Muskets crack, drums echo as Boston marks 250 years since British evacuation

BOSTON (AP) — Reenactors in 18th-century military coats and tricorn hats filled the pews of one of the nation's oldest Catholic Churches on Tuesday before firing muskets outside and marching through neighborhood streets, marking the 250th anniversary of the day British forces evacuated the city.

Men, horses and even cattle moved through South Boston’s hills in the morning wind as residents watched from stoops — some in pajamas and wrapped in blankets, appearing to have been awakened by the sound of drums and bagpipes.

Evacuation Day commemorates March 17, 1776, when British troops withdrew from Boston. The breakthrough came when Gen. George Washington fortified Dorchester Heights with artillery hauled from Fort Ticonderoga by Col. Henry Knox, prompting the British evacuation.

The event marked the Continental Army’s first major victory of the Revolutionary War, ending an 11-month siege of Boston and securing the city for the American cause.

The anniversary also traditionally falls on St. Patrick’s Day, a pairing that has shaped Boston’s celebrations for decades and was marked again with a combined parade in South Boston last weekend.

The ceremony Tuesday began at St. Augustine Chapel and Cemetery, where participants gathered for Mass in the 1818 building before forming a procession that moved through South Boston toward Dorchester Heights, the hill where colonial forces positioned artillery overlooking the harbor.

The commemoration continued there, with a ceremony featuring Revolutionary War reenactment units, music and a wreath-laying. The event also marked the reopening of the Dorchester Heights monument following a $37 million renovation project.

Ronald White of Milton, dressed in colonial attire, stood with reenactors firing replica muskets in the church’s graveyard following the service and said the anniversary carries personal meaning.

A member of the New Hampshire Sons of the American Revolution, he traces his lineage to an ancestor who fought in the war. His eyes teared up Tuesday talking about how inspired he feels by the nation’s founders.

“To think that 250 years ago Henry Knox made such a courageous stand, I get choked up thinking about it,” White said. “They really were going up against a force — it was kind of a suicidal idea to stand up against Great Britain. And we did it. Here we are remembering it.”

Richard Vige, who lives in a Boston suburb, said he came to Dorchester Heights for the first time to mark the 250th anniversary, despite a lifelong interest in American history.

“I’ve always been interested in history, really since grade school,” he said. “I’ve visited many of the sites along the Freedom Trail, but I had never been here before. I wanted to take advantage of the 250th to see what was going on.”

He said attending the commemoration offered a chance to reflect on how far the country has come since its founding — from a cluster of colonies along the Atlantic to a nation of more than 340 million people.

Greta Gaffin, a Boston University theology student studying American religious history, said the Catholic service struck her as historically ironic.

Holding a Catholic Mass to mark the anniversary is a scene the nation’s founders might not have imagined. Colonial Massachusetts long restricted Catholic worship, and churches did not take root in Boston until after the Revolution, as religious freedoms expanded and Irish immigration reshaped the city.

“I’m here because I think having a Catholic Mass in honor of Evacuation Day is conceptually absurd,” she said. “They would have hated this — I had to see it.

“And I love parades," she added.

Anti-Catholic sentiment was widespread in colonial New England, though it had begun to shift by the Revolutionary War, when the American cause relied in part on Catholic France. The Quebec Act, which protected Catholicism in neighboring Quebec, was seen by some colonists as a threat and is reflected in grievances in the Declaration of Independence.

Reenactors stand atop Dorchester Heights in an Evacuation Day ceremony marking the 1776 departure of British troops from the city during the American Revolutionary War, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Reenactors stand atop Dorchester Heights in an Evacuation Day ceremony marking the 1776 departure of British troops from the city during the American Revolutionary War, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Reenactors fire muskets during an Evacuation Day ceremony marking the 1776 departure of British troops from the city during the American Revolutionary War, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Members of a fife and drum band march in a procession during an Evacuation Day ceremony marking the 1776 departure of British troops from the city during the American Revolutionary War, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Crane's Continental Artillery reenactor Jeffrey Cooke takes part in an Evacuation Day ceremony marking the 1776 departure of British troops from the city during the American Revolutionary War, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Pawtucket Rangers Militia reenactors assemble in an Evacuation Day ceremony marking the 1776 departure of British troops from the city during the American Revolutionary War, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Revolutionary War reenactors line up outside St. Augustine Chapel and Cemetery in South Boston, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, before firing muskets during Evacuation Day commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of the British withdrawal from Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)

DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon can deliver a little bit of everything, including the honest truth.

