The following is an installment of “On This Day,” a series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by following the actions of Gen. George Washington, the Continental Congress, and the men and women whose bravery and sacrifice led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
March 20, 1776
Gen. George Washington conducts an extensive inventory detailing the British stores left behind. Scuttled ships, thousands of bushels of wheat and salt, blankets, cannon with trunnions broken. As it is completed, Washington notes that even General Thomas Gage’s chariot was wrecked and abandoned.
ON THIS DAY: WASHINGTON FEARS A SMALLPOX OUTBREAK
That evening, a massive explosion rocks Boston Harbor. On their way out, British engineers destroyed the fort of Castle William, blowing it up to prevent it from falling intact into American hands.