St. John River expedition
Encyclopedia
The St. John River expedition 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 100 volunteer militia and Natives
, Allan's forces occupied the small settlement at the mouth of the St. John River (present-day Saint John, New Brunswick
, then part of Sunbury County, Nova Scotia
) in June 1777.
The settlement's defense was weakened by the war effort and that Americans quickly occupied it and took prisoner British sympathizers. Almost a month later, under command of Brigade Major Studholm and Colonel Francklin, British forces successfully drove off the occupying Americans, forcing Allan to make a difficult overland journey back to Machias, Maine. Allan's incursion was the last significant American land-based assault on Nova Scotia during the war, which remained Loyal throughout the war.
began, there was a small British settlement at the mouth of the St. John River, where the modern city of Saint John, New Brunswick
is located. The territory was at the time part of Nova Scotia
, and was defended by a small garrison stationed at Fort Frederick. When the war broke out, the garrison was withdrawn to Boston
. Under the command of Stephen Smith, an American militia from Machias, Massachusetts (now part of Maine
) immediately attacked and burned Fort Frederick. In late 1776, Jonathan Eddy
raised a mixed force of Indians, Massachusetts Patriots, and Nova Scotian sympathizers, and unsuccessfully besieged Fort Cumberland
, which protected the land approach to Halifax
from the west. Privateers also became active in raiding both Nova Scotia shipping and its communities. By the end of 1776, the Americans had taken nearly 350 prizes and raided the Nova Scotian communities of Yarmouth
, Digby
, and Cornwallis.
In early 1777 John Allan, an expatriate Nova Scotian, was authorized by the Second Continental Congress
to organize an expedition to establish a Patriot
presence in the western part of Nova Scotia (present-day New Brunswick
). Although Congress authorized him to recruit as many as 3,000 men, the Massachusetts government was only prepared to give him a colonel's commission and authority to raise a regiment in eastern Massachusetts to establish a presence in the St. John River valley. Allan's intention was to establish a permanent post in the area and to recruit the local Maliseet
and European settlers to join the American cause. He hoped to recruit a large enough force to launch another assault on Fort Cumberland.
in bark canoes, and made their way to Portland Point, where they surprised and captured James Simonds
and William Hazen, two of the St. John settlement's founders and leading businessmen. Col. Allan and his party remained about a month on the St. John recruiting Maliseet Indians. Whilst engaged in his negotiations, which primarily took place at the Maliseet encampment known as Aukpaque (just upriver from present-day Fredericton, New Brunswick
), Allan had posted nearly all his men, some 60 in number, at the mouth of the St. John, under command of Captains Dyer and West.
Allan's intention of establishing a permanent post was cut short when British authorities in Halifax learned of his operation from a Loyalist who escaped Allan's men. The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
, Admiral Marriott Arbuthnot
, sent several British war vessels to the mouth of the river. On Monday, June 23rd, under command of Brigade Major Gilfred Studholme and Colonel Michael Francklin
, the British sloop-of-war HMS Vulture arrived, and a few days later she was joined by the frigates Milford and Ambuscade, with a strong detachment of the Royal Fencible Americans
and the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
on board. On the morning of June 30th, about 120 men left the ships in barges. They landed at Mahogany Bay (now known as Manawagonish Cove, southwest of Saint John) and then marched 2.5 miles (4 km) in the direction of the falls, and had a brief skirmish with Allan's men in the vicinity of the present village of Fairville. In the short firefight, twelve Americans and one member of the 84th regiment were killed. The Americans quickly retreated up the river. Dyer, West, and Allan returned to Machias by way of the Oromocto
and Magaguadavic
rivers.
Col. Allan's untiring efforts to gain the friendship and support of the Indians, during the four weeks he had been at Aukpaque was somewhat 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 400 and 500 men, women, and children, embarked in one 128 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 to 15th of August. The British did only minimal damage to the place, and the services of the Indians on the occasion earned for them the thanks of the council of Massachusetts.
After Allan's expedition the British settlers on the St. John demanded a better defense from Halifax. In response, Major Studholme was sent to to provide a permanent military presence (fortuitously frustrating plans by raiders from Machias to further plunder the St. John settlement), and Fort Howe
was built under his auspices in late 1777. The fort protected Saint John for the rest of the war, and the area became a major settlement for expatriate Loyalists
after the war. William Hazen and his associates were influential in efforts to retain the loyalty of area Indians to the British cause.
