American Revolution in Massachusetts

Burnham Tavern, c. 1911

The first naval battle of the war was fought in Machias Bay in Eastern Maine. A local merchant with suspected Loyalist ties, Ichabod Jones, was attempting to ship out a load of lumber from Maine to Boston on two of his ships. A British armed sloop commanded by James Moore, the HMS Margaretta, was accompanying Jones’ ships.

Their sympathies lying with the Patriot cause, the townspeople of Machias decided to arrest Jones and Moore after meeting at the Burnham Tavern. While they were successful in detaining Jones, Moore escaped the harbor on the Margaretta and was pursued by locals on two ships (one of which had been taken from Jones.) Damage to the Margaretta allowed the two ships to catch up to Moore, and he was fatally injured in the ensuing battle. His crew surrendered.

Casualties
Colonists: 10 killed, 3 wounded
British: 5 killed, 9 wounded

Result
American victory

Aftermath
Expecting reprisals from the British, the people of Machias armed the ships they’d taken from Jones and began building up their defenses under the guidance of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.

The British attempted to attack Machias a second time in August of 1777, but were quickly driven off by the local militia and allied Native Americans.