Today in History: The Battle of Machias

On this day (June 11) in 1775, the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War commenced. The British had hired crown loyalist, Ichabod Jones to supply their troops in Boston. Jones brought two ships, protected by a small British sloop (the Margaretta) under the command of Midshipman James Moore, into Machias Harbor in modern day, Maine. When the townspeople found out that they intended to supply the British, they attempted to arrest Jones and Moore, but Moore escaped with his sloop. The townspeople then armed one of the captured vessels plus another ship that was in harbor and went off in pursuit. In the ensuing battle, Moore was killed and his sloop captured.