Nova Scotia was not subjected again to land-based invasions, but there continued to be raiding by privateer
s throughout the war. Later raids on Nova Scotia happened at Liverpool
and Lunenburg
. Naval battles also took place off the coast of Nova Scotia, including a battle off Halifax
and another off present-day Sydney
.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
in late 1777. With minimal logistical support from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and approximately 100 volunteer militia and Natives
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
, Allan's forces occupied the small settlement at the mouth of the St. John River (present-day Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, then part of Sunbury County, Nova Scotia
Sunbury County, Nova Scotia
Sunbury County was a county in the crown colony of Nova Scotia. The county ceased to exist when the crown colony of New Brunswick was created in 1784....
) in June 1777.
The settlement's defense was weakened by the war effort and that Americans quickly occupied it and took prisoner British sympathizers. Almost a month later, under command of Brigade Major Studholm and Colonel Francklin, British forces successfully drove off the occupying Americans, forcing Allan to make a difficult overland journey back to Machias, Maine. Allan's incursion was the last significant American land-based assault on Nova Scotia during the war, which remained Loyal throughout the war.
Historical context
In 1775, when the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
began, there was a small British settlement at the mouth of the St. John River, where the modern city of Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
is located. The territory was at the time part of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and was defended by a small garrison stationed at Fort Frederick. When the war broke out, the garrison was withdrawn to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Under the command of Stephen Smith, an American militia from Machias, Massachusetts (now part of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
) immediately attacked and burned Fort Frederick. In late 1776, Jonathan Eddy
Jonathan Eddy
Jonathan Eddy served for the British in the French and Indian War and for the American Patriots in the American Revolution. After the French and Indian War he settled in Nova Scotia as a New England Planter, becoming a member of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia. During the American...
raised a mixed force of Indians, Massachusetts Patriots, and Nova Scotian sympathizers, and unsuccessfully besieged Fort Cumberland
Battle of Fort Cumberland
The Battle of Fort Cumberland was an attempt by a small number of militia commanded by Jonathan Eddy to bring the American Revolutionary War to Nova Scotia in late 1776...
, which protected the land approach to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
from the west. Privateers also became active in raiding both Nova Scotia shipping and its communities. By the end of 1776, the Americans had taken nearly 350 prizes and raided the Nova Scotian communities of Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
, Digby
Digby, Nova Scotia
Digby is a Canadian town in western Nova Scotia. It is the shiretown and largest population centre in Digby County.The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy.Named after Admiral Robert Digby, RN,...
, and Cornwallis.
In early 1777 John Allan, an expatriate Nova Scotian, was authorized by the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
to organize an expedition to establish a Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
presence in the western part of Nova Scotia (present-day New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
). Although Congress authorized him to recruit as many as 3,000 men, the Massachusetts government was only prepared to give him a colonel's commission and authority to raise a regiment in eastern Massachusetts to establish a presence in the St. John River valley. Allan's intention was to establish a permanent post in the area and to recruit the local Maliseet
Maliseet people
The Wolastoqiyik, or Maliseet , are an Algonquian-speaking Native American/First Nations/Aboriginal people of the Wabanaki Confederacy. They are the Indigenous people of the Saint John River valley and its tributaries, crossing the borders of New Brunswick and Quebec in Canada, and Maine in the...
and European settlers to join the American cause. He hoped to recruit a large enough force to launch another assault on Fort Cumberland.
Expedition
Colonel Allan left Machias with a party in four whale boats and four birch canoes, on May 30, 1777. The party, including Indians, numbered 43 men. More than half of Allan's troops had served under Eddy at Fort Cumberland. By the morning of June 2, reinforced by 13 canoes, Allan had proceeded eastward along the coast to Mechogonish (Duck Cove), west of the mouth of the St. John. Having ascertained that there were no ships or garrison at the mouth of the St. John, Allan dispatched a party of 16 men under Captain West, who marched 3 miles (4.8 km) through the woods, crossed the river above the Reversing FallsReversing Falls
The Reversing Falls are a series of rapids on the Saint John River located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where the river runs through a narrow gorge before emptying into the Bay of Fundy....
in bark canoes, and made their way to Portland Point, where they surprised and captured James Simonds
James Simonds
James Simonds was a merchant, judge and political figure in New Brunswick. He represented Sunbury County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1773 to 1782 and St...
and William Hazen, two of the St. John settlement's founders and leading businessmen. Col. Allan and his party remained about a month on the St. John recruiting Maliseet Indians. Whilst engaged in his negotiations, which primarily took place at the Maliseet encampment known as Aukpaque (just upriver from present-day Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
), Allan had posted nearly all his men, some 60 in number, at the mouth of the St. John, under command of Captains Dyer and West.
Allan's intention of establishing a permanent post was cut short when British authorities in Halifax learned of his operation from a Loyalist who escaped Allan's men. The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia is the viceregal representative in Nova Scotia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
, Admiral Marriott Arbuthnot
Marriott Arbuthnot
Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot was a British admiral, who commanded the Royal Navy's North American station during the American War for Independence.-Early life:...
