British from Dorchester, was fulfilled. They had no eyes save for
the opposing batteries. For three nights the diversion continued; on the
4th it was, wrote Newell, "a most terrible bombardment and cannonade,
on both sides, as if heaven and earth were engaged." At Braintree, miles
away, Abigail Adams listened to the roar, and recorded the rattling of
the windows, and the continual jar of the house. "At six in the
morning," she writes, "there was quiet," but the quiet was from
satisfaction on the one side, and amazement on the other.

[Illustration: TOWER ON DORCHESTER HEIGHTS COMMEMORATING THE EVACUATION
OF BOSTON]

On the two heights of Dorchester, commanding the town and the harbor,
stood two American redoubts, larger and stronger than the redoubt at
Breed's Hill. On lesser elevations stood smaller works. Seen from
below, Washington's preparations seemed complete.

All that moonlit night, while the cannonade proceeded, the Americans had
been busy. Everything had been prepared: the forts were staked out, the
carts were loaded, the men were ready. As soon as the cannonade began,
the men and carts were set in motion; the road was strewn with hay, and
bales were piled to screen the carts as they passed to and fro. The
troops worked with a will, first placing fascines in chandeliers to form
the outlines of their works, and then covering them with earth. There is
no better contemporary account given than in the diary of an unnamed
officer, published some ninety years later.[150] He wrote:--

"A little before sunset marched off from Roxbury; but for more than half
a mile before we came to Dorchester lines,[151] we overtook teams in
great plenty, nor did we find any vacancy till we came to the lines; in
some places they were so wedged in together, we were obliged to leave
the road to get forward; we reached the lines at seven o'clock, where we
waited half an hour for orders, when a signal was given and the
cannonade began at Lamb's fort, and was immediately answered by a very
warm fire from the enemy's lines; a brisk fire between N. Boston and our
fortifications on Cambridge side, began soon after. It was supposed
there was a thousand shot hove this night, by both armies, more than
three fourths of which were sent from Boston.[152] Our party, consisting
of about 2400 men, with 300 teams, were crossing the marsh, onto the
Neck, which together with a fresh breeze from the S. W.[153] concealed
us from the enemy till they cou