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The British Raid on Essex
The Forgotten Battle of the War of 1812
The Driftless Connecticut Series & Garnet Books
Sales Date: 2014-04-30
220 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in
The untold story of the burning of American privateers in Connecticut
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 privateers of Pettipaug, known 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 vessels, 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.
Prologue
FORGOTTEN BATTLE
Loser's Day
DECATUR'S WAR
Blockade
The Privateers of Pettipaug
The Traitor
THE RAID
Going In
The Landing
IN THE HEART OF THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY
Deal, Or No Deal?
Conspiracy Theory
The Burning
Resistance
Spilled Rum and the Forgotten
Sword
THE SHIPS
Coote's List of Burned Ships
The Osage
How Far?
Mystery Ships
GETTING OUT
Captain Glover
Parry Holds the Key
Torpedo Jack
Outward Bound
Major Ely
IN THE RIVER
Mobilization
"At Defiance"
THE END GAME
The Gauntlet
AFTER THE BATTLE
Postscripts
The Traitor Unmasked
Admiral Richard Coote?
Stonington
FIGHTING FOR THE LOST BATTLE
Off the Radar
Battle Site Essex
THE PROBLEM WITH HISTORY
Battlefield Archaeology
Ballast Stone & Dropped Balls
Battle Site Revisited
Essex (Pettipaug)
Old Lyme
Saybrook
APPENDIX ONE: PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
FROM THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY DOCUMENTS
The Report of Captain Richard Coote to Captain Capel
Major Ely's Surrender Note to Coote
Coote's Report Continues
Captain Capel to Captain Talbot, HMS Victorious
Vice Admiral Cochrane to Croker
Lieutenant Parry's Transcription
AMERICAN FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS
Captain Jeremiah Glover
Lieutenant Bull's Account
General William Williams' Account
A Gentleman from Lyme
Selectmen of Saybrook to Governor Smith
AMERICAN NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS
Connecticut Gazette
Middlesex Gazette
Connecticut Spectator
New York Commercial Advertiser
American Mercury
Connecticut Spectator
APPENDIX TWO: ORDER OF BATTLE
British Raid on Essex, April 7–8, 1814
Acknowledgements
Notes and Sources
Introduction
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
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.
"A short article about the Bicentennial of the 1814 raid mentions our book and quotes the author, Jerry Roberts."
~Erick Hesselberg, The Hartford Courant
""Jerry Roberts took a little-known, scarcely remembered raid from the end of the War of 1812 and painstakingly researched and unearthed a wonderful maritime Connecticut narrative.""
~Steven H. Park, Connecticut History Review
""A short article about the Bicentennial of the 1814 raid mentions our book and quotes the author, Jerry Roberts.""
~Erick Hesselberg, The Hartford Courant
""Jerry Roberts's account, The British Raid on Essex, built on new research on both sides of the Atlantic, reads like a fast-paced action chronicle, which sheds light on a significant but forgotten attack on Connecticut soil during the War of 1812.""
~Dan McFadden, Mystic Seaport Magazine
"In this dynamic account of the British attack on American privateers in the Connecticut River, Roberts combines new research on both sides of the Atlantic to at last restore this untold story to its rightful place in history ensuring that the forgotten battle of the War of 1812 will long be remembered."
~Roy Manstan, author of Turtle: David Bushnell's Revolutionary Vessel
"Riveting, fast-paced action marks Jerry Roberts's splendid account of Britain's raid on Essex, Connecticut, during April 8, 1814, and his equally exciting struggle for recognition of its significance.""
~George C. Daughan, author of 1812: The Navy's War and The Shining Sea
"The 'forgotten battle of the forgotten war' is no longer forgotten thanks to this action-packed, thoroughly researched who-dun-it of a book. Combining the sciences of history and field archaeology, Jerry Roberts has resurrected one of the most improbable and significant battles ever fought on Connecticut soil. Once you start reading, it is impossible to put down!""
~Nicholas F. Bellantoni, Connecticut State Archaeologist