Cambridge

Harvard College Converted to Military Use

Harvard suspended classes and its buildings became barracks for Continental soldiers. Students were sent home or relocated. Massachusetts Hall housed troops, and Harvard Yard became a drilling ground. The college would not fully resume normal operations until after the British evacuated Boston. This conversion represented the total mobilization of colonial society for the war effort.

Washington Takes Command of Continental Army

Under an elm tree on Cambridge Common, George Washington formally assumed command of the Continental Army. The ceremony was simple—no grand parade, no elaborate protocol. Washington faced an army of perhaps 16,000 men, poorly supplied, with enlistments expiring, and no clear organizational structure. He immediately began the work of imposing order on chaos, a task that would consume the next eight months.

Siege of Boston Command Operations

For eight months, Cambridge served as the headquarters for the siege of Boston. Washington coordinated defensive positions stretching from Roxbury to Chelsea, managed chronic supply shortages, dealt with expiring enlistments, and attempted to forge a unified command structure from thirteen colonial militias with different traditions and expectations. The siege was largely a war of patience and logistics rather than pitched battles.

Longfellow House Becomes Washington's Headquarters

Washington established his headquarters in the abandoned Vassall house (now Longfellow House), a Georgian mansion whose Loyalist owner had fled to England. Here Washington held councils of war, received intelligence reports, corresponded with Congress, and grappled with the endless administrative demands of maintaining an army. Martha Washington joined him here for the winter of 1775-76.

Continental Army Supply Crisis

Washington discovered the army had only 36 barrels of gunpowder—enough for perhaps nine rounds per man. He was so shocked he reportedly sat silent for half an hour. The crisis forced a defensive posture and desperate efforts to acquire powder from any source. Had the British attacked during this period, the result might have been catastrophic. The shortage shaped every tactical decision for months.

Virginia and Pennsylvania Riflemen Arrive

Companies of frontier riflemen from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland arrived in Cambridge, having marched hundreds of miles. Their long rifles could hit targets at distances impossible for smoothbore muskets, and they were deployed as snipers against British positions. However, their undisciplined behavior and resentment of New England authority caused constant problems. Daniel Morgan's company was among the most effective.

Council of War Debates Attack on Boston

Washington convened his generals to consider an amphibious assault on Boston. The council unanimously rejected the plan as too risky given the army's inexperience and the British naval superiority. This pattern—Washington proposing bold action, his officers urging caution—would repeat throughout the siege. The decision to wait proved wise, though frustrating.

Knox Proposes Fort Ticonderoga Artillery Mission

Henry Knox, a Boston bookseller turned artillery officer, proposed bringing captured British cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to break the siege stalemate. Washington approved the audacious plan. Knox departed in late November on what would become a legendary winter journey across frozen lakes and mountains, returning with 60 tons of artillery that would finally tip the balance.

Martha Washington Arrives at Headquarters

Martha Washington arrived in Cambridge after a journey from Virginia, bringing supplies and establishing herself as hostess at headquarters. Her presence provided stability and helped maintain morale among the officers. She organized sewing circles to make clothing for soldiers and visited the sick. This began a pattern she would maintain throughout the war, joining Washington in winter quarters.

Enlistment Crisis and Army Reorganization

Most Continental Army enlistments expired on December 31, 1775. Washington faced the nightmare scenario of his army dissolving while besieging Boston. Some men simply went home. Others demanded bounties to re-enlist. Through desperate measures—appeals to patriotism, promises of pay, threats—enough men stayed to maintain the siege, but the experience left Washington deeply skeptical of short enlistments.