On the night of March 4, 1776, these heights south of Boston, commanding the harbor and town, were seized and fortified by troops of the Continental Army and local militia under General John Thomas. Through this arduous night’s labor and further strengthening of the defenses, the position of the British troops under siege in the town became untenable. The British under General Howe then evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776. This was the first great strategic success of the Americans in their War for Independence.