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95-552: The Battle of Fort Cumberland (also known as the Eddy Rebellion ) was an attempt by a small number of militia commanded by Jonathan Eddy to bring the American Revolutionary War to Nova Scotia in late 1776. With minimal logistical support from Massachusetts and four to five hundred volunteer militia and Natives , Eddy attempted to besiege and storm Fort Cumberland in central Nova Scotia (near

190-431: A prize and returned to Halifax; she was then sent out again to accompany a supply ship to Fort Cumberland. In the meantime, Vulture fortuitously arrived at Windsor, where she took on some marines and Fencibles. Lacking artillery, the rebels attempted to storm the fort on the night of November 12, attempting a feint to draw Goreham's strength away from the weak points of the defenses. The experienced Goreham saw through

285-527: A blundering execution of unwarlike antics, these men would start drinking and usually several fights occurred." Passamaquoddy Bay 45°05′N 67°05′W  /  45.083°N 67.083°W  / 45.083; -67.083 Passamaquoddy Bay ( French : Baie de Passamaquoddy ) is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy , between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick , at

380-528: A combination of all those factors. However, the U.S. government still believed militia were inadequate, and the desire for a professional regular army prevailed. Military budgets were greatly increased at this time and a smaller, standing federal army, rather than States' militias, was deemed better for the national defense. By the 1830s, the American frontier expanded westwards, with the Indian Wars in

475-496: A due number of field pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage. Some militia units appeared without adequate arms, as evidenced in this letter from John Adams to his wife, dated August 26, 1777: The militia are turning out with great alacrity both in Maryland and Pennsylvania. They are distressed for want of arms. Many have none, we shall rake and scrape enough to do Howe's business, by favor of

570-612: A great power. Robert Spitzer, citing Daniel Boorstin, describes this political dichotomy of the public popularity of the militia versus the military value: While the reliance upon militias was politically satisfying, it proved to be an administrative and military nightmare. State detachments could not be easily combined into larger fighting units; soldiers could not be relied on to serve for extended periods, and desertions were common; officers were elected, based on popularity rather than experience or training; discipline and uniformity were almost nonexistent. General George Washington defended

665-408: A half million of citizens with arms in their hands, officered by men chosen from among themselves ..." [119] The Antifederalists were not persuaded by these arguments, in part because of the degree of control over the militia given to the national government by the proposed constitution. The fears of the more conservative opponents centered upon the possible phasing out of the general militia in favor of

760-402: A lack of training for engineers and officers. George Washington repeatedly warned of these shortcomings up until his death in 1799. Two days before his death, in a letter to General Alexander Hamilton, George Washington wrote: "The establishment of a Military Academy upon a respectable and extensive basis has ever been considered by me as an object of primary importance to this country; and while I

855-576: A little bit of all those factors. In the Battle of Plattsburgh , the American militia dug entrenchments, fixed fortifications, disguised the roads with camouflage, and felled trees across the road. The Regulars and militia harassed the British army by firing at them from behind stone fences, trees, and whatever cover they could find before retreating to their entrenched fortified defense. As the British lost

950-458: A patrol of Goreham's Fencibles on October 25, killing one and wounding another. The prisoners were shipped back to Machias, and Eddy sent some of his men to Cocagne in a largely fruitless effort to enlist Miꞌkmaqs in the cause. Eddy himself continued on to Memramcook , where about two dozen of the Acadian locals joined him. This enlarged force marched to Sackville , where more settlers joined

1045-529: A previous visit to the area. With a force now numbering about 72, Eddy sailed up the Bay of Fundy to Shepody Outpost. The exact location of this outpost, established probably by Joseph Goreham in September, is subject to debate. It may have been present-day Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick on the Bay's western side, or it may have been Fort Folly Point on its eastern side. In any case, it was there that Eddy captured

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1140-691: A recruiting pool for the Provincial Forces. The legislature of the colony would authorize a certain force level for the season's campaign and set recruitment quotas for each local militia. In theory, militia members could be drafted by lot if there were inadequate forces for the Provincial Regulars; however, the draft was rarely resorted to because provincial regulars were highly paid (more highly paid than their regular British Army counterparts) and rarely engaged in combat. In September 1755, George Washington , then adjutant-general of

