This is the dynamic account of one of the most destructive maritime actions to take place in Connecticut history: the 1814 British attack on the shipping of Pettipaug Point, kwn today as the British Raid on Essex. During the height of the War of 1812, 136 Royal marines and sailors made their way up the Connecticut River from warships anchored in Long Island Sound. Guided by a well-paid American traitor the British navigated the Saybrook shoals and advanced up the river under cover of darkness. By the time it was over, the British had burned twenty-seven American ships, including six newly built privateers. It was the largest single maritime loss of the war. Yet this story has been virtually left out of the history books-the forgotten battle of the forgotten war. This new account from author and historian Jerry Roberts is the definitive overview of this event and includes a wealth of new information drawn from recent research and archaeological finds. Lavish illustrations and detailed maps bring the battle to life.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Wesleyan University Press, University Press of New England
ISBN-10
0819574767
ISBN-13
9780819574763
eBay Product ID (ePID)
209259290
Product Key Features
Author
Jerry Roberts
Format
Hardback
Language
English
Subject
Regional History
Type
Textbook
Additional Product Features
Place of Publication
Hanover
Content Note
63 Illus. (36 Colour Plates)
Author Biography
JERRY ROBERTS is the battlefield historian for a National Parks Service grant project charged with researching the British raid on Essex shipping in 1814. From 2006 to 2013, he was executive director of the Connecticut River Museum. He lives in Essex, Connecticut.