By the winter of 1776 British troops had occupied Boston for nearly two years. Outlying encampments of more than 8,000 patriots con. ned them to the city. It was a stalemate. British forces lacked suf. cient numbers to risk a major engagement, and George Washington’s Continentals lacked the artillery and powder needed for an attack.
On the morning of March 5, 1776, all that dramatically changed when General Howe, Commander of British forces, awoke in shock to see a battery of heavy cannons entrenched atop
Dorchester Heights to the south of Boston. From their placement high above the city, Patriot cannons could now bombard British troops and Her Majesty's ships in the harbor. General Howe knew the game was up. His army must abandon Boston or face devastating losses. Twelve days later, roughly 9,000 British troops and over 1,000 Loyalists abandoned the city and hurriedly boarded seventy-eight ships bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia.
