The Penobscot Expedition
During the Penobscot Expedition, Colonel Paul Revere and 80 of his cannoneers participated in a large-scale amphibious landing with Marines.
The amphibious landing started at midnight on July 27, 1779, and included 227 Continental and Massachusetts Marines, 850 militiamen, and 80 of Colonel Paul Revere’s cannoneers. Landing units split into three groups and attacked from three different locations. The 227 Marines, led by Captain John Welsh, were responsible for the right flank.
The landing zone wasn’t ideal; Marines faced a steep cliff, and the enemy sat on top of that hill, firing down. Out of the three groups, Marines arguably had it the worst. The center and left flank faced relatively new soldiers from the 82nd Regiment, and U.S. Troops were able to overrun their positions quickly, but the Marines met a different crew. A small force of 20 British soldiers, led by Sir John Moore, protected the harbor. Unlike their counterparts, they didn’t retreat. They held their position and returned fire from a very close range. The Marines were in a dire situation.
Without the ability to return fire, they slowly ascended the cliff, one hand after the other. Captain Welsh was one of the first to fall. His lieutenant, William Hamilton, would also be one of the casualties and he lay at the bottom of the cliff severely wounded. The Marines eventually reached the top and forced the enemy to retreat. Seven British soldiers were killed during this engagement. A total of 34 Americans were killed or wounded, 8 of which were Continental Marine privates who served on the Warren. Despite the success of the amphibious landing, there was mass confusion from naval leadership, and the expedition would end up failing. The Penobscot Expedition would be one of the most significant defeats in American Naval Warfare.
We cover the Penobscot Expedition in episodes appropriately titled, The Penobscot Expedition Parts 1 and 2. Subscribe to the podcast to listen for free: https://buff.ly/2tXZkk7
Photo 1: Map courtesy of the Warfare History Network
Photo 2: Topography of Marines landing zone.
Photo 3: Lighthouse on the southwest part of the landing zone. Photograph courtesy National Archives
Photo 4: Photo of coastline from Google Earth.
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