The failed siege preserved British control of Nova Scotia, keeping the Maritime provinces loyal throughout the American Revolutionary War.
Key Facts
- Date of Relief
- November 29, 1776
- Besieging Force
- 400–500 militia and Natives
- Defender Unit
- Royal Fencible American Regiment
- Rebel Commander
- Jonathan Eddy
- Defender Commander
- Joseph Goreham
- Logistical Support
- Minimal, from Massachusetts
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Jonathan Eddy sought to extend the American Revolutionary War into Nova Scotia. With limited backing from Massachusetts, he assembled four to five hundred volunteer militia and Native allies, hoping local sympathizers would support an uprising against British rule in the region.
Eddy's force besieged Fort Cumberland in central Nova Scotia in November 1776. The Royal Fencible American Regiment under Joseph Goreham repelled multiple attempts to storm the fort. British marine reinforcements arrived and drove off the besiegers on November 29, ending the siege.
Following the failed siege, British forces and loyalists destroyed the homes and farms of locals who had aided Eddy's militia, and Patriot sympathizers were expelled from the area. Nova Scotia remained under British control throughout the war, preserving the territorial integrity of the Maritime possessions.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Jonathan Eddy.
Side B
1 belligerent
Joseph Goreham.