Battle of Gloucester 1775

Battle of Gloucester 1775. . On August 8, 1775, the HMS Falcon, commanded by British Captain John Linzee, captured a schooner from Hispaniola bound for Salem. A second schooner sailing in company with the first made its escape into Gloucester Harbor. The Falcon pursued it into the harbor and anchored near Ten Pound Island. Captain Linzee sent thirty men into falcon's jolly boat and pinnace, with Lieutenant Thornborough and six privates in a whaleboat. They were armed with muskets and swivel guns to recapture the schooner. Alarm bells rang as the Gloucester militia hastened to the waterfront where they found the British soldiers boarding the schooner., The Gloucester Militia, led by Captains Joseph Foster and Bradbury Sanders, opened fire on the British striking three sailors and wounding the Lieutenant. The militia forced them to retreat to the safety of the Falcon. Captain Linzee sent a cutter and the other prize schooner into the harbor at the same time. He opened fire on the town with his artillery, and cannons struck several houses and the steeple of the first parish meetinghouse but failed to silence the bell. The fighting lasted for several hours, and the militia repulsed several attempts to set fire to the town., Gloucester recaptured both seized schooners and Linzee's sailing master gunner, fifteen seamen, seven marines, one boy, and ten prest americans… the pinnace, jolly boat, three swivels, some small arms, and two small anchors with one hawser., The muster roll for Captain Daniel Warner's first company, for the defense of the seacoast noted Peter Lurvey and Benjamin Row(e) were killed in the action with Linzee., Marker placed by Cape Ann Chapter , National Society Daughters of the American Revolution , in honor of Gloucester's 400+ , quadricentennial celebration in 2023 ,