Battle of Machias (1777) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Machias
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Sir George Collier
Date August 13–14, 1777 Location Machias, Maine 44°42′50.58″N 67°27′39.1″W / 44.7140500°N 67.460861°W / 44.7140500; -67.460861 Result Both sides claimed victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	United States Penobscot Passamaquoddy Maliseet
Commanders and leaders
Sir George Collier	Jonathan Eddy Stephen Smith (privateer) John Allan (colonel)
Strength
3 frigates 1 brig 1 sloop of war 123 marines	local militia; allied Native Americans
Casualties and losses
3 killed 18 wounded	1 killed 1 wounded

The Battle of Machias happened on August 13–14, 1777. It was a fight during the American Revolutionary War. British forces tried to attack the town of Machias in what is now eastern Maine. But local fighters, called militia, along with their Native American friends, stopped the British from landing.

Commodore Sir George Collier led the British attack. He wanted to stop another planned attack on Fort Cumberland. This fort had been attacked before in 1776. The British landed near Machias, took a ship, and raided a storage building.

Both sides said they won the battle. Collier claimed he destroyed military supplies meant for Fort Cumberland. But those supplies were not even in Machias. The local defenders said they successfully protected Machias and made the British leave.

Why the Battle Happened

A 1776 nautical chart of Machias Bay. Machias is at the very top.

Machias was a small town in what is now Maine. It was a constant problem for the British navy. In June 1775, the people of Machias had already captured a British ship. Since then, Machias became a base for privateers. Privateers were private ships allowed to attack enemy ships.

Allan's Plans and British Discovery

In 1777, John Allan was a Nova Scotian who supported the American side. The Second Continental Congress asked him to set up an American base in western Nova Scotia. This area is now New Brunswick. Allan planned to gather many men. He wanted to attack Fort Cumberland.

Allan started his efforts in Machias. By June, he had landed about 40 men in the St. John River area. But British leaders in Halifax found out about Allan's plans. A larger British force arrived at the St. John River on June 23. Allan's men fought briefly but then had to retreat. Allan had a tough journey back to Machias. Many Maliseet Native Americans joined him on this trip.

The British found papers about Allan's detailed plans. These plans included attacking Fort Cumberland. Captain Sir George Collier, a British naval commander, saw these papers. He knew there had already been one attack on Fort Cumberland the year before. So, Collier decided to attack Machias. It was Allan's main base and where he found many of his fighters.

British Preparations

Collier and General Eyre Massey, the army commander in Halifax, did not get along. So, Collier decided to attack Machias without any British Army troops. He sailed from Halifax in late July. He had the frigate HMS Rainbow and the brig HMS Blonde. He planned to use the marines from these ships for fighting on land. Later, the frigate HMS Mermaid and the sloop HMS Hope joined him.

Machias Defenses

The town of Machias was defended by local militia. Their leader was Colonel Jonathan Eddy. He had led the attack on Fort Cumberland in 1776. Eddy had been warned that the British were planning an attack.

The militia put a log boom across the Machias River. This was a barrier made of logs to stop ships. They also built several dirt forts, called redoubts, further up the river. These forts had cannons taken from local privateer ships. About 40 to 50 Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Native Americans also helped defend Machias. Colonel Allan had called them to Machias to explain what happened with his expedition.

The Battle Begins

Collier's ships arrived at the mouth of the Machias River on August 13. He put 123 marines onto the Hope. He ordered the Hope and the Blonde to sail up the river. The militia heard about this. Thirty-five men gathered to stop them.

The British ships reached the log boom. A fight started between the two sides. The militia fought hard enough to stop the British from landing that day.

Fighting on Land and River

Early the next morning, in the fog, the British marines landed. They cut the log boom. They captured a sloop (a type of ship) carrying lumber. They also set fire to a storage building. They took supplies like flour, rice, corn, shoes, and ammunition. Then they went back to their ships.

The two British ships then moved further up the river towards the town. All along the way, the militia and their Native American friends fired muskets and cannons at them. They tried to stop the British from landing anywhere.

When it got dark, the Native Americans started chanting and shouting. They wanted to make it sound like there were more of them. Suddenly, the British ships, the Brig and the Sloop, moved away without firing. They went down the river against the tide.

However, the Hope got stuck in the mud as it went downstream in the dim light. The next morning, the militia brought a swivel gun to the shore. They fired at the Hope until the tide came in and freed the ship. The Hope then made its way into Machias Bay.

What Happened Next

Colonel Jonathan Eddy

Colonel Allan believed the militia won because the British worried about a trap. He even compared the fight to the Battle of Bunker Hill, saying there was a lot of fighting. Americans thought the British had many casualties, between 40 and 100. The Americans said they had only one killed and one wounded. The British reported three killed and 18 wounded. Most of these happened when the Hope got stuck.

After leaving Machias, Collier sailed along the Maine coast. He captured smaller American ships. He also raided towns on the Sheepscot River. There, he captured a ship full of wood for ship masts, meant for France.

Collier said his mission was a success. He claimed he stopped another invasion of Nova Scotia. He also thought that with 100 more men, Machias would have been completely destroyed. General Massey, whose troops were supposed to join the expedition, was angry. He said Collier "stole out of Halifax" and "made a futile attack on Machias."

Machias was not attacked again during the war. However, it became somewhat cut off when the British took over Castine in 1779. They created a new colony there called New Ireland. Collier later returned to defend New Ireland from an American attack.