When day-light disclosed their operations to the British, a considerable degree of embarrassment appeared, and an ineffectual fire was commenced on the party in possession of the heights, who in turn opened a battery on the besieged; and continued with unremitting labour to strengthen their position.
{March 5.} It was necessary to dislodge the Americans from the heights, or to evacuate the town; and General Howe, as had been foreseen, determined to embrace the former part of the alternative.

Three thousand chosen men, to be commanded by Lord Percy, were ordered on this service.
These troops were embarked, and fell down to the castle, in order to proceed up the river to the intended scene of action; but were scattered by a furious storm, which disabled them from immediately prosecuting the enterprise.

Before they could again be in readiness for the attack, the works were made so strong, that the attempt to storm them was thought unadviseable, and the evacuation of the town became inevitable.
In the expectation that the flower of the British troops would be employed against the heights of Dorchester, General Washington had concerted a plan for availing himself of that occasion, to attack Boston itself.

The storm which defeated the proposed attack on the heights defeated this enterprise also.
[Sidenote: Boston evacuated.] {March 17.} The determination to evacuate Boston was soon communicated.

A paper signed by some of the select men of the town, and brought out with a flag, stated the fact.