“One of those nights that just sucked,” the Colorado Avalanche forward told the media Monday after a 7-2 loss to a Pittsburgh Penguins squad that was missing Sidney Crosby.

Colorado, the league's top team for most of the season, has hit a bit of a rough patch. That, coupled with the torrid play of the Dallas Stars, has dramatically tightened things up in the Central Division.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar prefers not to fixate day to day on the standings, which is probably a good thing given the recent developments. The Avalanche, who were 13 points clear of the Stars — 11 over the Minnesota Wild — on Jan. 19, suddenly find themselves ahead by three points going into their game against Dallas on Wednesday night at Ball Arena. The two teams meet again in Dallas on April 4.

“Everything's crucial right now,” center Brock Nelson said. “We just (need) a little bounce-back.”

The Avalanche are still trying to meld everything together following acquisitions before the trade deadline that added centers Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy, along with defensemen Brett Kulak and Nick Blankenburg. Since the March 6 trade deadline, they're 3-3, including a shootout win at Dallas that night.

“The chemistry matters,” said MacKinnon, who had a goal against Pittsburgh to notch his fourth straight 110-point season. “It’s no one’s fault. It’s just different. New teams, and then a lot of different line combinations lately, for everybody. It’s hard. It sounds like an excuse. (Monday night) was just bad, too. We just played bad."

A rash of injuries has taken a toll as well. Colorado is currently without captain Gabriel Landeskog (lower body), Artturi Lehkonen (upper body) and Ross Colton (upper body). Logan O’Connor, who has missed all season after undergoing hip surgery in June, could join the Avalanche on their upcoming four-game trip.

The ailments have caused Bednar to experiment with using 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

“When you have injuries, it’s not easy because you want to make sure you have everyone going as best you can,” Bednar said Tuesday after an optional practice.

MacKinnon told the media the night before that the “flow's off, for sure. A lot of new faces.” He added: "I think lines and D-pairs need to sit down and go through clips and figure out what our system is right now.”

Because, at the moment, he feels like there's too much passing around the perimeter. The Avalanche, who lead the league in goals (246), have been held under 30 shots in their last three games.

“Sometimes winning can mask some stuff," MacKinnon said.

They're also struggling on the power play, scoring 34 goals on 215 opportunities. And they've given up 12 short-handed goals.

“We need everyone on the same page," MacKinnon said. “We need more communication before the game, meetings — really know what we’re going to do over and over again.”

On Monday, the goaltenders struggled, too. Scott Wedgewood, who entered the game as the NHL leader with a 2.16 goals-against average, allowed three goals in 13 minutes before being pulled. Mackenzie Blackwood surrendered four goals after taking over in net.

“The goals and chances that were given up (Monday) are just blatant guys getting beat, guys getting out-competed, just not digging in enough,” Bednar said. “We’re giving up easy chances.”

They have an opportunity to get back on track Wednesday against the Stars, who fell 6-3 at home to Utah on Monday. The regulation loss ended the team's 15-game point streak (14-0-1), which matched the franchise record set by the 1998-99 Stanley Cup champion squad (12-0-3).

“It's a lot like the playoffs right now. You can't let one game affect the next,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said Monday. “We want to get two points against those guys every chance we can get. Looking forward to another big game.”

There's been plenty of big games between these two rivals. The Stars eliminated Colorado in seven games in the first round of the playoffs last season. The year before, Dallas knocked off Colorado in six games during the second round.

“(Expectations) are going to be high,” Nelson said. “Both teams will be wanting to send a message.”

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Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar looks on in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Monday, March 16, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood deflects a shot in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Monday, March 16, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) collects the puck in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)