The Battle of Machias (June 1775) was among the first naval engagements of the American Revolutionary War, demonstrating colonial resistance at sea.
Key Facts
- Date
- June 11–12, 1775
- British vessel
- HMS Margaretta (armed sloop)
- British commander
- Midshipman James Moore
- Moore's arrival at Machias
- June 2, 1775
- Outcome
- Moore fatally wounded; vessel and crew captured
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, British authorities contracted Loyalist merchant Ichabod Jones to supply troops besieged in Boston. Jones arrived at Machias on June 2, 1775, with two merchant ships escorted by the armed sloop HMS Margaretta under Midshipman James Moore. Local townspeople objected to Jones' activities, arrested him, and attempted to arrest Moore, who escaped into the harbor.
Townspeople of Machias seized one of Jones' merchant ships, armed it along with a second local vessel, and sailed out to intercept HMS Margaretta on June 11–12, 1775. After a brief naval confrontation, Midshipman James Moore was fatally wounded, and his sloop along with its crew was captured by the colonial forces.
The colonists' capture of HMS Margaretta demonstrated that American resistance extended to naval engagements. The people of Machias subsequently captured additional British ships, repelled a larger British force in a 1777 follow-up battle, and privateers based in Machias continued raiding British targets throughout the war.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
James Moore (Midshipman).