Over 1,000 colonists assembled along points of the route back to Boston. Numerous skirmishes broke out, thirty soldiers and four colonial militiamen were killed. Reinforcements arrived from Boston with about 1,000 troops and artillery. Although the troops retreated to Boston, the fight continued. The colonists lost 25 men killed and 9 wounded, and the British lost 40 killed and 80 wounded. Ultimately, over 15,000 colonial militias converted on Boston, and surrounded the city on 3 sides and began the Siege of Boston. The colonists surrounded Boston and Charlestown to keep the redcoats contained. The Siege of Boston was commanded by Artemas Ward, Nathaniel Greene, John Stark, and Israel Putnam. Before breaking through the siege, General Gage waited for reinforcements from General Howe General Clinton, and General Burgoyne. Therefore, the colonial militia and the British just remained and waited for something to happen or change. This happened in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, Mat 1775, delegates from all 13 colonies met to begin the Second Continental Congress. Fighting broke out in Massachusetts and the king declares Massachusetts ‘in rebellion’. Most delegates wanted to make peace with the king; they sent a document call the Olive Branch Petition to King George. In the document the colonists told their king that they would remain loyal to him if he were to remove the intolerable acts from Boston. The king never replied to them, so they set up a continental army and put George Washington as commander in Chief. Washington headed to Boston while a major battle broke out between the redcoats and militia. The minutemen had the redcoats surrounded in Boston. British General Howe was in charge of the navy and ships at anchor at Boston Harbor. If he needed to, he could use his cannons and guns to powerful effects. On June 16 Col. William Prescott took up a strategic