earthwork.  The moment daylight enabled it to be seen, the British opened fire from their ships.  But the Americans worked steadily on in spite of cannon shot, and by noon had constructed a line of intrenchments extending from the earthwork down the hill toward the water.  Gage might easily have landed men and taken this intrenchment in the rear.  He instead sent Howe[1] and 2500 men over in boats from Boston, to land at the foot of the hill and charge straight up its steep side toward the Americans on its summit.  The Americans were bidden not to fire till they saw the whites of the enemy’s eyes, and obeyed.  Not a shot came from their line till the British were within a few feet.  Then a sheet of flames ran along the breastworks, and when the smoke blew away, the British were running down the hill in confusion.  With great effort the officers rallied their men and led them up the hill a second time, to be again driven back to the landing place.  This fire exhausted the powder of the Americans, and when the British troops were brought up for the third attack, the Americans fell back, fighting desperately with gunstocks and stones.  The results of this battle were two fold.  It proved to the Americans that the British regulars were not invincible, and it proved to the British that the American militia would fight.

[Footnote 1:  General William Howe had come to Boston with more British troops not long before.  In October, 1775, he was given chief command.]

[Illustration:  BOSTON, CHARLESTOWN, ETC.]

%134.  Washington takes Command.%—­Two weeks after this battle Washington reached the army, and on July 3, 1775, took command beneath an elm still standing in Cambridge.  Never was an army in so sorry a plight.  There was no discipline, and not much more than a third as many men as there had been a few weeks before.  But the indomitable will and sublime patience of Washington triumphed over all difficulties, and for eight months he kept the British shut up in Boston, while he trained and disciplined his army, and gathered ammunition and supplies.

%135.  Montreal taken.%—­Meanwhile Congress, fearing that Sir Guy Carleton, who was governor of Canada, would invade New York by way of Lake Champlain, sent two expeditions against him.  One, under Richard Montgomery, went down Lake Champlain, and captured Montreal.  Another, under Benedict Arnold, forced its way through the dense woods of Maine, and after dreadful sufferings reached Quebec.  There Montgomery joined Arnold, and on the night of December 31, 1775, the two armies assaulted Quebec, the most strongly fortified city in America, and actually entered it.  But Montgomery was killed, Arnold was wounded, the attack failed, and, six months later, the Americans were driven from Canada.

[Illustration:  Bunker Hill Monument]