Raid on Charlottetown (1775)


The Raid on Charlottetown took place on 17-18 November 1775 as part of the Washington's first naval expedition during the American Revolutionary War. The raid involved two American privateers of the Marblehead Regiment attacking and pillaging Charlottetown. As a result of the expedition, the Governor of Nova Scotia Francis Legge declared martial law throughout the colony. The raid resulted in a diplomatic crisis for George Washington when the privateers overstepped their orders and took prisoner the Acting Governor, the Naval Commander and the Surveyor General of the colony.

Background

During the American Revolution, Americans regularly attacked Nova Scotia by land and sea. American privateers devastated the maritime economy by raiding many of the coastal communities, such as the numerous raids on Liverpool and on Annapolis Royal.
In retaliation for the British Burning of Falmouth, in October 1775, General Washington order the first American naval expedition. Washington borrowed two vessels from John Glover's Marblehead Regiment. Glover recruited his son-in-law Captain Nicholson Broughton in the Hancock and Captain John Selman in the. They were ordered to intercept two brigs as they arrived in the St. Lawrence River from England. But the two schooners instead sought easier quarry off Cape Canso where five prizes of dubious legality were taken. The American Privateers heard that the British were recruiting military at St. John's Island and decided to attack.
Washington sent Selman with Nicholson Broughton to lead an expedition off Nova Scotia to interrupt two British ships full of armaments bound for Quebec. Broughton commanded the USS Hancock, joined by Captain Selman in the Franklin. Selman and Broughton gathered intelligence at Canso, Nova Scotia that the two ships en route to Quebec had already gone to Quebec the month earlier. Broughton and Selman wrote Washington that "we are however something comforted in that no Vessel passes this season to Boston, Halifax or to any part of America from Quebec but must pass within gun Shot of us."
Broughton and Selman captured seven British vessels around Canso. On 29 October Broughton captured the schooners Prince William and Mary. Two days later, Selam and Broughton wrote to Washington, that he captured the sloop Phoebe commanded by Captain James Hawkins. The sloop was owned by Boston loyalist Enoch Rust. Broughton indicated that Rust was “contrary … to the Association of the united American Colonies.” He also described Loyalist Boston as a “Den of Mischievous Violators of the rights of Humanity.” Five days later, on 5 November, Broughton took the sloop Warren owned by Thomas Cochrane of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Warren was commanded by Captain John Denny, who Broughton described as not being in “a very favorable light respecting their attachment to American Liberties.”

The Raid

Selman and Broughton gathered intelligence that the Governor of St. John Island was recruiting for the war efforts against the Americans. Selman wrote the Vice-President of the United States that they were, “supposing we should do essential service by breaking up a nest of recruits.” As a result, Broughton headed for Charlottetown.
On 17 November, both captains landed with two parties of six men each. They took prisoners for possible exchange for Patriot Americans prisoner taken at Quebec. There were two prisoners: the Acting Governor Phillips Callbeck and the Surveyor General Thomas Write.
They ransacked Callbeck's home, emptied his stores and took the province silver Seal weight 59 ounces and Governor Patterson's Commission. They also broke into plundered Governor Patterson's House.
Selman and Broughton also searched unsuccessfully for the wives of Callbeck and the senior naval commander of the colony Captain David Higgins, both of whom were daughters of prominent Boston loyalists. Callbeck's wife was the daughter of Nathaniel Coffin Jr., who a few months earlier had ordered the felling of the Liberty Tree on the Boston Common. Higgins wife was the daughter of Job Princes of Boston.
Before the privateers left, they spiked the cannons at the fort.

Aftermath

The privateers took more prisoners at Canso: the senior naval commander of the colony Captain David Higgins was captured in his schooner Lively on Nov. 23 in the Gut of Canso. On board were the Governor's priest Rev. Theophilus Desbrisay and Council member John Russell Spence, who were briefly held but shortly released. Higgins and the two others from Charlottetown were taken hostage to Winter Harbour in present-day Maine and then marched them to their headquarters in Cambridge.
Upon the privateers returned, Washington censored them for taking government officials prisoner without permission and sent the prisoners free. Washington wanted colonies to join the rebellion freely rather than conquering them. While George Washington censored Selman and Broughton, John Adams supported the privateers stating that they may “deserve censure for going counter to orders, but I think in justice to ourselves we ought to seize every officer in the service of Government wherever they may be found." When Selman was retired years later, the Vice President of the United States Elbridge Gerry favourably re-evaluated his contribution to the war effort and signed his letter, "with much esteem and respect, E. Gerry."
Callback returned and became the Commander for the St. John Volunteers in the Revolutionary War, investing heavily in the island's defences.
The privateers continued to attack throughout the war and Loyalists were re-routed away from the Island to settle at Louisbourg. In August 1777, 2 privateers invaded Saint Peters and killed livestock.
The privateers pillaged the property of Wellwood Waugh and he was forced to move from Charlottetown to Pictou, Nova Scotia, the following year.
Major Timothy Hierlihy was ordered to be the commander of the defence of Prince Edward Island..