St. John River expedition

Siege of Saint John (1777)

Siege of Saint John
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Date June 2, June 23, 1777 Location near Saint John, then Nova Scotia, now New Brunswick Result British victory
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
John Allan	Major Studholm and Colonel Fracklin
Strength
about 100 militia	120 troops
Casualties and losses
none	none

The Siege of Saint John was an attempt by a small number of militia commanded by John Allan to bring the American Revolutionary War to Nova Scotia in late 1777. With minimal logistical support from Massachusetts and approximately one hundred volunteer militia and Natives, Allan attempted to besiege Saint John, Sunbury County (present-day New Brunswick), in June 1777.

The settlement’s defense was weakened by the war effort and was quickly defeated and prisoners were taken. Almost a month later, under command of Brigade Major Studholm and Colonel Fracklin [sic], British forces successfully re-took Saint John and preserved the territorial integrity of the British Maritime possessions, and Nova Scotia remained loyal throughout the war.

Historical Context

Fort Frederick (1758-1775) - Built on the ruins of the French Fort Menagoueche; Destroyed in the American Revolution

When the American Revolution began in 1775, the British sent their garrison stationed at Fort Frederick in Saint John immediately to Boston. Under the command of Stephen Smith, an American militia from Machias, Maine immediately attacked and burned the poorly defended Fort Frederick. Before th end of 1776, the Americans had taken nearly 350 prizes and raided Yarmouth, Digby, and Cornwallis.. The following year, Jonathan Eddy led the next significant land attack against Nova Scotia against Fort Cumberland. In next summer, in 1777, John Allan tried again to attack the next year with an assault on Saint John. His intention was to establish a permanent post in the area and to recruit the Maliseet along the Saint John River to join the American cause.

The Battle

John Allan left Machias with a party in four whale boats and four birch canoes, on May 30, 1777. The party, including Indians, numbered forty-three men. By the morning of June 2, reinforced by thirteen canoes, Allan had proceeded eastward along the coast to Mechogonish (Duck Cove). Having ascertained that there were no ships or garrison at the mouth of the St. John, Allan dispatched a party of sixteen men under Captain West, who marched three miles through the woods, crossed the river above the falls in bark canoes, and made their way to Portland Point, where they surprised and captured James Simonds and William Hazen. Col. Allan and his party remained about a month on the St. John recruiting Maliseet Indians to the American side of the conflict. Whilst engaged in his negotiations, Allan had posted nearly all his men, some sixty in number, at the mouth of the St. John, under command of Captain Dyer and Captain West.

Allan’s intention of establishing a permanent post was cut short when the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Captain Marriott Arbuthnot, sent several British war vessels to the mouth of the river.(34) In May 1777, Major Gilfred Studholme and a detachment of soldiers arrived and capture d Allen’s ships and dispersed his soldiers up river. Upon the British leaving, Allen simply returned to Saint John and re-established himself. On Monday, June 23rd, under command of Brigade Major Gilfred Studholme and Colonel Fracklin [sic], the British sloop-of-war Vulture arrived, and a few days later she was joined by the frigates Milford and Ambuscade, with a strong detachment of the Royal Fencibles and Nova Scotia militia on board. On the morning of June 30th, about one hundred and twenty men left the ships in barges. They landed at Mahogany bay and then marched two and a half miles, in the direction of the falls, and had a brief skirmish with Allan’s men in the vicinity of the present village of Fairville. The engagement was of short duration. The Americans quickly retreated up the river. Dyer and West returned to Machias by way of the Oromocto and Magaguadavic rivers.

Afterward

Fort Howe, Saint John, New Brunswick (1777)

Col. Allan’s untiring efforts to gain the friendship and support of the Indians, during the four weeks he had been at Aukpaque was successful. There was a significant exodus of Maliseet from the region to join the American forces at Machias. On Sunday, July 13, 1777, a party of between four and five hundred men, women, and children, embarked in one hundred and twenty-eight canoes from the Old Fort Meduetic (8 miles below Woodstock) for Machias. The party arrived at a very opportune moment for the Americans, and afforded material assistance in the defence of that post during the attack made by Sir George Collier on the 13th and 14th of August. The British retired without doing material injury to the place, and the services of the Indians on the occasion earned for them the thanks of the council of Massachusetts.

The British merchants of Saint John demanded a better defense and, in response, Fort Howe was built toward the end of 1777. The fort protected Saint John for the rest of the war.

Led by Commodore Sir George Collier, the British executed an attempt to head off a planned third American assault on Fort Cumberland by attacking Machias. Eddy led the defense of Machias during the battle on August 13–15, 1777.

The other significant American privateer raids on Nova Scotia happened at Liverpool and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Privateer naval battles were also common such as the battle off Halifax and another battle off Sydney.

References

• Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. Saint John Fortification: 1630-1956s. Goose Lane Editions. 2003.
• Rev. W. O. Raymond, M. A GLIMPSES OF THE PAST. Contributions to the History of Charlotte County and the Border Towns. XLVII – THE PASSAMAQUODDY INDIANS AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR-Continued. Saint Croix Courier, St. Stephen, NB

December 22, 1892 (See http://members.shaw.ca/caren.secord/locations/NewBrunswick/Glimpses/XLVII.html )

Endnotes