Getting Hammered® #Todayin1776: Washington Takes Dorchester Heights!
Mar 6, 2026
A daring nighttime bluff that changed the course of a siege. The strategic importance of Dorchester Heights and how it commands Boston and the harbor. Ingenious rapid fortification methods used to move cannon and build defenses under fog and secrecy. The dramatic reported British reaction and the detailed orders Washington sent to coordinate the operation.
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Artillery Shifted Strategic Balance
- Washington used newly arrived heavy artillery as leverage rather than for a direct assault.
- Henry Knox hauled 60 tons of captured cannon to Boston, enabling the overnight occupation of Dorchester Heights that forced the British to evacuate the city.
Nighttime Bluff Seized Dorchester Heights
- Washington executed a bold nighttime ruse to seize high ground instead of confronting the British directly.
- On March 4th, about 2,000 troops silently built prefabricated 'chandeliers' and fortifications overnight on Dorchester Heights, aided by thick fog.
Write Clear Contingency Orders With Delegation
- Plan operations with detailed contingencies and clear delegation rather than rigid orders.
- Washington's letter to General Artemis Ward laid out troop numbers, specific defensive constructions (barrels, fascines, chandeliers), and delegated engineers like Knox and Gridley to lay out the work.