Jeremiah O'Brien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Captain
Jeremiah O'Brien
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| Born | 1744 or 1739 Kittery, Massachusetts Bay |
| Died | September 5, 1818 (aged 74-79) Machias, District of Maine |
| Buried |
O'Brien Cemetery Machias, Maine
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| Allegiance |  Massachusetts Bay |
| Branch |  Massachusetts State Navy |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | |
Captain Jeremiah O'Brien (1744–1818) was a brave Irish-American captain. He served in the Massachusetts State Navy. Before the official American navy existed, he led a ship called Unity.
He became famous for capturing the British ship HMS Margaretta. This happened during the Battle of Machias. It was the very first naval battle of the American Revolutionary War. Captain O'Brien also led the first American attack on Nova Scotia. This was during the Raid on St. John (1775). Many United States ships have been named after him to honor his bravery.
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Early Life of Jeremiah O'Brien
Jeremiah O'Brien was born in 1744. He was the oldest son of Morris and Mary O'Brien. His parents were immigrants from Ireland.
He was born in Kittery, which was part of Massachusetts Bay at the time. Later, his family moved to Scarborough, Maine. In the 1760s, they settled in Machias, Maine. They worked in the lumber business there. Maine was also part of Massachusetts back then.
Fighting in the American Revolution
News of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached Machias in May 1775. These battles marked the start of the war. Benjamin Foster gathered people from Machias at a local tavern.
A merchant captain named Ichabod Jones had sailed his ships, Unity and Polly, to Boston. He carried lumber and bought food for Machias. British soldiers wanted Jones to bring more lumber for their barracks in Boston. Admiral Samuel Graves sent HMS Margaretta with Jones's ships. Its job was to stop rebels in Machias from interfering.
When the ships arrived in Machias on June 2, 1775, the British commander, James Moore, made a demand. He ordered the town's liberty pole to be taken down. The people of Machias refused to load the lumber.
Benjamin Foster planned to capture the British officers at church on June 11. But the British avoided capture. They quickly went back to their ship, Margaretta, down the river. On June 12, Foster chased Margaretta on a small boat called Falmouth. When Falmouth got stuck, Jeremiah O'Brien and his five brothers acted fast. Gideon, John, William, Dennis, and Joseph seized the ship Unity.
The Battle of Machias
Jeremiah O'Brien took command of the Unity. Thirty-one townsmen joined him. They were armed with guns, swords, axes, and even pitchforks. They sailed after Margaretta.
The two ships fought for about an hour. Margaretta had threatened to attack the town. John O'Brien bravely jumped onto Margaretta as the ships got close. But the British crew forced him to jump back into the water. After rescuing John, Unity closed in again. Their ropes and sails became tangled together.
The British ship threw grenades at Unity. But Margaretta eventually gave up. Its commander, James Moore, was badly hurt and later died.
This battle is often seen as a very important moment. It was the first time British flags were lowered to American forces. This happened even before the Continental Navy officially existed. The United States Merchant Marine sees Unity as one of their own. They consider this battle their beginning.
In August 1775, O'Brien also took part in the Raid on St. John (1775). He continued to be the captain of Unity, which was renamed Machias Liberty. He served for two years. In 1775, he received the first captain's commission in the Massachusetts State Navy.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1811, President James Madison gave O'Brien an important job. He was made the federal customs collector for the port of Machias. He kept this job until he passed away in 1818.
Honors and Ships Named After O'Brien
Many ships have been named in Captain Jeremiah O'Brien's honor. This shows how important he was to American history.
- Five ships in the United States Navy were named after him:
- USS O'Brien (TB-30): A torpedo boat built in 1900. It served until 1909.
- USS O'Brien (DD-51): An O'Brien-class destroyer. It served from 1915 to 1922.
- USS O'Brien (DD-415): A Sims-class destroyer. It served from 1940 until it was sunk by an enemy torpedo in 1942.
- USS O'Brien (DD-725): An Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer. It served from 1944 to 1972.
- USS O'Brien (DD-975): A Spruance-class destroyer. It was launched in 1976 and served until 2004.
- In World War II, the United States liberty ship SS Jeremiah O'Brien was named in his honor.: A Liberty ship. It served during World War II from 1943 to 1946.
- The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad named one of its locomotives Jeremiah O'Brien. This was for the United States Bicentennial celebration.
Images for kids
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Captain Jeremiah O'Brien