1235-596: A smaller, more readily corrupted, select militia. Proposals for such a select militia already had been advanced by individuals such as Baron Von Steuben , Washington's Inspector General, who proposed supplementing the general militia with a force of 21,000 men given government- issued arms and special training. [120] An article in the Connecticut Journal expressed the fear that the proposed constitution might allow Congress to create such select militias: "[T]his looks too much like Baron Steuben's militia, by which

1330-533: A standing army was meant and intended." [121] In Pennsylvania, John Smiley told the ratifying convention that "Congress may give us a select militia which will in fact be a standing army", and worried that, [p.34] with this force in hand, "the people in general may be disarmed". [122] Similar concerns were raised by Richard Henry Lee in Virginia. In his widely-read pamphlet, Letters from the Federal Farmer to

1425-419: A standing army, the bane of liberty. Now it must be evident, that under this provision, together with their other powers, congress could take such measures with respect to a militia, as make a standing army necessary. Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins. The "religiously scrupulous" clause

1520-399: A state charter under names that they themselves chose. The states' militia continued service, notably, in the slave-holding states, to maintain public order by performing slave patrols to round up fugitive slaves. A Mississippi town history described their militia of the 1840s: "The company musters of the citizen soldiers were held four times a year...After a brief parade, which consisted in

1615-509: A successful mounted raid into Canada with an almost entirely militia force. William Henry Harrison led an incursion into Thames with an almost entirely Kentucky mounted militia force which captured an entire British army, eliminated Tecumseh, and suffered very few casualties. Militias fared better and proved more reliable when protected behind defensive entrenchments and fixed fortifications, using guerrilla tactics such as firing from behind cover, being reinforced with Regular armed forces, or

1710-419: Is not clear which side opened fire. This became known as "the shot heard round the world". Eight militiamen were killed and ten wounded, whereupon the remainder took flight. The British continued on to Concord and were unable to find most of the arms and ammunition of the patriots. As the British marched back toward Boston, patriot militiamen assembled along the route, taking cover behind stone walls, and sniped at

1805-548: Is often observed in written and printed materials from the 17th century through the 19th century. The early colonists of America considered the militia an important social institution, necessary to provide defense and public safety. On August 29, 1643, the Plymouth Colony Court allowed and established a military discipline to be erected and maintained. During the French and Indian Wars , town militia formed

1900-456: The Battles of Lexington and Concord , in which a group of local militias constituted the American side (the " Patriots "). On April 19, 1775, a British force 800 strong marched out of Boston to Concord intending to destroy patriot arms and ammunition. At 5:00 in the morning at Lexington, they met about 70 armed militiamen whom they ordered to disperse, but the militiamen refused. Firing ensued; it

1995-613: The Polly before her seizure. His defenses consisted of a hastily constructed palisade that encompassed most of the fort, and six cannon , for which his men had only completed three mounts. The fort's military complement was 176 men, including officers and artillerymen. Over the next few days, local militia arrived to raise the garrison's size to about 200, although this included individuals not effective for combat due to illness. On both November 7 and 8 he again attempted to get messengers out of Eddy's cordon, without success. On November 8 Eddy

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2090-895: The Second Continental Congress and George Washington would not authorize, fund, or otherwise support military activities in Nova Scotia, Eddy was able to convince the Massachusetts Provincial Congress to provide some material support (primarily muskets , ammunition, powder, and other military supplies) for an attempt on Fort Cumberland. It also allowed Eddy to engage in recruiting in the District of Maine . Eddy left Boston in September and sailed to Machias , where he recruited about 20 men. On October 13, this party sailed from Machias for Passamaquoddy Bay . Coincidentally, John Allan, who

2185-665: The St. John River valley of Sunbury County (present-day New Brunswick ), and Cobequid , and there were also pockets of activity in Pictou and the Passamaquoddy Bay area, which separates present-day Maine and New Brunswick. Patriots in these communities were in contact with each other, and those of Cumberland and Maugerville were active in trying to interest nearby natives ( Passamaquoddy , Maliseet , and Mi'kmaq ) in their cause. Eddy believed that with military assistance from

