OCR Text |
Show "'6-191 9 200 Years ago this week On March 3-4, 1776, Commander Com-mander Esek Hopkins carried out the first and virtually only planned major operation of the Continental Navy. Hopkins raided the Bahamas, capturing New Providence (Nassau) . seizing its military stores. A plan to wrest Dorchester Heights, Massachusets from British control was carried out on March 4-5. The plan had been developed by General Washington and his council of war on February 16, (the date celebrated this year as Washington's birthday, despite the fact that he was actually born on February 22). The plan was to completely fortify the American position on the Heights in a single night, so as to catch the British by surprise sur-prise in the morning-and it was carried out with complete success. suc-cess. As dawn broke, the British I fleet found itself under the guns I of American forts - but what the -British didn't know was that forts ! looked considerably more for- . midable than they really were because the Americans had?: camouflaged bales of hay to look like earthworks. On March 5. the British commander -- General Howe -planned to assault the Dorchester Dor-chester Heights the next day, but his plans and preparations were ruined by heavy rain during the night. At first glance, the fact that Howe's plan was ruined ,i looks like it was a lucky break for ! Washington, but in fact it was I probably as much a disappointment disap-pointment to Washington, who had reserves hidden to meet the expected assault, as it was to Howe. Howe's plan to assault the Heights was never revived. It became obvious to Howe that the Harbor and waterfront of Boston could not be protected from the American guns on the Heights, and the guns on the British ships could not be elevated enough to hit the American forts. Howe was also aware of counter-attack preparations, and remembered Bunker Hill. On March 7, Howe decided to abandon Boston and evacuate his forces. In action at Hutchinson's Island, Georga on March 7, Patriots routed loyalists and drove British-appointed Governor Wright from the province. American forces didn't fare so well on March 9 when they attempted at-tempted to occupy Nook's Hill, Massachusetts. The American's were driven off by British artillery ar-tillery fire from Boston, (the British had not yet carried out Howe's plan to evacuate the city). |