The Battle of Fairhaven (May 14, 1775) is considered the first naval battle of the American Revolution, though many have not even heard of it. This engagement, which pitted a few dozen colonists against seamen and royal marines of the British Navy, resulted in a swift patriot victory. Additionally, the British attack along the Acushnet River and Fort Phoenix in 1778 are woefully under-studied. Thankfully, Fort Phoenix has been preserved to serve as a history lesson for visitors today.
History
In the aftermath of the fighting at Lexington, Concord, and throughout the Massachusetts countryside, British General Thomas Gage and his soldiers were trapped in Boston, under siege by thousands of patriot militia. But despite being trapped by land, Gage maintained dominance of the surrounding seas thanks to the British Navy. Accordingly, he used that advantage to acquire food and supplies for his troops by dispatching British ships to surrounding communities.
In May 1775, one such mission was carried out by the HMS Falcon, which sailed to nearby Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands in search of food and supplies. On May 11th, the Falcon captured the small transport Champion (laden with provisions for the nascent American army) and another small sloop. On May 12th, Commander John Linzee of the HMS Falcon manned the captured sloop with men from his crew and dispatched it to the coastal town of Dartmouth (today’s Fairhaven) in search of a ship owned by Jesse Barlow, which was believed to be smuggling goods from the West Indies. When the smuggling vessel in question was finally discovered, it had already landed its cargo; however, the British crew still seized it and sailed back towards the Falcon with their prize.
This action infuriated Jesse Barlow and other patriots in the village of Fairhaven, who vowed to take action. In response, the whaling sloop Success was armed with two swivel guns and manned by ~25 men, under the command of Captains Nathaniel Pope and Daniel Egery. They promptly sailed to the meet the enemy and encountered the British sloop and Barlow’s captured ship anchored off of Martha’s Vineyard in Buzzards Bay on May 14th.
In a swift action, the Success lived up to its name and re-captured Barlow’s ship without a shot fired. Now with two vessels, they aggressively sailed towards the British-manned sloop. After a brief exchange of small arms, the two patriot vessels came alongside the sloop, boarded her, and quickly captured the crew- thus ended the first naval battle of the American Revolution. The three ships sailed home with 14 British prisoners, two of whom were wounded (one later died).
While this victory undoubtedly boosted the patriotic spirits of the coastal communities, it also revealed how vulnerable they were to British naval forces. In order to protect their harbor and coastline, a fortification was erected on Nolscott Point by the townspeople, under the direction of Eleazer Hathaway and Benjamin Dillingham (this advantageous location had been used by colonists in the past). From 1775 to 1778, earthworks were constructed at the point and 11 iron cannon were put in place- these fortifications would soon be tested.
From September 5-6, 1778, British General Charles Grey led 4,000 soldiers in a retaliatory attack against the communities along the Acushnet River. This force landed on the western shore of the harbor and destroyed ships, warehouses, homes, and other supplies. At the time, local militia under command of Timothy Ingraham manned the fort at Nolscott Point; however, they were greatly outnumbered and routed, which allowed the British troops to destroy and burn the patriot fortifications. But when the soldiers marched against the nearby village of Fairhaven, they were thwarted by militia under the command of Major Israel Fearing, who had hastily marched from Wareham to defend the town.
After the British soldiers left the area, the local militia and community worked to rebuild what was destroyed. Incredibly, the fort at Nolscott Point was rebuilt so quickly that it was appropriately dubbed “Fort Phoenix,” because it rose from the ashes as did the mythical bird.
After the American Revolution, Fort Phoenix remained an active military fortification. On the eve of the War of 1812, it was (almost prophetically) enlarged and reinforced. On June 13, 1814, the British ship HMS Nimrod hovered off the coast of Fairhaven and launched landing boats in an attempted attack; however, guns were fired from Fort Phoenix, which alerted the militia and ultimately, dissuaded the British from landing.