2280-493: The Thirteen Colonies , he might be able to bring down the strongly Loyalist administration of Nova Scotia. Early in 1776, Eddy went to Massachusetts in an attempt to interest political and military leaders there in supporting action in Nova Scotia, while Allan worked to raise interest in Nova Scotia. Allan's work was made more difficult by the arrival of Colonel Goreham and his troops to refortify Fort Cumberland, and by

2375-499: The frigate Juno escorted the supply sloop Polly to Fort Cumberland, where she docked below the fort on the Aulac River . Polly was laden with supplies to last the fort through the winter, and work began immediately to unload those supplies. Juno , easily visible from Sackville, was a concern to Eddy, since her presence added to the fort's defenses. Fortunately for Eddy, she sailed on November 3, leaving Polly docked below

2470-522: The American coast of the bay. After the American Revolution, Passamaquoddy Bay was the scene of a thriving smuggling trade. Smuggling peaked in 1808 during Jefferson's Embargo, when smugglers illegally moved tens of thousands of barrels of American flour from American territory into New Brunswick . During the War of 1812, a thriving illicit trade in British manufactured goods existed. After

2565-422: The American communities. In Albany County, New York, the militia established a Committee for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies to look out for and investigate people with suspicious allegiances. Politically, the militia was highly popular during the postwar period, though to some extent, based more on pride of victory in the recent war than on the realities. This skepticism of the actual value of relying upon

2660-564: The Bay of Fundy are Letete Passage northeast of Deer Island, Head Harbour Passage to the southeast of Deer Island and northwest of Campobello Island, and Quoddy Narrows, between southern Lubec, Maine, and southern Campobello Island. Running north from West Quoddy Head in Lubec, the passages known as Quoddy Narrows, Lubec Channel, Lubec Narrows, Friar Roads, and Western Passage also host the International Boundary between Canada and

2755-483: The British. At Meriam's Corner in Concord, the British columns had to close in to cross a narrow bridge, exposing themselves to concentrated, deadly fire. The British retreat became a rout. It was only with the help of an additional detachment of 900 troops that the British force managed to return to Boston. This marked the beginning of the war. It was "three days after the affair of Lexington and Concord that any movement

2850-760: The Constitutional Convention (the Founding Fathers/Framers of the U.S. Constitution ) under Article 1; section 8, clauses 15 and 16 of the federal constitution, granted Congress the power to "provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia", as well as, and in distinction to, the power to raise an army and a navy. The U.S. Congress is granted the power to use the militia of the U.S. for three specific missions, as described in Article 1, section 8, clause 15: "To provide for

2945-639: The French in 1750 as Fort Beauséjour, Fort Cumberland was in deplorable condition. Won from the French in the Battle of Fort Beauséjour in 1755, the fortifications had been minimally garrisoned by the British after the Seven Years' War and abandoned in 1768. As early as June 1775, Colonel Joseph Goreham had been ordered by General Thomas Gage to raise the Royal Fencible American Regiment of Foot and natives in Nova Scotia for

Battle of Fort Cumberland (1776) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-467: The Heaven. The initial enthusiasm of Patriot militiamen in the beginning days of the war soon waned. The historian Garry Wills explains, The fervor of the early days in the reorganized militias wore off in the long grind of an eight-year war. Now the right to elect their own officers was used to demand that the men not serve away from their state. Men evaded service, bought substitutes to go for them as in

3135-613: The Machias council learned of how little native support there was, they sent a letter to Eddy urging him to give up the effort. Eddy persisted, and left Campobello, having added nine Passamaquoddy recruits to his band. From Campobello, Eddy sailed up the Saint John River to Maugerville, where 27 men were recruited, and then up to the Maliseet settlement at Aukpaque (just upriver from present-day Fredericton ). There he learned

3230-562: The Massachusetts Provincial Congress, observing the British military buildup, deemed their militia resources to be insufficient: the troop strength, "including the sick and absent, amounted to about seventeen thousand men ... this was far short of the number wanted, that the council recommended an immediate application to the New England governments to make up the deficiency": ... they recommended to

3325-551: The Patriot cause, and refused to assist in rehabilitating the fort, even trying to induce members of the garrison to defect. Jonathan Eddy was a Massachusetts -born resident of Cumberland County, Nova Scotia , where the fort was located. He and John Allan , both of whom served in the provincial assembly, were the prime movers of Patriot activity in the area, which was one of several hotbeds of agitation in Nova Scotia. The other major areas of Patriot activity were Maugerville in

