"rebel works." But a
furious northeast storm arose, and beat upon them with such violence
that it was impossible to land. They were compelled to postpone the
attack until the next night. But the storm continued, and even
increased. The wind blew a gale and the rain descended in torrents all
through the following day and night, shutting up the enemy within their
own quarters, and allowing the Americans time to multiply their works
and render them impregnable.

When the storm ceased, an English officer declared that the Americans
were invincible in their strong position. That General Howe was of the
same opinion is evident from the fact that he decided to evacuate
Boston.

Had General Howe been able to land his troops on the first night, as he
planned, there is little doubt that Washington would have been driven
from the Heights as the Americans were driven from Bunker Hill, so that
the intervention of the storm seemed peculiarly providential. When
Washington issued his order, months before, for the strict observance of
the Sabbath and daily religious service by the army, General Lee, who
was a godless scoffer, remarked, derisively, "God is on the side of the
heaviest battalions."

But in this case the storm favored the _weakest_ battalions.

General Howe conferred with the authorities of Boston, and promised to
evacuate the city without inflicting harm upon it if the Americans would
not attack him. Otherwise he would commit the city to the flames, and
leave under cover of the mighty conflagration. Washington wrote to him:

"If you will evacuate the city without plundering or doing any harm, I
will not open fire upon you. But if you make any attempt to plunder, or
if the torch is applied to a single building, I will open upon you the
most deadly bombardment."

Howe promised: yet such was the disposition of the British soldiers to
acts of violence, that he was obliged to issue an order that soldiers
found plundering should be hanged on the spot; and he had an officer,
with a company of soldiers and a hangman, march through the streets,
ready to execute his order.

It was not, however, until the 17th of March that the embarkation of the
British army commenced. About twelve thousand soldiers and refugees
embarked in seventy-eight vessels. The refugees were Americans who
favored the British cause (called Tories), and they did not dare to
remain in this country. Washington wrote about these refugees:

"By all accoun