Fort Phoenix continued to be manned and updated throughout the 1800s. Some additions included a parapet, gunpowder magazine, barracks, and officer’s quarters, which were all built prior to the American Civil War. Though not tested during the Civil War, Fort Phoenix was armed with five 24-pound guns and remained an active military fortification until 1876, when it was finally decommissioned. In 1918, the barracks and officer’s quarters were destroyed in a fire, though the magazine and parapet still remain. In 1926, the town of Fairhaven acquired the fort from the United States government and today, it is part of the Fort Phoenix State Reservation.
Our Visit & Recommendations
Fort Phoenix State Reservation (100 Green Street) is located along the southern coast of the community of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Other than the fort itself, there is a beautiful stretch of beach and a park that visitors can enjoy. If that weren’t enough, it is also free to visit- so park your car and head out to explore!
We visited around the anniversary of the Battle of Fairhaven and really enjoyed walking around historic Nolscott Point. Today there are a few markers to identify Fort Phoenix, although I don’t think you will have a hard time finding it- the numerous guns and towering American flag give it away!
As you walk up to Fort Phoenix, you will notice the large rocky outcrops all about the point. These rocks likely made it extremely difficult to dig and make earthen breastworks; however, they also provided an extra layer of defense. With its imposing view of New Bedford Harbor and Buzzards Bay, it is easy to see why this site was chosen for a fortification.
Although the Civil War-era wooden barracks and officer’s quarters have been gone for over 100 years, the gunpowder magazine and parapet remain. Additionally, you will find numerous guns on display, to include five 24-pound iron guns (circa 1828), two field cannons (believed to be 4-pounders from the War of 1812), and a 6-pound iron naval cannon that is actually the only gun on display that is from the American Revolution!
The 6-pound iron cannon on the red carriage is believed to have been cast in England in 1690. It is known as the “John Paul Jones cannon,” because it was captured at Nassau in 1776 by the Continental Navy ship Alfred, onboard which John Paul Jones served as an officer at the time. The gun was brought to coastal Massachusetts and added to the defense of the patriot fortifications at Nolscott Point.
When the British soldiers attacked these fortifications in September 1778, they spiked this gun and knocked it off its trunnion. Thankfully, the barrel remained sound and overall, the gun was salvageable. During the War of 1812, this gun was remounted and placed in Fairhaven village on Union Street.
In 1882, the gun barrel was placed muzzle-down into the sidewalk at the corner of Main and Center Streets and a bronze plaque was placed on it, which reads:
Taken from the British at Nassau 1776, by colonial ship of war Alfred, placed on Fort Phoenix 1777, recaptured by British and left on the fort, spiked, and with trunions knocked off, afterwards mounted in Union Street for village defense. Placed here in 1883″
By the mid-1900s, the gun was removed from the sidewalk and brought back to Fort Phoenix, where it has since been on display (since the 1970s, it has been on a naval carriage).
After exploring the interior of the fort, I recommend taking a stroll atop the parapet. On the eastern end of the parapet is a small stone staircase, which will take you to a worn-down foot path along the perimeter. From there, you can take in an amazing view of New Bedford Harbor, Buzzards Bay, and Fort Phoenix itself.
Before leaving Fort Phoenix, be sure to head down to the beach. Not only is it a peaceful spot to relax, but it provides an excellent view of the fort’s +150-year-old exterior. If you walk past the gunpowder magazine on the northern side of the fort, you will find a winding trail through the trees, which will lead you down to the beach in front of Fort Phoenix (you can access the beach on the other side of the fort as well).
If you walk along the beachfront around the fort, you will eventually see the massive rocks that make up the eastern side of the fortification. Placed in the side of one of these rocks is a plaque from 1927, which commemorates the Battle of Fairhaven. This is a good spot to look out over Buzzards Bay, where that naval action took place on May 14, 1775- a mere 25 days after the fighting at Lexington & Concord.
Legacy
Fort Phoenix and the Battle of Fairhaven are lost chapters of the American Revolution. Admittedly, I knew little about these events until I visited the site and did some research; however, they deserve recognition as some of the most important events to take place in New England during the war. Thanks to the brave and daring actions carried out by the men of Fairhaven village, the British Navy quickly learned they were not invincible. For if a group of militia on a whaling sloop could accomplish such a feat, what else could these upstart colonials do?