vices, the "greatest frugality and economy" are demanded, he wishes two or three hundred dollars to be devoted annu ally to the poor. Nothing escapes his all-embracing mind, and still more all-embracing heart.

All this time the two armies lay only a mile apart, in full view of each other's operations, while the outposts were almost within speaking distance. Scarcely a day passed in which there was not more or less cannonading by the enemy, to which the Americans, for want of powder, had to submit in silence. What little they had was reserved, as Washington remarked, "for closer work than cannon distance, whenever the red-coat gentry please to step out of their intrenchments."

As the winter passed on the British began to feel the want of provisions. Meat of all kinds was ruinously high, while houses were torn down to furnish fuel for the soldiers. The parsonage of the old South Meeting-house, the old North Chapel, and the wooden steeple of the West Church, were one after another pulled to pieces for this purpose, while the glorious old "Liberty Tree" furnished fourteen cords of wood. Faneuil Hall was fitted up as a theatre, in which a farce called "Boston Blockaded," was played, to the infinite amusement of the British and Tories. One of the chief characters in it was Washington, who cut a sorry figure on the stage. Shabbily clad, with a long, rusty sword by his side, attended by an ungainly, ragged servant, carry, ing an ancient gun, he walked the boards with a gait that drew down the house, while his speeches were received with immoderate laughter. This was all very well in a farce, but an incident occurred one night that showed how close fear trod on the heels of laughter.

A detachment had been sent to Charlestown to destroy some houses either occupied, or used for fuel by British soldiers. In this they were successful, making several prisoners. The skirmish that followed was taken by the

outposts for a general movement of the army and an officer burst into the theatre exclaiming, "the rebels are attacking our works on Bunker Hill!" The audience, supposing this to be a part of the play, and intended as a surprise, roared with laughter, but when, suddenly, high over the merriment, Lord Howe, who was present, shouted, "Officers, to your alarm posts!" the farce was turned into a tragedy, and manager, characters, audience and all, rushed pell-mell from the building.

The winter had been so mild, that but little ice had formed in the waters around Boston, but at length, in the middle of February, it froze hard enough to bear troops, and Washington proposed to take advantage of it at once, and, crossing from Roxbury to Dorchester Heights, fortify the latter, and at the same time carry Boston by assault. A council of war, however, decided that the latter attempt was too perilous. Mortified and disappointed at this lack of spirit and daring, Washington, nevertheless, resolved to take possession of Dorchester Heights, and plant his batteries above the town, and, if needs be, demolish it, crowded though it was with friends as well as foes. The noble Hancock had urged him to do this, and, if necessary, send the first shot against his own dwelling.

The great difficulty, however, was to cast up intrenchments in a single night, sufficiently strong to cover the troops from the British fire in the morning. The manner in which this was done I find thus clearly related in the diary of Rufus Putnam, the chief engineer of the army.*

1776, January and February. During those months the mind of General Washington was deeply engaged in a

* Judge Putnam of Ohio, the descendant of Rufus Putnam, has kindly furnished ne with the manuscript diary of his ancestor, together with other valuable papers. Though not a professed engineer, he had had a good deal of experience in the French war, and the post was almost forced upon him by Washington and the other generals. All the works at Dorchester, Roxbury, and Brookline, were laid out by him.

plan of crossing on the ice, and attacking the British n Boston and taking possession of Dorchester Neck.

Now, with respect to taking possession of Dorchester Neck, there were circumstances which fell under my knowledge and sphere of duty, which were so evidently marked by the hand of an overruling Providence, that I think proper to relate them.

"As soon as the ice was thought sufficiently strong for the army to cross over, or perhaps rather before, a council of general officers was convened on the subject. What their particular opinions were I never knew, but the brigadiers were directed to consult the field-officers of their several regiments, and they again to feel the temper of the captains. and subalterns.

