Battle of Portland Harbor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Portland Harbor |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
 Harper's Weekly illustration of USRC Caleb Cushing burning during the Battle of Portland Harbor. |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Jacob McLellan |
 Charles Read |
||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| USRC Caleb Cushing | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1 cutter 2 steamers |
1 schooner | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 cutter scuttled 2 steamers damaged |
25 captured 1 schooner captured |
||||||
|
|||||||
The Battle of Portland Harbor was a small but exciting event during the American Civil War. It happened in June 1863, right off the coast of Portland, Maine. In this battle, two civilian ships faced off against two vessels that were being used by the Confederate States Navy.
How the Battle Started
Around June 24, a Confederate ship called the Tacony was sailing the seas. This ship was a "raider," meaning it attacked enemy merchant ships. It was led by Lieutenant Charles Read. The Tacony was being chased by the Union Navy.
To trick their pursuers, Lieutenant Read and his crew captured a fishing schooner called the Archer on June 25. This happened very early in the morning. After moving their supplies to the Archer, the Confederates set the Tacony on fire. They hoped the Union Navy would think their ship was destroyed and stop chasing them.
On June 26, the Confederate raiders quietly entered Portland Harbor. They sailed past the Portland Head Light lighthouse. The rebels pretended to be fishermen. Their secret plan was to destroy the ships used for trade in the area. Then, they would escape out of the harbor.
The Battle Unfolds
On June 27, the raiders left the port area and headed to the federal dock. They surprised everyone and quickly took control of a special boat. This boat was a cutter belonging to the Revenue Service. It was named the USRC Caleb Cushing. The Caleb Cushing was named after an important politician from Massachusetts.
The Confederates had originally wanted to take a larger ship, the Chesapeake. But its engines were cold, and it would take too long to get them ready. So, they decided to take the Cushing instead. They quickly sailed out to sea.
News of the Confederate attack spread fast. The soldiers at Fort Preble in nearby South Portland were told about the rebels. Many people had seen the Confederates take the cutter, and they were very angry.
Thirty soldiers from Fort Preble were sent to chase the raiders. They brought two small cannons with them. About 100 regular citizens also volunteered to help. The soldiers and volunteers took over two steamers: the Forest City and the Chesapeake. The Chesapeake's engines were finally ready. All the civilians on board were given muskets to help defend against the Confederates.
The Forest City was the faster ship. It was the first to catch up to the Cushing and the Archer. When the Forest City got within about 2 miles (3.2 km), the Cushing started shooting at it. The captain of the Forest City was worried and didn't want to go any closer.
What the Confederates didn't know was that the Cushing had two secret storage areas. These were hidden in the captain's room. Lieutenant Read had not found the gunpowder and ammunition stored there. If he had, the battle might have ended very differently.
The Chesapeake had left port after the Forest City. Portland's Mayor Jacob McLellan was in command of the Chesapeake. It finally caught up and kept going toward the Cushing. The wind started blowing against the Confederate sailors. The steamers soon saw the Cushing clearly.
Lieutenant Read, the Confederate leader, ordered the Cushing to be set on fire. Its ammunition exploded after the ship was left by its twenty-four crewmen. They escaped in lifeboats. These crewmen then surrendered to Mayor McLellan. They were taken as prisoners of war to Fort Preble. The Archer was also captured soon after. All the rebels were brought back to Portland.
What Happened Next
It was found that the Confederates had a large amount of money in special papers called bonds. These bonds were meant to be paid after a peace agreement between the North and the South.
People in Portland were very angry at the Southerners. The city asked for more soldiers to guard the prisoners. When the prisoners were to be moved to Boston in July, they had to be taken out of Portland at night. This was done to prevent any trouble from the angry crowd. They were taken to Boston Harbor and held at Fort Warren.
Images for kids
-
Fort Warren in 1861.
