5 killed9 wounded 10 killed3 wounded | Dates 11 Jun 1775 – 12 Jun 1775 | |
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Similar American Revolutionary War, Battle of Chelsea Creek, Battle of Gloucester, Battle of Saint‑Pierre, Battle of Millstone | ||
The Battle of Machias (also known as the Battle of the Margaretta) was the second naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War. The first naval engagement being the Battle off Fairhaven. The Battle of Machias took place on 11 June 1775 and continued until 12 June 1775. It occurred in and around the port of Machias in what is now eastern Maine.
Contents
Following the outbreak of the war and the start of the Siege of Boston, British authorities enlisted the assistance of a loyalist merchant named Ichabod Jones to aid in the acquisition of needed supplies. Two of Jones' merchant ships arrived in Machias on 2 June 1775. The ships were accompanied by a British armed sloop called the Margaretta (sometimes also spelled Margueritta or Marguerite) that was commanded by Midshipman James Moore. The townspeople of Machias were unhappy with Jones' intention to take needed supplies, and they decided to arrest him. The townspeople also tried to arrest Moore, but they were unable to do so because he escaped through the harbor. However, the townspeople were able to seize one of Jones' ships. They armed the ship alongside a second local ship and sailed out to meet Moore. After a short confrontation, the townspeople were able to capture Moore's vessel and his crew. Moore was fatally wounded in the process.
The people of Machias went on to capture additional British ships and fought off a large force intended to take control of the town in the Battle of Machias in 1777. Privateers and others operating out of Machias continued to be a nuisance towards the Royal Navy during the war.
Battle of machias
Background
On 19 April 1775, the American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord in the British Province of Massachusetts Bay. Following the battle, the militia that had mustered to oppose the British commenced a siege of Boston where the British troops were located.
Boston's British military leaders, General Thomas Gage and Admiral Samuel Graves, both had reason to do business with the people of Machias. Gage required lumber to build barracks for the additional troops arriving in the besieged city. Graves wanted to recover the guns from the HMS Halifax shipwreck, which been intentionally run aground in Machias Bay by a local pilot in February 1775. The ship's guns were reported to be of interest to the Patriots of Machias. Graves authorized Ichabod Jones, a Tory Machias merchant, to take flour and other food supplies aboard his ships Unity and Polly in exchange for Gage's needed lumber. To guarantee that this trade would happen, Graves sent James Moore, a midshipman from his flagship HMS Preston, to command the armed schooner Margaretta and accompany the two merchant vessels. Moore also had additional orders to retrieve what he could from the wreck site of the HMS Halifax.
Arrival at Machias
On 2 June 1775, Jones' ships arrived in the port at Machias. However, they were met with resistance from the townspeople when Jones refused to sell his pork and flour unless he was allowed to load lumber for Boston. In a meeting on 6 June 1775, the townspeople voted against doing business with Jones. The hostile climate forced Jones to take action by ordering Moore to bring the Margaretta within firing distance of the town. The threat prompted the townspeople to meet for a second time, and they voted to permit trade. The Unity was docked at the wharf to begin unloading the supplies.
Following the vote, Jones announced that he would only do business with those who had voted in favor of trade. This angered those who had voted against trade and resulted in Colonel Benjamin Foster, a local militia leader, conspiring with militia from neighboring towns to capture Jones. They were following the example of Brunswick militiamen with the Thompson's War a month earlier. Foster's plan was to seize Jones at church on 11 June, but the plan failed when Jones noticed the group of men approaching the building. Moore managed to get back to escape back to his ship, while Jones escaped into the woods and did not emerge until two days later.
The men of Machias regrouped the next day, and Foster took around 20 men, included his Brother Wooden Foster, to East Machias where they commandeered a local schooner named the Falmouth Packet. After seizing the Unity and re-rigging it with planks as makeshift breastwork to serve as protection.
The other militia men traveled on land to find the place where the Margaretta was anchored and demanded surrender. After refusing to surrender, Moore sailed to where Polly was anchored and attempted to recover her. There was an inconsequential exchange of gunfire with the militia men who were located on the shore, and Moore was able to raise anchor and travel to a safe anchorage. The remaining men armed themselves with muskets, pitchforks, and axes and set out after the Margaretta.