3420-608: The Republican, Lee warned that liberties might be undermined by the creation of a select militia that "[would] answer to all the purposes of an army", and concluded that "the Constitution ought to secure a genuine and guard against a select militia by providing that the militia shall always be kept well organized, armed, and disciplined, and include, according to the past and general usage of the states, all men capable of bearing arms." Note: In Federalist Paper 29 Hamilton argued

3515-525: The Treaty between Great Britain and the United States of April 11, 1908, as, lying between Treat Island and Friar Head, and extending thence through Passamaquoddy Bay and to, the middle of Grand Manan Channel, shall run in a series of seven connected straight lines for the distances and in the directions as follows." The largest community on Passamaquoddy Bay proper is St. Andrews, New Brunswick , but

3610-589: The United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. Records of

3705-463: The United States. The Head Harbour Passage is the deepwater entry to the Bay. The US and Canadian governments agree that the passage is Canadian. The US government believes that it is a territorial sea in which international law gives commercial vessels a right of passage. The Canadian government believes that it can regulate passage and is considering doing so to prevent the use by supertankers carrying cargo to liquified natural gas plants proposed for

3800-490: The Virginia militia, upon a frustrating and futile attempt to call up the militia to respond to a frontier Indian attack: ... he experienced all the evils of insubordination among the troops, perverseness in the militia, inactivity in the officers, disregard of orders, and reluctance in the civil authorities to render a proper support. And what added to his mortification was, that the laws gave him no power to correct these evils, either by enforcing discipline, or compelling

3895-510: The activities of Michael Francklin , a former Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and a vocal Loyalist. Eddy returned empty-handed to Nova Scotia in June 1776, only to learn that Goreham had put a price on his head. The activities of Goreham's Fencibles in the Cumberland area were successful enough that Patriot activities there were effectively forced underground; the center of these activities

Battle of Fort Cumberland (1776) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-657: The age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia, by the Captain or Commanding Officer of the company, within whose bounds such citizen shall reside, and that within twelve months after the passing of this Act. At the time of the drafting of the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, a political sentiment existed in the newly formed United States involving suspicion of peacetime armies not under civilian control. This political belief has been identified as stemming from

4085-488: The bad news that Pierre Tomah, the main Maliseet chief, was not interested in taking up the hatchet. Eddy was able to convince Ambroise St. Aubin, one of Tomah's competitors, and 15 men to join the expedition in exchange for an agreement with the Maugerville community to support the families of those men. In another disappointment, none of the local Acadians joined, contrary to assertions St. Aubin had made to Eddy during

4180-709: The battle in the open as they were undisciplined, untrained, and underfunded. For example, at the Battle of Bladensburg , the militia were set up in linear formation with little to no entrenchments and very little help from the Regular Army. Thus the Militia were routed easily and fled from the battlefield in large numbers, allowing the smaller British force to successfully raid and destroy the White House in Washington D.C. American militias were very effective when fighting in unconventional guerrilla warfare such as

4275-526: The bay are sometimes confused since Deer Island sections off the large open waters of the bay; however, the terminology of the Passamaquoddy Bay Treaty of 1910 specifies that Passamaquoddy Bay runs south of Treat Island (one of the islands that now comprise the city of Eastport, Maine), between Campobello Island and Lubec, Maine: "Now, therefore, upon the evidence and arguments so presented, and after taking into consideration all actions, of

4370-591: The border in Passamaquoddy Bay was a long-standing issue between the United States and Britain/Canada. Already the Treaty of Ghent , ending the War of 1812 , included a provision for the appointment of "commissioners to divide the islands of Passamaquoddy Bay between the United States and Great Britain" (see John Holmes ). Nevertheless, confusions and ambiguities on this issue persisted. The southern boundaries of

4465-605: The calling of the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions." The Militia Act of 1792 clarified whom the militia consists of: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under

4560-407: The companies into battalions, and chose the field-officers to command the same. Hence the minute-men became a body distinct from the rest of the militia, and, by being more devoted to military exercises, they acquired skill in the use of arms. More attention than formerly was likewise bestowed on the training and drilling of militia. The American Revolutionary War began near Boston, Massachusetts with

