Siege

Siege:How General Washington Kicked the British out of Boston and Launched a Revolution by Roxane Orgill is an unusual book about the British occupation of Boston at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. It’s written in verse from the perspectives of several different key players including George and Martha Washington and William Lee, Washington’s slave and personal assistant.

Reading Siege was a great way to pass the time while waiting around during my February vacation jury duty commitment. It’s a quick read because of the distinct, poetic structure. There are some challenging vocabulary words with opportunities for students to use context clues to decipher them. For instance on page 77 it says: “Found an abundance / Of ordnance at Fort Ti / Brass coehorns, iron mortars / Field pieces in all sizes....” Students can deduce that ordnance means military supplies including weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and maintenance equipment. Similarly, coehorns must be some type of bullet.

More context clue practice is provided on page 82, which describes Martha Washington’s arrival. “Departed mid-November; She did not travel alone / But with an entourage: Her son, his wife, five slaves / In white coats with red collars. Along the way she was feted / By light-horse brigades and honor guards / As if she were ‘a very great somebody’ / (She wrote to a friend) / Which pleased her no end.”

Building on students’ background knowledge, lines such as, “Guns in surprisingly good condition / Except for their carriages / Wood rotting since the last war,” reference the French and Indian War. Page 24 reflects Washington’s perspective “When he surveys this ragtag lot / Fourteen thousand farmers / Fishermen, sailors / Coopers, chandlers / Shopkeepers, smiths...” 

Compare that to the Introduction’s description, “Seven thousand regulars / Camped out on the Common...” and the question posed on page 32, “Serve the crown / Or exchange a red coat for homespun / And be a deserter — Which will it be?”

We spend a lot of time in the classroom contemplating the perspectives of colonial Americans. Patriot, Tory or Neutral? Which would you be and why?

 
More interesting tidbits: Boston to Ticonderoga was “About three week’s journey...” page 64. “General Howe hadn’t eaten fresh meat in three weeks, gazed through the spyglass at the cows grazing at Lechmere’s Point.” page 68. “HMS Nancy / of the king’s Navy / supply ship/bound for Boston — captured!” page 75.

The poem ends in the spring of 1776 with General Washington surveying, “The room he had occupied/For nine months....In a day, or two at most/He would quit Cambridge/Travel with Martha and Billy/Depart with aides and generals/For New York.” page 190.

Written verse is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I view this book as just another way to present historical content to students with different learning styles. Sometimes the short clipped quality of poetry is easier for struggling readers to retain.