battle battle august amphibious assault massachusetts town present day eastern maine british forces american revolutionary war local militia aided indian allies successfully prevented british troops landing raid led commodore sir executed attempt head planned second assault besieged november british forces landed seized ship raided outcome raid disputed claimed action successful destroying military stores attack stores delivered defenders claimed successfully prevented capture driven british background small community located eastern district massachusetts state maine persistent british naval authorities start american revolutionary war june citizens rose seized small naval vessel community base authorized organize expedition establish patriot presence western nova_scotia present day new_brunswick congress authorized recruit men massachusetts government prepared colonel commission authority raise regiment eastern massachusetts establish presence valley based effort june landed men area british authorities halifax received intelligence intended mission larger british force arrived june left settlements near mouth river british withdrew forced difficult overland journey small force retreated river joined journey number sympathetic indians persuaded join american cause early august voted forces recruited expedition imminent threat posed army general upstate new_york papers documenting fairly elaborate plans including projected attack taken action fell hands captain sir second command admiral naval station halifax spurred act attempt previous year organized assault base operations source recruits commander land forces halifax general decided launch expedition taking british_army troops sailed halifax late july frigate hms rainbow accompanied brig planning use marines aboard ships ground operations joined frigate sloop hms hope making passage defense consisted local militia command colonel leader attack warned british organizing attack militia laid log boom constructed armed cannons taken local defense coincidentally reinforced colonel called explain gone wrong expedition battle leaving halifax nova_scotia fleet arrived mouth river early august boarded marines hope ordered blonde river word reached militia men mustered oppose ships reached log boom began forces militia resistance sufficient british attempting landing day early morning cover fog marines landed cut log boom seized sloop carrying lumber set fire seizing stores flour rice corn shoes ammunition returning ships ships moved river reached town way harassed musket cannon fire shore militia indian allies positioned dispute possible landing sites darkness set indians reportedly began chanting shouting attempt numbers point great surprise half hour coming anchor brig sloop way firing gun river tide flood hope ran aground making way downstream twilight militia hauled swivel gun nearby shore shot morning refloated tide way aftermath colonel ascribed militia success british concerns entering trap likened encounter battle writing action war bunker hill slaughter american estimates british casualties ran claiming casualties killed wounded british reported losses killed wounded mainly incurred hope grounded departing cruised maine coast capturing smaller american ships raided communities captured frigate laden mast destined france report declared mission success claimed successfully invasion nova scotia believed men destruction general troops preparing participate expedition excluded abrupt departure halifax wrote wanted honour destroying stole halifax futile attack drove attacked war somewhat isolated british occupied establishing colony returned successfully defend american patriot parts eastern maine successfully occupied british forces war british created colony returned united_states control war
Battle of Machias (1777)