, sent several British war vessels to the mouth of the river. On Monday, June 23rd, under command of Brigade Major Gilfred Studholme and Colonel Michael Francklin
Michael Francklin
Michael Francklin or Franklin served as Nova Scotia's Lieutenant Governor from 1766-1772.Born in Poole, England, Francklin immigrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1752. He worked as a trader and merchant, initially in association with Joshua Maugher...
, the British sloop-of-war HMS Vulture arrived, and a few days later she was joined by the frigates Milford and Ambuscade, with a strong detachment of the Royal Fencible Americans
Fencibles
The Fencibles were army regiments raised in the United Kingdom and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars in the late 18th century...
and the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
The 84th Regiment of Foot was a British regiment in the American Revolutionary War that was raised to defend present day Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by American Revolutionaries...
on board. On the morning of June 30th, about 120 men left the ships in barges. They landed at Mahogany Bay (now known as Manawagonish Cove, southwest of Saint John) and then marched 2.5 miles (4 km) in the direction of the falls, and had a brief skirmish with Allan's men in the vicinity of the present village of Fairville. In the short firefight, twelve Americans and one member of the 84th regiment were killed. The Americans quickly retreated up the river. Dyer, West, and Allan returned to Machias by way of the Oromocto
Oromocto River
The Oromocto River is a tributary of the Saint John River in southwest New Brunswick, Canada.The Oromocto River is formed by the combination of the North and South Branches near Fredericton Junction, and flows north-northeast for 42 kilometres to its mouth at the Saint John River in the town of...
and Magaguadavic
Magaguadavic River
The Magaguadavic River is a historic Canadian river located in the province of New Brunswick.The name "Magaguadavic" is a Maliseet / Passamaquoddy term that is believed to translate into "River of Eels". It is most commonly pronounced "mack-uh-day-vick" or "mack-uh-day-vee".-Description:With a...
rivers.
Aftermath
Battle of Machias (1777)
The Battle of Machias was an amphibious assault on the Massachusetts town of Machias by British forces during the American Revolutionary War. Local militia aided by Indian allies successfully prevented British troops from landing...
made by Sir George Collier
George Collier
Sir George Collier was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Seven Years War, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars. As commander of the frigate HMS Rainbow, he was one of the most successful British naval commanders during the opening stages of war...
on the 13th to 15th of August. The British did only minimal damage to the place, and the services of the Indians on the occasion earned for them the thanks of the council of Massachusetts.
After Allan's expedition the British settlers on the St. John demanded a better defense from Halifax. In response, Major Studholme was sent to to provide a permanent military presence (fortuitously frustrating plans by raiders from Machias to further plunder the St. John settlement), and Fort Howe
Fort Howe
Fort Howe was built during the American Revolution shortly after the American Siege of Saint John to protect Saint John from further American raids. The 18th and 19th century British Army fortification is built in present-day New Brunswick, Canada at the mouth of the Saint John River where it...
was built under his auspices in late 1777. The fort protected Saint John for the rest of the war, and the area became a major settlement for expatriate Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists
The name United Empire Loyalists is an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War and prior to the Treaty of Paris...
after the war. William Hazen and his associates were influential in efforts to retain the loyalty of area Indians to the British cause.
Nova Scotia was not subjected again to land-based invasions, but there continued to be raiding by privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s throughout the war. Later raids on Nova Scotia happened at Liverpool
Liverpool, Nova Scotia
Liverpool is a Canadian community and former town located along the Atlantic Ocean of the Province of Nova Scotia's South Shore. It is situated within the Region of Queens Municipality which is the local governmental unit that comprises all of Queens County, Nova Scotia...
and Lunenburg
Raid on Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (1782)
Not to be confused with the Raid on Lunenburg, Nova Scotia The Raid on Lunenburg occurred during the American Revolution when the famous American Privateer Captain Noah Stoddard of Fairhaven, Massachusetts and four other privateer vessels attacked the British settlement at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia...
. Naval battles also took place off the coast of Nova Scotia, including a battle off Halifax
Naval battle off Halifax
The Battle off Halifax took place during the American Revolutionary War involving the American privateer Jack and a Royal Naval brig Observer off Halifax, Nova Scotia. The American privateer was commanded by Captain John Ropes and the Observer by John Crymes...
and another off present-day Sydney
Naval battle off Cape Breton
The Battle off Spanish River took place during the American Revolution between two French Navy frigates and a convoy of 18 British ships under protection of the Royal Navy off the harbour of Spanish River, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia...
.