4655-556: The constitutional debate over the early drafts of the language of the Second Amendment included significant discussion of whether service in the militia should be compulsory for all able bodied men, or should there be an exemption for the "religiously scrupulous" conscientious objector. The concern about risks of a "religiously scrupulous" exemption clause within the second amendment to the Federal Constitution

4750-510: The constitutional militia, which can be called forth only "to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions." Most modern organizations calling themselves militias are illegal private paramilitary organizations without the official sanctioning of a state government. The term "militia" derives from Old English milite meaning soldiers (plural), militisc meaning military and also classical Latin milit-, miles meaning soldier. The Modern English term militia dates to

4845-792: The cost of two dead and three wounded. Batt's men chased Eddy's, but bad weather and the lack of adequate footwear eventually caused him to call off the pursuit. Eddy's forces scattered, with many retreating overland to Maugerville. Some of the Massachusetts men took more than two months to reach Machias. Homes and farms of rebel supporters were burned in reprisal but British authorities took a lenient approach toward captured rebels, including Richard John Uniacke , who went on to become Attorney General of Nova Scotia. Goreham issued an offer of pardon for those who would surrender their arms, which more than 100 locals accepted. This prompted Major Batt to file charges against Goreham for neglect of duty; Goreham

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4940-488: The defense of Hampton Village on June 25, 1813, where American militia conducted a few devastating ambushes, conducted harassing fire behind cover, and fought some hit-and-run engagements. Although the militia were routed and withdrew with 7 killed, 12 wounded, and 12 missing, the British suffered 120 killed and at least 95 wounded. American militia as horse-mounted raiders were very effective at conducting incursions or raids into British Canada. For instance, Duncan McArthur led

5035-560: The defense of Machias during the battle on August 13–15, 1777. (Collier's action was in fact unnecessary; the Massachusetts Provincial Congress had in early August voted to disband forces recruited for Allan's expedition, because of the imminent threat posed by the army of General John Burgoyne in upstate New York .) The Battle of Fort Cumberland was poorly documented in 19th-century histories of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, often receiving only minimal mention. The involvement of local inhabitants (natives, Acadians, and English-speakers) in

5130-448: The defense of the province against Patriot activity. Arriving at the fort in the summer of 1776, Colonel Goreham and a garrison of 200 Loyalist troops of the RFA did what they could to restore the premises to a defensible condition. But Goreham had not been adequately provisioned and his men lacked everything from victuals to uniforms. Furthermore, the locals were generally sympathetic to

5225-439: The eastern U.S. ending. Many states let their unorganized militia lapse in favor of volunteer militia units such as city guards who carried on in functions such as assisting local law enforcement, providing troops for ceremonies and parades or as a social club. The groups of company size were usually uniformed and armed through their own contributions. Volunteer units of sufficient size could elect their own officers and apply for

5320-523: The eastern regions provoked fears of an American-led uprising. Although some reinforcements had reached Halifax by early 1776, the frontiers of the province were only lightly defended. Fort Cumberland was located on the Isthmus of Chignecto , which connects modern mainland Nova Scotia with New Brunswick . The area was strategically important in earlier conflicts between the French colony of Acadia and British-controlled Nova Scotia. Originally built by

5415-498: The failures of the militia in the War of 1812 , Madison came to favor the maintenance of a strong standing army . A major concern of the various delegates during the constitutional debates over the U.S. Constitution and the Second Amendment to the Constitution revolved around the issue of transferring militia power held by the states (under the existing Articles of Confederation ) to federal control. Congress shall have

5510-429: The feint and repulsed the attack. One of Eddy's Maliseet warriors sneaked into the fort and very nearly opened a gate but was stopped at the last moment. Following the failed attack, Eddy effectively lost control of the expedition, as a council of leaders formed against him. Night attacks ordered by the council on November 22 and 23 succeeded in capturing and burning several buildings, but Goreham grimly held his ground, and

5605-427: The following definition for "active militia" from an Illinois Supreme Court case of 1879: " 'a body of citizens trained to military duty, who may be called out in certain cases, but may not be kept on service like standing armies, in times of peace'. . . when not engaged at stated periods . . . they return to their usual avocations . . . and are subject to call when public exigencies demand it." The spelling millitia

