THURSDAY MARCH 19, 2026
SOUTH BOSTON ONLINE
VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 74
Evacuation Day 250 by Rick Winterson
T
uesday, the 17th, was a day of celebration. In addition to St. Patrick’s Day, it was the 250th Anniversary of the day that the British left Boston in 1776, the first year of our Independence. It was sunny but cold and windy. The day’s festivities started with Mass said by Fr. Joe White in the St. Augustine Chapel, followed by a rededication of the surrounding cemetery, especially for Barney McGinniskin, a heroic Boston Police officer buried there. A contingent of colonial soldiers had gathered, along with their teams of oxen, to fire musket salutes before their procession to the Monument on D orc he s t e r He i g ht s . The procession to the Heights began the celebration in remembrance of the colonial victory over the British military forces who f led from Boston – 250 years ago in 1776, which was
George Washington’s first victory in our War of Independence. South Boston celebrates it as “Evacuation Day”. The South Boston Citizens’ Association (the SBCA) arranged and hosted the observances on Tuesday. The 250th celebration on the Heights was held in tents pitched for the affair. Cannon rounds, rifle salutes, fifes and drums, and many memorial contingents from all around Boston took part. A number of inspirational speakers delivered their own Evacuation Day thoughts – elected officials, the Park officials, and SBCA members. SBCA President Tom McGrath received an award presented by Sen. Nick Collins. Winning students in the SBCA’s 2026 poster and essay contests also got their awards. From emplacing the nation’s colors, to the cannon salutes, to the praiseworthy remarks made by the speakers, it was a truly memorable ceremony. At the end, SBCA President Tom McGrath
set a celebratory wreath at the Dorchester Heights memorial stone. The cannons fired again; Master Sergeant Robert Bean
rendered a stirring version of “Taps” And then the gates to the newly renovated Evacuation Monument on Dorchester Heights swung wide open.