Iron County Record | 1976-03-11 | Page 2 | 200 Years ago this Week

200 Years ago this week In a series on Navel actions In Chesapeake Bay that lasted from March 9 to March 13, 1776, the Maryland ship Defense and two Maryland militia companies attacked the British sloop of war HMS Otter and drove it away from shore near Chariton Creek, Northhampton County, Virginia. On March 14, the Congress advised all colonies to disarm all loyalists. Also on that day, Congress ordered the defense of New York by 8,000 men. General Howe, the British commander in Boston, carried out his plan to evacuate Boston on March 17, (Howe had decided to abandon the city on March 7 when he came to the conclusion that he could not defend the British fleet from American guns in forts on Dorchester Heights, and could not drive the Americans from their position). All of Howe's 6,000 troops as well as about 1,000 loyalists boarded troop ships and sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Howe planned to wait in Halifax for reinforcements. The British evacuation of Boston ended a nearly 11-month seige of that city, during which American's had been unable to break the grip of British control of Boston until General Washington carried out a tricky plan to occupy Dorchester Heights on March 3-4. When the British troops and loyalists left Boston, Washington ordered his troops to march into Boston. The Continental Army completed its occupation of Boston on March 20.