9 Rounds Per Man — Washington's Real Crisis (August 1775)

Nine Rounds

On August 3, 1775, George Washington received a report at his headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The total gunpowder supply for the entire Continental Army — enough for 9 rounds per soldier.

Washington went silent. Those present recorded that he said nothing for thirty minutes.

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The Reality of the Siege

From the outside, the Continental Army appeared to be besieging Boston. British forces were bottled up inside the city. Colonial troops held the surrounding hills.

The reality was different. There was no ammunition to attack. If the British broke out, there was no way to stop them. Washington's army was a bluff.

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What the British Didn't Know

British Commander Howe did not know. Had he known, he could have marched out of Boston that day and destroyed the Continental Army.

Washington kept the secret. He didn't even tell his own soldiers. If the shortage became known, morale would collapse entirely.

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What Washington Did

Washington immediately sent urgent requests to every colony for gunpowder. At the same time, he ordered blacksmiths to produce pikes and axes in place of firearms.

And he maintained the siege as if nothing had changed — so the British would suspect nothing.

Months later, Henry Knox arrived with the cannons from Fort Ticonderoga, and the balance shifted. But in August 1775, American independence rested on nine rounds of ammunition.

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Date: August 3, 1775 | Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts | Continental Army gunpowder: 9 rounds per soldier