLE MAP | The Revolutionary War Trust's (formerly Campaign 1776) map of the Battle of Lexington...
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