5700-485: The force, swelling it (by Eddy's account) to about 180 men. Goreham was finally alerted to Eddy's actions on November 4, when a boat sent with supplies for the Shepody patrol was informed of Eddy's activities by locals. Goreham heightened the guard on the fort, but did not immediately attempt to notify Halifax or Windsor , since he was uncertain what routes away from the fort might have been blocked by Eddy. On October 31,

5795-449: The fort. On November 6, Eddy's patrols began ranging closer to the fort, alerting Goreham to the approaching force. Goreham took no additional steps to protect Polly , and any attempts to get word of his predicament out were again delayed by his decision to await the return of scouts he had dispatched earlier. (The fate of the scouts is uncertain; they did not return before the fort was invested .) That evening, thirty of Eddy's men surprised

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5890-541: The inability to train the whole Militia made select corps inevitable and, like Madison, paid it no concern. In 1794, a militia numbering approximately 13,000 was raised and personally led by President George Washington to quell the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania. From this experience, a major weakness of a States-based citizen militia system was found to be the lack of systematic army organization, and

5985-423: The indolent and refractory to their duty ... The militia system was suited for only to times of peace. It provided for calling out men to repel invasion; but the powers granted for effecting it were so limited, as to be almost inoperative. See New Hampshire Provincial Regiment for a history of a Provincial unit during the French and Indian War. Just prior to the American Revolutionary War , on October 26, 1774,

6080-528: The invaders were again repulsed. On November 27, Vulture arrived. Rather than retreat in the face of arriving relief, the rebels increased their guard; Goreham, with some intelligence about the size of the force opposing him, planned a sortie . Early on the morning of November 29, Major Thomas Batt led 150 men from Vulture ' s marine contingent and the Royal Fencible Americans, and scattered Eddy's men, killing and wounding several, at

6175-664: The memory of the abuses of the standing army of Oliver Cromwell and King James II , in Great Britain in the prior century, which led to the Glorious Revolution and resulted in placing the standing army under the control of Parliament. During the Congressional debates, James Madison discussed how a militia could help defend liberty against tyranny and oppression. (Source I Annals of Congress 434, June 8, 1789) However, during his presidency, after enduring

6270-474: The militia for national defense, versus a trained regular army was expressed by Gouverneur Morris : An overweening vanity leads the fond many, each man against the conviction of his own heart, to believe or affect to believe, that militia can beat veteran troops in the open field and even play of battle. This idle notion, fed by vaunting demagogues, alarmed us for our country, when in the course of that time and chance, which happen to all, she should be at war with

6365-643: The militia in public, but in correspondence with Congress expressed his opinion of the militia quite to the contrary: To place any dependence on the Militia, is, assuredly, resting upon a broken staff. Men just dragged from the tender Scenes of domestic life; unaccustomed to the din of Arms; totally unacquainted with every kind of military skill, which being followed by a want of confidence in themselves, when opposed to Troops regularly trained, disciplined, and appointed, superior in knowledge and superior in Arms, makes them timid, and ready to fly from their own shadows ... if I

6460-416: The militia to form themselves into companies of minute-men , who should be equipped and prepared to march at the shortest notice. These minute-men were to consist of one quarter of the whole militia, to be enlisted under the direction of the field-officers, and divide into companies, consisting of at least fifty men each. The privates were to choose their captains and subalterns, and these officers were to form

6555-523: The militia, and local inhabitants tended to exaggerate the performance of the local militia versus the performance of the Continental Army. The Continental Army was seen as the protector of the States, though it also was viewed as a dominating force over the local communities. Joseph Reed , president of Pennsylvania viewed this jealousy between the militia forces and the standing army as similar to

6650-698: The mouth of the St. Croix River . Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its western shore bounded by Washington County, Maine . The southernmost point is formed by West Quoddy Head on the U.S. mainland in Lubec, Maine ; and runs northeasterly through Campobello Island, New Brunswick , engulfing Deer Island, New Brunswick , to the New Brunswick mainland head at L'Etete, New Brunswick in Charlotte County, New Brunswick . The exact demarcation of

