2 April 1776 A.D. Seige of Boston
2 April 1776 A.D. Seige of Boston Editors. “The Seige of Boston.” History. 2009. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-siege-of-boston . Accessed 1 Apr 2015. In advance of the Continental Army’s occupation of Dorchester Heights, Massachusetts, General George Washington orders American artillery forces to begin bombarding Boston from their positions at Lechmere Point, northwest of the city center, on this day in 1776. After two straight days of bombardment, American Brigadier General John Thomas slipped 2,000 troops, cannons and artillery into position just south of Boston at Dorchester Heights. The 56 cannon involved in the move were those taken at Ticonderoga, New York, by Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen with his Green Mountain Boys, which had then been transported to Boston by Colonel of Artillery Henry Knox the previous winter. By March 5, 1776, the Continental Army had artillery troops in position around Boston, including the el...