Conflict
After escaping the Machias men, the Margaretta was forced to jibe into brisk winds, which resulted in the main boom and gaff to break away, crippling its navigability. Once Moore was in Holmes Bay, he captured a sloop and took its spar and gaff to replace the Margaretta's. Moore also took its pilot, Robert Avery, captive. The Unity crew of about 30 Machias men, elected Jeremiah O'Brien as their captain and sailed out to chase down the Margaretta. Since the Unity was a much faster sailing vessel, O'Brien's crew quickly caught up to the crippled Margaretta, while the Falmouth Packet lagged behind.
Upon seeing the Unity approaching, Moore opened full sail and cut away his boats in an attempt to escape. As the Unity pulled closer, Moore opened fire. The Unity crew managed to avoid damage and pulled alongside the Margaretta. Led by Joseph Getchell and O'Brien's brother John, the Unity crew stormed on board. Both sides exchanged musket shots as Moore tossed hand grenades onto the Unity. Moore was taken down by Samuel Watts with a musket shot to the chest. Once the Falmouth Packet caught up to the attack, it managed to pull along the other side of Moore's ship. With the combination of both crews, they were able to overwhelm the Margaretta.
Aftermath
Since Moore was grievously wounded in the battle, his second-in-command, Midshipman Richard Stillingfleet, surrendered the crew and the vessel. Moore was taken back to Machias and put into the care of Ichabod Jones's nephew, Stephen Jones. However, Moore's wounds were too severe and he died the following day. Three other members of Moore's crew were killed, including Robert Avery. The remaining crew members of the British schooner were held at Machias for a month, and were eventually handed over to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. There were reports circulating that stated as many as 100 British men died in this battle in the Machias area. The Machias lost two men, John McNiell and James Coolbroth, and three others were badly wounded. John Berry, who had a musket ball enter his mouth and exit behind his ear, Isaac Taft, and James Cole.
The Machias community expected retaliation by the British Empire, and immediately petitioned to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress for guidance, supplies, and assistance. The Provincial Congress organized the defense of Machias and remained vigilant. Jeremiah O'Brien immediately outfitted one of the three captured vessels with breastwork. O'Brien armed the ship with guns and swivels that were taken from the Margaretta and changed its name to Machias Liberty. In July 1775, O'Brien and Benjamin Foster captured two more British armed schooners, the Diligent and the Tatamagouche. The ships officers had been captured when they came ashore near Bucks Harbor. The Provincial Congress formally recognized O'Brien and Foster's efforts by commissioning both the Machias Liberty and the Diligent into the Massachusetts Navy with O'Brien as their commander in August 1775. Retaliation from the British did not occur until 18 October 1775 with the Burning of Falmouth.
Following rumors of an assault on Nova Scotia being planned, a small British fleet carrying 1,000 men attempted to take Machias at the Battle of Machias (1777). The battle took place on 13 August 1777 and continued until 14 August 1777. The locals were able to successfully fight off the British forces with the help of Indian allies. The rumors of the assault on Nova Scotia ended up being only partly true since no significant military planning had taken place.
During the war, Machias men refitted and armed a variety of ships—including the Margaretta—and sailed off looking for battle with the British. The Machias Liberty and the Diligent were used to intercept merchant ships that were supplying the British in the Siege of Boston. Jeremiah O'Brien and John Lambert built a twenty-gun ship and began privateering under an American letter of marque. Both men were commissioned into the Continental Navy for their work. O'Brien was captured off the coast of New York in late 1777, but was able to escape from prison in Britain to continue privateering throughout the war.
The British naval command was continually frustrated by the actions of the Machias seamen during the war with the use of Machias as a staging point for militia actions in Nova Scotia. Samuel Graves ordered Sir George Collier to destroy Machias in 1777. Graves attempted to subdue Machias multiple times, but had no success.
Liberty pole story
There is a widely told story concerning this affair that Machias men erected a Liberty pole after meeting in the Burnham Tavern to discuss the battles of Lexington and Concord. This story, which persists in modern history books and travel guides, has been shown to be an 1831 fabrication by Machias resident John O'Brien. There is no mention of the Liberty pole in any earlier accounts, including the official report sent by the residents of Machias in 1775, and the letters of other participants in the events.