"While this was doing, I was invited to dine at headquarters; and while at dinner General Washington desired me to tarry after dinner, and when we were alone he entered into a free conversation on the subject of storming the town of Boston.

"That it was much better to draw the enemy out to Dorchester, than to attack him in Boston, no one doubted; for if we could maintain ourselves on that point or neck of land, our command of the town and harbor of Boston would be such as would probably compel them to leave the place.

"But the cold weather, which had made a bridge of ice for our passage into Boston, had also frozen the earth to a great depth, especially in the open country, as was the hills on Dorchester Neck-so that it was impossible to make a lodgment there in the usual way. However, the general directed me to consider the subject, and if I could think of any way in which it could be done, to make report to him immediately.

"And now mark those singular circumstances which I cal! providential. I left head-quarters with another gentleman, and in our way came by General Heath's. I had no thought

of calling until I came against his door, and then I says let us call on General Heath; to which he agreed. I had no other motive but to pay my respects to the general. While there, I cast my eye on a book which lay on the table, lettered on the back, Muller's Field Engineer.' I immediately requested the general to lend it to me--he denied me. I repeated my request-he again refused, and told me he never lent his books. I then told him that he must recollect that he was one who at Roxbury in a measure compelled me to undertake a business which, at the time, I con fessed I had never read a word about, and that he must let me have the book. After some more excuses on his part, and close pressing on my part, I obtained the loan of it. I arrived at my quarters about dark. It was the custom for the overseers of the workmen to report every evening what progress had been made during the day. When I arrived there were some of them already there. I put my book in the chest, and if I had time did not think of looking in it that night.

“The next morning, as soon as an opportunity offered, I took my book from the chest, and looking over the contents found the word chandeliers.' What is that? thought Iit is something I never heard of before; but no sooner did I turn to the page where it was described, with its use, but I was ready to report a plan for making a lodgment on Dorchester Neck, (infidels may laugh if they please.) In a few minutes after I had for myself determined, Col. Gridley (the engineer who had conducted the work at Cambridge) with Col. Knox of the artillery, who had been directed to consult with me on the subject, arrived. They fell in with my plan-our report was approved of by the general, and preparations immediately set on foot to carry it into effect; and, every thing being ready for the enterprise, the plan was put in execution, and a lodgment made on Dorchester Heights in the night of the fourth of March. Such were

the circumstances which led to the discovery of a plan which obliged the enemy to leave Boston, viz. a lodgment made of chandelier* fascines, etc."

The better to conceal his purpose, and make it appear that an attack on the line was about to be made, Washington, on Saturday night, the 2d of March, opened a tremendous cannonade, the heavy metal reaching even into the city, and shattering the houses. The British replied, and the two armies thundered on each other all night. The next (Sunday) right Washington again opened his heavy batteries. On Monday night, while the deafening explosions were filling the inhabitants of Boston with terror, he ordered General Thomas with two thousand men to march swiftly across the neck and occupy the heights. Bundles of hay had been laid along on the town side to prevent the rumbling of the three hundred carts that followed from reaching the enemy's outposts. This immense train of carts, driven rapidly over the neck, carried the pressed hay and fascines, etc., for the chandeliers. It was a bright moonlight night as the soldiers wheeled up the heights, unseen by the sentinels below, and commenced their work. The bundles of hay were tumbled out and picketed together in the frames constructed for them, and when the bright sun gleamed down on the frozen waters it revealed to the astonished enemy two dark structures standing on Dorchester Heights. Howe was amazed at the apparition, and after surveying the works long and anxiously through his glass, exclaimed, "I know not what I shall do." The play of "Boston Blockaded" was evidently drawing to a close. These heights commanded the bay, and also Nook's

*"A chandelier is constructed of one sill ten feet long and six inches square, with two posts five feet long, of the same size, framed into the sill five feet apart, cach supported by a brace on the outside. They are placed on the ground at a proper distance from each other-the open space between the posts is then filled with bundles of fascines, strongly picketed together."