The Penobscot River was the gateway to lands controlled by the Penobscot Indians who generally favored the British, and Congress feared that they would lose any chance of enlisting the Penobscots as allies if a fort were successfully constructed at the mouth of the river. Penobscot Expedition, MainePENOBSCOT EXPEDITION, MAINE. The rest of more than 40 vessels were made up of ships of the Massachusetts State Navy and private vessels under the command of Commodore Dudley Saltonstall. Also included was a 100-man artillery detachment under the command of Lt. May-August 1779. The British pickets, who included Lieutenant John Moore, put up a determined resistance but received no reinforcement from the fort and were forced to retire, leaving the Americans in possession of the heights. Acadia House Provisions’ lounge area is a cozy spot to sip a Grateful Dead-themed cocktail (turns out Ryan is a Dead Head) such as the China Cat Sunflower or the Casey Jones or the Friend of the Devil. [citation needed], Historian George Buker suggests that Saltonstall may have been unfairly blamed for the defeat. Massachusetts was also motivated by the fear of losing their claim over the territory in any post-war settlement. They landed on the narrow beach and advanced up the steep bluff leading to the fort. However, I must say I’m partial to the indoor seating where there are mojitos rather than mosquitos. He also proposed that the strategic location of such a post would help to carry the war to New England and would offer protection for Nova Scotia. The coast down to the Penobscot was also next to the Bay of Fundy, which was easily approached from the large British naval base at Halifax. LC Maps of North America, 1750-1789, 840 Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Also included was a 100-man artillery detachment under the com… [47] During the War of 1812, however, British forces again occupied Fort George (still calling the area New Ireland) from September 1814 to April 1815 and used it as a naval base before withdrawing again with the arrival of peace. Germain to Clinton, Whitehall, September 2, 1778, no. [citation needed]. [12] Germain drafted orders for Lieutenant General Henry Clinton on September 2, to establish "a province between the Penobscot and St. Croix rivers. A third battery was constructed on an island south of the bay near the mouth of the Bagaduce River, in which Albany was harbored. [11], John Nutting was a Loyalist who had piloted Sir George Collier's expedition against Machias, and Knox induced him to write to Germain in January 1778 to promote the idea of a British military presence in Maine; he later dispatched him to London to do so in person. Have a question or comment? The disastrous Penobscot Expedition left the area, later known as Castine, to the British and a loyalist colony called New Ireland. Paul Revere, who commanded the artillery in the expedition, was accused of disobedience and cowardice. [19] Captain Henry Mowat of the Albany was familiar with Massachusetts politics, and he took the rumors quite seriously and convinced General McLean to leave additional ships that had been part of the initial convoy. [N 2] Upon trial he was declared to be primarily responsible for the debacle, found guilty, and dismissed from military service. [citation needed], Since 2004 a comprehensive exhibit on the Penobscot Expedition has been provided by the Castine Historical Society, located at its base on School Street, Castine.[52]. Manuscript, pen-and-ink and watercolor. PENOBSCOT EXPEDITIONPENOBSCOT EXPEDITION (1779), an attempt by Massachusetts to dislodge the British from Bagaduce (now Castine), on the Penobscot peninsula of Maine, which they had occupied in June 1779. Through maps, journals, and official depositions, several expedition eyewitnesses described the transports’ retreat and indicated the contingent’s final general location. Here you go: Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. [6] The troops numbered approximately 700, consisting of 50 men of the Royal Artillery and Engineers, 450 of the 74th Regiment of (Highland) Foot, and 200 of the 82nd (Duke of Hamilton's) Regiment. Secretary of State for the Colonies Lord George Germain and his Under-Secretary William Knox were responsible for the war effort, and they wanted to establish a base on the coast of the District of Maine that could be used to protect Nova Scotia's shipping and communities from American privateers and raiders. Has watermarks. [39] On August 5, one man was killed and another captured,[36] and on August 7, 100 Americans engaged 80 British with one killed and one wounded on the American side and two wounded among the British. The most important military action relating to Fort George was the Penobscot Expedition of 1779, the largest American naval expedition of the Revolutionary War. It was the largest American naval expedition of the war. The survivors of the expedition made an overland journey back to more populated parts of Massachusetts with minimal food and armament. [4] At this point, Lovell ordered the attackers to halt and entrench where they were. 11. The Penobscot Expedition was a 44-ship American naval armada during the Revolutionary War assembled by the Provincial Congress of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. [17] On June 16, his forces began landing on a peninsula that was called Majabigwaduce (Castine, Maine) between the mouth of the Bagaduce River and a finger of the bay leading to the Penobscot River. [36] On August 4, Surgeon John Calef recorded in his journal that several men were wounded in exchanges of fire. I’ve dined inside and on the harbor deck and loved my experience at both. [13], Nutting reached New York in January 1779, but General Clinton had received copies of the orders from other messengers. [26], On July 28, under heavy covering fire from the Tyrannicide, Hunter, and Sky Rocket, Brigadier General Peleg Wadsworth led an assault force of 400 (200 marines and 200 militia)[27] ashore before dawn at Dyce's Head on the western tip of the peninsula with orders to capture Fort George. [9][10] Sir Francis Bernard supported the idea of a new colony, as it would make "a resort for the persecuted loyalists of New England". ( Log Out / Nutting described the Castine peninsula as having a harbor that "could hold the entire British Navy" and was so easily defensible that "1,000 men and two ships" could protect it against any Continental force. [25] Meanwhile, 750 men landed under Lovell's command and began construction of siege works under constant fire. [36] On August 13 and 14 many of the vessels were either captured by Collier or scuttled and burned by their own crews while the rest were destroyed at Bangor. Cannonballs were also reported to have been recovered during the construction of the concrete casements for the I-395 bridge in 1986. Clinton had already assigned the expedition to General Francis McLean who was based in Halifax, and he sent Nutting there with Germain's detailed instructions. Seven hundred British troops built a fort to defend Canada, deny timber to the rebels and interrupt their privateering. Penobscot County Maine Map. In 1972 the Maine Maritime Academy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology searched for and found the wreck of the Defence, a privateer that was part of the American fleet. [citation needed], Fort George was established in the center of the small peninsula, with two batteries outside the fort to provide cover for Albany, which was the only ship expected to stay in the area. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The Penobscot Expedition was a 44-ship American naval task force mounted by the Provincial Congress of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. [31], Realizing that time was running out, on August 11 General Lovell again wrote to Saltonstall pleading for him to attack saying: "I mean not to determine on your mode of attack; but it appears to me so very practicable, that any farther delay must be infamous; and I have it this moment by a deserter from one of their ships, that the moment you enter the harbour they will destroy them. Ultimately they intended to settle the outpost as a haven for Loyalists. Nutting to Germain, London, January 17, 1778, Public Records Office, London: Colonial Office Papers. [7][8] The British also hoped to keep open the timber supply of the Maine coast for masts and spars for the Royal Navy. Instead of assaulting the fort, Lovell had decided to build a battery within "a hundred rods" of the British lines and bombard them into surrender. 1910. Their own casualties were four men missing (who were killed), and 12 wounded. Feb 19, 2014 - A fleet of privateers and hastily recruited soldiers failed to stop the British from occupying Majabigwaduce on Penobscot Bay in 1779. [51] Evidence of scuttled ships was also found under the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge in Bangor and under the Bangor town dock, and several artifacts were recovered. What was the Penobscot Expedition of 1779? Maine Research Tools. Check flight prices and hotel availability for your visit. The next day, McLean and Captain Andrew Barkley, the commander of the naval convoy, identified a suitable site at which they could establish a post.
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