6745-543: The naval engagement of the Plattsburgh battle, they continued to face heavy fire from the militia. Facing increased casualties, the British withdrew, making the Americans the victors. The American militia failed if they were poorly led, had bad logistics, were not trained properly or were misused. But they could be a potent force if there was a good competent leader, better logistics, used carefully, better trained, or

6840-589: The need for another bounty, sign up again in a different place. ... This practice was common enough to have its own technical term – "bounty jumping". The burden of waging war passed to a large extent to the standing army, the Continental Army . The stay-at-home militia tended then to perform the role of the internal police to keep order. British forces sought to disrupt American communities by instigating slave rebellions and Indian raids. The militia fended off these threats. Militias also spied on Loyalists in

6935-428: The old days, and had to be bribed with higher and higher bounties to join the effort – which is why Jefferson and Samuel Adams called them so expensive. As wartime inflation devalued the currency, other pledges had to be offered, including land grants and the promise of "a healthy slave" at the end of the war. Some men would take a bounty and not show up. Or they would show up for a while, desert, and then, when they felt

7030-733: The power ... to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of

7125-531: The present-day border between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick ) in November 1776. The fort's defenders, the Royal Fencible American Regiment led by Joseph Goreham , a veteran of the French and Indian War , successfully repelled several attempts by Eddy's militia to storm the fort, and the siege was ultimately relieved when the RFA plus marine reinforcements drove off the besiegers on November 29. In retaliation for

7220-631: The prior frictions between the militia and the British Regular Army a generation before during the French and Indian War . Tensions came to a head at the end of the war when the Continental Army officers demanded pensions and set up the Society of the Cincinnati to honor their own wartime deeds. The local communities did not want to pay national taxes to cover the Army pensions, when the local militiamen received none. The delegates of

7315-577: The respective Governments and of their representatives authorized in that behalf and of the local governments on either side of the line, whether prior or subsequent to such treaties and award, tending to aid in the interpretation thereof, the High Contracting Parties hereby agree that the location of the international boundary line between the United States and the Dominion of Canada from a point in Passamaquoddy Bay accurately defined in

7410-494: The role of locals who supported the siege, numerous homes and farms were destroyed, and Patriot sympathizers were driven out of the area. The successful defense of Fort Cumberland preserved the territorial integrity of the British Maritime possessions, and Nova Scotia remained loyal throughout the war. Nova Scotia was generally poorly defended in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War , and unrest in

7505-449: The ship. Polly was then sailed to Fort Lawrence , to the east of Fort Cumberland, where the supplies were landed. Sentries in the fort spotted the move, and Goreham, realizing Eddy had taken the ship, fired an ineffectual cannonade against the ship. Goreham took stock of his situation. Nearly one quarter of his garrison (more than 60 men) had been captured by Eddy, along with critical fuel and other supplies that had not been unloaded from

7600-466: The siege was generally understated or unknown. The site of Fort Cumberland has been preserved as a National Historic Site of Canada , and is administered by Parks Canada . Thomas H. Raddall, "His Majesty's Yankees" Doubleday & Company Inc. 1942 (historical fiction by Nova Scotia's most famous writer). Militia (United States)#History Today, as defined by the Militia Act of 1903 ,

7695-449: The sleepy guards aboard Polly , taking thirteen prisoners. They also seized another ship, owned by a Patriot sympathizer, that happened to be anchored nearby. On the morning of November 7 Goreham decided that it was time to get a message to Windsor. He sent a party of men down to the dock that morning. These men, numbering about 30, were taken prisoner by Eddy's men as rapidly as they arrived due to their unawareness that Eddy had control of

7790-438: The summer of 1777, when John Allan was authorized by Congress to take actions in Nova Scotia; however, only a small number of forces were raised for this effort at Saint John , and a British show of force put an end to the attempt. Eddy appears to have been involved with Allan's work, but his movements prior to August 1777 are uncertain. Commodore Collier followed up by attacking Machias , intending to break Allan's plans. Eddy led

7885-556: The term "militia" is used to describe two classes within the United States: Since 1933, Congress has organized the National Guard under its power to "raise and support armies" and not its power to "Provide for organizing, arming and disciplining the Militia". Congress chose to do this in the interests of organizing reserve military units which were not limited in deployment by the strictures of its power over

