250 Years Ago News

Lambruschini (died 1854)

The Revolution in Rome

March 6, 1776: Luigi Lambruschini, a cardinal and diplomat of the Roman Catholic Church and one of its leading figures for conservatism, is born in Genoa. He led the vote in most ballots for a pope in the 1846 before Pius IX’s victory and was briefly exiled from Rome during the Revolution of 1848.

(From the National Park Service’s “Bicentennial Daybook,” 1976)

“Take the glass out of the lantern, and save it if possible, but if you find this impractical you will break all the glass. You will also endeavor to pump the oil out of the cisterns into casks and bring it off… In short you will use your best discretion to render the light-house entirely useless.”

The lighthouse in the 1800s

March 6, 1776: A committee of the New York Provincial Congress instructs Maj. William Malcolm to dismantle the Sandy Hook, N.J., lighthouse, to hamper any British effort to send warships into the harbor. 1/2

(From the National Park Service’s “Bicentennial Daybook,” 1976)

West Indian goods

March 6, 1776: The Philadelphia Committee, responding to public complaints, places price controls on various imported West India food commodities. It warns violators they will be punished as "sordid vultures who are preying on the vitals of their country in a time of general distress."

”And as there is a great Number of Gunsmiths in this and the neighboring Colonies, I flatter myself we shall soon be able to provide ourselves without Risk or Danger.” 2/2

Hancock

March 6, 1776: “With Regard to Arms, I am afraid we shall, for a Time, be under some Difficulty,” writes Congress’ president, John Hancock, to Washington. “The Importation is now more precarious and dangerous. To remedy this, a Committee is appointed to contract for the making Arms. 1/2

(From the National Park Service’s “Bicentennial Daybook,” 1976)

Baltimore Harbor

March 6, 1776: Baltimore baker Cumberland Dugan tells the Maryland Safety Council that because of high flour and fuel prices, he can’t bake the bread they request. He offers instead to charter his sailboat, load it with surplus flour and export the cargo to buy guns and ammunition.

The more vigorous Thomas will reach Quebec City on May 1, to find Arnold’s army is barely holding on and badly weakened by supply shortages and disease. The general, too, will catch smallpox there and die on June 2. 4/4

Wooster lost confidence with Congress after he followed the disaster of Richard Montgomery’s attack on Quebec City with a reluctance to reinforcement Benedict Arnold’s forces ringing the city. He is also under fire for antagonizing the Catholic population of Montreal, which he occupies. 3/4

”the Congress have been anxious to fix upon some General Officer, whose military Skill, Courage and Capacity will probably insure Success to the Enterprise,” writes John Hancock. “In Major General Thomas they flatter themselves they will not be disappointed.” 2/4

Thomas

Wooster

March 6, 1776: The Continental Congress names John Thomas to replace David Wooster as commander of the American invasion force in Canada. Thomas has just led the campaign to fortify Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston, although Congress in Philadelphia is unaware of this as yet. 1/4

Washington, sensing what the British are up to, tells his own aide-de-camp Joseph Reed he still itches for battle: He would still go after Nook’s Hill and “give them a dose they would not well like…I think everything had the appearance of a successful issue, if we had come to an engagement.” 8/8

On the advice of naval commander Adm. Molyneux Shuldham, Halifax is chosen as the destination for both the fleet and the army—the only place in North America that offers a safe supply lifeline from the British Isles. 7/8

At 11 a.m. Howe calls his corps commanders to a meeting at Province House. He tells them Boston is considered "untenable." His adjutant Stephen Kemble reports that "the general thought proper to embark all the stores and sail away as fast as possible.” 6/8

Howe writes to London: “The weather continuing boisterous…gave the enemy time to improve their works, to bring up their cannon, and to put themselves into such a state of defense, that I could promise myself little success by attacking them under all the disadvantages I had to encounter.” 5/8

The redcoat general also recognizes that Washington intends to use his commanding position to next seize Nook’s Hill, a point opposite Boston Neck; from Dorchester and these heights the American cannon would be able to pound Boston at will. 4/8

Washington’s first guess is correct. Howe realizes he has run out of time to try to drive away the Americans after they have had well over 24 hours to lay down breastworks and entrenchments, and to deploy their formidable cannon recently arrived from Ticonderoga. 3/8

Last night, winds held up the boats ferrying redcoats across Boston Harbor. Today Gen. Washington sees these vessels heading back to town from Castle William, “whether from an apprehension that our works are now too formidable to make any impression on, or from what other causes I know not.” 2/8

Howe

March 6, 1776: Gen. William Howe makes the decision to give up Boston. The British commander tells his lieutenants the demoralizing news a day after he called off their planned attack on the new American positions atop Dorchester Heights. 1/8

Cideville

Voltaire

March 5, 1776: Pierre Le Cornier de Cideville, a prominent figure of the French Enlightenment, dies at 82 in Paris. A magistrate and legal scholar in Rouen, he was a close friend of Voltaire, sheltered him during the philosopher’s legal troubles, and wrote many epigrammatic letters.

In February, the sloop Batchellor was seized by French authorities in Martinique. The ship was then promptly “purchased by a Monsieur Begoraux, for Account of Richard Harrison, an Agent there for the Continental Congress, and is now Loading with Gunpowder, Arms, &c; to carry back to America.” 2/2

Naval Documents of the American Revolution

March 5, 1776: From the West Indies, Leeward Islands naval commander James Young reports an incident summing up France’s increasingly open unwillingness to help the British suppress the colonies’ surreptitious sea trade: 1/2

However, the Admiralty tells him that since no formal charges were ever made against him, no such trial will be convened. 2/2

Graves

March 5, 1776: Adm. Samuel Graves, just arrived in London after being relieved of his command over naval operations in America, demands a court martial so he can defend himself from widespread accusations of neglect and incompetence during his war service. 1/2

(From the National Park Service’s “Bicentennial Daybook,” 1976)

Also in Charleston, patriot Henry Laurens assures the Georgia Council of Safety that South Carolina will dispatch more troops to help defend that province if it’s deemed necessary. He also cautions that with the approach of hot weather, the health of the soldiers must be considered. 2/2

Laurens

March 5, 1776: South Carolina’s Provincial Congress rejects a proposal to call a special convention for establishing a new form of government, on the grounds that the Congress is already popularly elected and has the authority to perform the task on its own. 1/2