Battle of Gloucester

The Engagement at Gloucester in August 1775 was a successful defense by local militia against a British naval raid on the Massachusetts coastal town. HMS Falcon under Captain John Linzee attempted to seize colonial vessels in the harbor and send boats ashore. Local militia organized quickly and opened fire on the British landing parties, wounding several sailors.

The British attempted to intimidate the town with cannon fire but the militia held their ground and maintained their resistance throughout the engagement. The British were eventually driven off without achieving their objectives, having suffered casualties. The Falcon was forced to withdraw.

The Gloucester engagement was part of a pattern of British coastal raids on New England towns seeking to intimidate communities and seize supplies. Most of these raids were unsuccessful against determined local resistance, demonstrating the limits of British naval power in the absence of substantial land forces. Gloucester continued to be a center of Patriot activity and privateering throughout the war.