7980-490: The twin communities of Calais - St. Stephen are sometimes included, despite being located on the St. Croix River. The city of Eastport, Maine lies between Passamaquoddy Bay and Cobscook Bay, to the city's west. The narrow passage between Maine and Deer Island is known as Western Passage . The passage between Eastport, Maine, and Friar Bay, Campobello Island, is known as Friar Roads. The three entrances into Passamaquoddy Bay from

8075-432: The year 1590, with the original meaning now obsolete: "the body of soldiers in the service of a sovereign or a state". Subsequently, since approximately 1665, militia has taken the meaning "a military force raised from the civilian population of a country or region, especially to supplement a regular army in an emergency, frequently as distinguished from mercenaries or professional soldiers". The U.S. Supreme Court adopted

8170-573: Was active. When the news reached Halifax through the efforts of Thomas Dixson , Lieutenant Governor Marriot Arbuthnot responded by dispatching orders on the 15th for any available ship based at Annapolis to go to Fort Edward in Windsor, to convoy troops to relieve the siege. Commodore Sir George Collier had previously dispatched HMS Vulture into the Bay of Fundy on rumors of privateering activity there, so he ordered HMS Hope to locate Vulture so that she could assist. However, Hope captured

8265-479: Was called upon to declare upon Oath, whether the Militia have been most serviceable or hurtful upon the whole, I should subscribe to the latter. At the end of the Revolutionary War, a political atmosphere developed at the local level where the militia was seen with fondness, despite their spotty record on the battlefield. Typically, when the militia did act well was when the battle came into the locale of

8360-565: Was exonerated. The victory at Fort Cumberland strengthened the British presence in Nova Scotia, in part by driving Patriot sympathizers like Allan and Eddy out of the province, but also by cowing those that remained, often by requiring people to make pledges to the Crown. Some unrest continued for the remainder of the war (e.g., the Battle at Miramichi ), although no further large scale military threat occurred. The most significant attempt occurred in

8455-400: Was expressed by Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts (from 1 Annals of Congress at 750, 17 August 1789): Now, I am apprehensive, sir, that this clause would give an opportunity to the people in power to destroy the constitution itself. They can declare who are those religiously scrupulous, and prevent them from bearing arms. What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of

8550-506: Was in the chair of government, I omitted no proper opportunity of recommending it in my public speeches, and otherwise to the attention of the legislature." In 1802, the federal military academy at West Point was established, in part to rectify the failings of irregular training inherent in a States-based militia system. In the War of 1812 , the United States Militia were at times routed if they fought conventionally on

8645-450: Was joined by about 200 men from Cobequid and Pictou, and he finally felt ready to act on November 10. Eddy sent a letter demanding that Goreham surrender his garrison. Goreham refused, suggesting in retort that Eddy surrender. The next day authorities outside the area learned of Eddy's activities. Michael Francklin, patrolling in the Bay of Fundy for privateers , recovered a ferry that had been taken, and learned from its passengers that Eddy

8740-687: Was made towards embodying a regular army". In 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation , which contained a provision for raising a confederal militia that consent would be required from nine of the 13 States. Article VI of the Articles of Confederation states, ... every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutered, and shall provide and constantly have ready for use, in public stores,

8835-578: Was shifted to Maugerville in part as a consequence of this. Goreham, a veteran of the French and Indian War , was also able to blunt Patriot inroads in the native communities, where the Mi'kmaq refused to take sides, and the Maliseet and Passamaquoddy, at first supportive of the Patriots, ultimately did not turn out in the numbers Eddy had hoped for or been promised. Eddy returned to Massachusetts in August. While

8930-496: Was ultimately stricken from the final draft of second amendment to the Federal Constitution though the militia clause was retained. The Supreme Court of the United States has upheld a right to conscientious objection to military service. William S. Fields and David T. Hardy write: While in The Federalist No. 46, Madison argued that a standing army of 25,000 to 30,000 men would be offset by "a militia amounting to near

9025-460: Was working on a longer-term plan for military action, sailed from Campobello Island for Machias the same day. The two parties met at sea, where Allan attempted to dissuade Eddy from his plan, informing him that the Mi'kmaq (the largest tribe in Nova Scotia) would not help him. Allan extracted a promise from Eddy to wait at Campobello while he went to Machias to meet with the council there. When

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