General Howe oversees the evacuation of Boston in this 19th-century print.

Six companies of the 55th landed in Boston on the last day of December, 1775. General Howe had taken over command of the Army in October of 1775, and apparently planned to send the 55th to Quebec to take part in the Burgoyne campaign. On 16 January, 1776, General Howe sent the following letter to the Earl of Dartmouth:

"In Mr. Deputy Secretary Pownall's letter of the 22nd September I am to understand that I may expect the King's commands from your lordship for the 17th, 27th, 28th, 46th, and 55th regiments to be sent to Quebec as early as possible in the spring . . ." (Davies, pp 46-47).

The 55th's first action in the American Revolution was to be an attack on the Rebel-held fortifications overlooking Boston on Dorchester Heights. The expedition was to be led by Brigadier-General Jones, who was to embark at Boston's Long Wharf (the 55th on board the Success) and approach the heights via Castle William on March 5, 1776 (Howe, p 312). The attack was called off due to a severe storm that blew in that evening (Kemble, p 71). It was probably a good thing this expedition failed to materialize, as the rebels had prepared very strong defenses and had even attached logs together to roll down on their attackers. Since Boston was under the threat of enemy fire from the heights, Howe decided to evacuate the town. The Army set about making their preparations and the 55th spent some time trying to remove one of three, large, sea mortars from the works below Mount Whoredom on the east side of Boston. However, they found there was no transport available for the mortar, so it was spiked and the other two pushed into the sea (Robertson, p 79). The British Army, including the 55th, abandoned Boston on March 17, 1776, and sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia (Commager/Morris - Newell, p 183; Fortescue, p 177).

Perhaps it was due to Howe's planned invasion of New York, or possibly the order was simply lost or forgotten, but the 55th never made it to Quebec and, instead of being captured at Saratoga, the regiment would ultimately end up in the West Indies.

Furniture Left at Boston March 17, 1776
187 Tongs
276 Pokers
843 Candlesticks
172 Axes
1,046 Ash Boxes
1,089 Bucketts [sic]
250 Malletts [sic]
250 Iron Wedges
911 Tables
1,853 Forms [benches]
180 Chairs
60 Lanthorns
65 Wheelbarrows
46 Hand Carts

Colonial Office Papers, series five, State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library microfilm, Draper Manuscript Collection, State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library (C.O. 5/5 page 348)