Photographs courtesy of E.W.
In 1775, Gen. George Washington established a fledgling naval force with the hope of capturing poorly defended trading vessels with their stores of gunpowder bound for British occupied Boston. Washington’s Army was entrenched within sight of the British Stronghold of Boston but only had hours worth of gunpowder and not a shot more. The knowledge of this weakness was so carefully kept that orders were given to shoot any Continental soldier deserting the lines. Few knew the true purpose was to preserve the powder itself. Few beyond Washington could know this secret because the British had their spies and ample supplies of gunpowder. A year earlier King George III had stopped the general exportation of gunpowder to the colonies. The outlook was dire for Washington’s undersupplied Army even as casks of gunpowder in poorly defended trading vessels sailed toward British held ports.
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