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American History Stories, Volume II |
by Mara L. Pratt |
Tales of Revolutionary times, including the causes of the American Revolution, the daring exploits of those defending liberty, the early battles, the struggles of the army, and the heroes who led the colonists to victory. Ages 8-12 | 169 pages |
$9.95 |
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THE RED-COATS LEAVE BOSTON
[68] ALL this time, you remember, Washington’s army had kept the
British imprisoned in the city. They had been unable
to get out into the country for provisions, and now
they were in real danger of starvation. They were
short of fuel too. They had already chopped down
several wooden houses, and had even been mean enough to
chop down the “Old North Church” for firewood. These
cowardly soldiers knew that these simple-hearted
Puritans loved their meeting-houses as they loved their
homes; and so they took great delight in showing all
the contempt they could for these places. They liked
nothing better than to break the glass and shoot into
the windows as they passed along. The old South
Church, which the Boston children know, and which still
stands on Washington Street, was turned into a riding
school. The pews
[69] were torn out, and the floor strewed with litter for
the horses. One of the pews in this church, a very
beautifully carved pew, they carried away to build a
fence for a pig-pen. I could not begin to tell you of
the needlessly cruel and insulting things these
red-coats did to annoy the people of Boston.
OLD SOUTH CHURCH
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Faneuil Hall, now called “the cradle of Liberty,”
because throughout the history of Boston, so many
liberty meetings of all sorts have been held there, was
made into a theatre: and there the British army used
to delight to meet and listen to plays and songs which
were sure to be full of jokes on the American
colonists.
At one time the British were acting a play which they
had named the “Blockade of Boston.” In this play was
an actor intended to represent George Washington. He
was dressed in some ridiculous manner, wore a funny
looking wig, and carried a rusty old sword.
Just as this character was coming upon the stage,
another clownish looking figure with another big rusty
sword by his side, an officer rushed upon the stage
crying, “The Yankees are attacking our works on Bunker
Hill!”
At first the people thought it was part of the play;
but when General Howe ordered, “Officers to your
posts!”
[71] they began to realize that the play had indeed come to
a sudden end. I fancy the hall was cleared quickly,
indeed; and it was not many days before the British
troop found that Washington’s sword was not so rusty as
they had thought; at any rate it was able to flash an
idea into the British general’s eye which made him
think it worth while, not many days later, to take
himself and his troops out of the town.
UNDER THIS TREE WASHINGTON FIRST TOOK COMMAND
OF THE AMERICAN ARMY, JULY 3RD, 1775
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At last the provisions had run so low it seemed to
General Howe, who was then in command, that the best
thing to do was to leave the city while there was a
chance. Then, too, Washington had begun to fortify
Dorchester Heights; and General Howe feared that soon
his escape would be cut off. And so, after stealing
all the blankets and woolen and linen in the city,
after spiking their cannon and throwing it into the
harbor—doing, in short, all the mischief they
could, they marched away from the city of Boston. And
even as they marched out, they scattered all about the
entrance to the city little irons, with sharp points
sticking out in all directions. These irons were
called “crow’s feet,” and they scattered them about
that the colonists, when they entered the city, might
tread upon them and so disable their feet.
The people of Boston had been shut in all this time
with the British and the disloyal Tories; and you can
imagine how glad they were when they saw Washington
marching in at the head of his army.
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