Battle of Blomindon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Blomindon
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Captain William Bishop's Sword from Battle Kings County Museum, Nova Scotia
Date 21 May 1781 Location off Wolfville, Nova Scotia Result British victory
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
	William Bishop Amos Sheffield Benjamin Belcher Jonathan Crane
Strength
28 privateers	1 schooner (35 men) Success (28 men)
Casualties and losses
1 killed	No casualties

The Battle of Blomindon happened on May 21, 1781, during the American Revolutionary War. This was a sea battle between three armed ships from the United States, called privateers, and three ships from Nova Scotia. It took place near Cape Split, Nova Scotia.

The American privateers managed to capture two Nova Scotian ships. However, one of these ships was quickly taken back by Lieutenant Benjamin Belcher. The other Nova Scotian ship was also regained by its original crew, led by Captain Bishop. The privateers who were captured were later taken to Cornwallis to face legal proceedings.

Why the Battle Happened

During the American Revolutionary War, the United States often attacked Nova Scotia. These attacks happened both on land and at sea. American privateers caused a lot of damage to Nova Scotia's economy. They raided many towns along the coast, like Liverpool and Annapolis Royal.

After the British defeated the Penobscot Expedition, American privateers attacked Nova Scotia even more fiercely. This battle was one of several fights between U.S. privateers and local Nova Scotian groups. For example, in May 1777, Captain Collet captured the U.S. privateer ship Sea Duck in the Minas Basin. There was also a raid on Cornwallis Township in 1778. In June 1779, British troops captured 12 U.S. privateers in the Bay of Fundy. These privateers had been sailing around, robbing ships and people.

In July 1780, a British privateer ship called Resolution fought a U.S. privateer ship named Viper near Halifax. It was a very intense battle. Both ships fired cannons at each other for about 90 minutes. In the end, the British ship surrendered. Many sailors from both sides were killed or injured.

The Battle Itself

Lieutenant Benjamin Belcher is the namesake of Belcher St., Port Williams, Nova Scotia

The American privateer force had 30 men. They were on one armed shallop (a small boat with one main gun and six smaller guns) and two whaleboats. They first captured Captain Sheffield’s schooner (a type of sailing ship).

Captain William Bishop, with 35 men on a small schooner, chased after the three privateer ships and the ship they had captured. Bishop fought a 25-minute sea battle with the privateers. But he and his crew were eventually captured by them.

Lieutenant Belcher, on his armed sloop Success with 28 crewmen, then chased the three U.S. privateer ships and their two captured prizes (Sheffield’s and Bishop’s schooners). Belcher caught Sheffield’s ship. One privateer was killed during this recapture. Many of the other privateers then escaped in their whaleboat to the shores of Cape Split.

Belcher then started chasing Captain Bishop’s ship. While being chased, Captain Bishop managed to overpower his captors. He regained control of his own schooner. He then sent the remaining U.S. privateer prisoners to Cornwallis.

What Happened Next

U.S. privateers continued to attack ships in the Bay of Fundy. On August 7, 1781, the British schooner Adventure captured the schooner Mary near Annapolis. In the fall of 1781, a U.S. naval group was attacked by the Nova Scotia militia in the Bay of Fundy. The militia captured two Americans. The rest of the crew ran into the woods and were later rescued by Acadians (French-speaking people living in the area).

Legacy

• The sword Captain William Bishop used in the battle is now kept at the King's County Museum in Nova Scotia.
• Lieutenant Belcher has a street named after him, Belcher St., in Port Williams.
• A poem called The Battle of Blomindon May 21, 1781 was written by Ms. Belle Belcher Robinson of the Wolfville Historical Society. Here is part of the poem:

The cannon were seven that spoke from their sloop;
And hands that were greedy clutched gladly upon
A ship Amos Sheffield had filled for Saint John.
Their sally was smashed in ten minutes or sooner;
Yanks captured Will Bishop and Jonathan Crane
And all of their party who struggled in vain.
Thus loaded with loot and captives galore,
Three vessels set out from Cornwallis shore,

Then Benjamin Belcher, once born at Gibraltar,
Was fit to be tied in an over-sized halter;
He learned where a vessel with guns might be got,
And rode like a madman to Horton Town Plot.
We were twenty-eight strong in the schooner SUCCESS,
Militiamen bold who with Belcher did press
By horse out to Horton and clambered on board,
And sailed on the track of our foe-men abhorred.

The season was May and the orchards were white;
It seemed a grand day for a wonderful fight.
With the tide running in, they were caught at the Cape;
We hammered their sloop, and in haste to escape
Some took to their dories and scrambled to land
While others lay dead in the ship they had manned.
Still slowed by the tide was the schooner they'd taken
And this by its captors was quickly forsaken,

And promptly Will Bishop and Jonathan Crane
Discomfit their guards and a victory gain.
Thus over the Basin by noon we withdrew
With three captured ships and our jubilant crew.
"The blow that we struck at the Cape was a squelcher!"
Remarked our stout commodore, Benjamin Belcher.

Aftermath

U.S. privateers continued to be a danger to Nova Scotian ports for the rest of the war. The next year, after a failed attempt to raid Chester, Nova Scotia, U.S. privateers attacked again in the Raid on Lunenburg in 1782.