Dummer's War: Difference between revisions

Dummer's War
Date	1721-1725
Standort	New England
Result	Skimishing ceased by 1725.
Belligerents
Great Britain; Mohawk	Frankreich; Abenaki; Pequawket

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Revision as of 08:26, 14 October 2010

Dummer's War (c. 1721-1725), (also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, Three Years War or the 4th Indian War) was a series of battles between New England and Wabanaki Confederacy (specifically Mi'kmaq Maliseet, and Abenaki), who were allied with New France.^[1] There were two theatre's to the war - Maine and Nova Scotia. The root cause of the conflict was tension over the ownership of these regions.

Historical Context

At that time, the New Englanders continued to push the frontier into what had been traditional native and French territory. The French had been the first to explore the Kennebec River in Maine, with Samuel Champlain reaching it in 1604. Governor Shutt built a fort at the mouth of the Kennebec River (present day Bristol, Maine), while the French built claimed the territory by building churches at Norridgewock and Medoctec, both Abenaki villages further up the Kennebec River.^[2] While the fighting began months before, Massachuetts Governor Samuel Shute officially declared war on the Abenaki on July 22, 1722.^[3] (Lieutenant Governor William Dummer, after whom the war is named, took the position of acting Governor the following year in 1723.)

Raid on Casco Bay

A Jesuit missionary named Sébastien Rale (Rasles) led that settlement, while an Abenaki named Gray Lock led raids against the encroaching New England settlements. In the fall of 1721, the Abenakis burned the farms and killed livestock in the settlements around Casco Bay.^[4]

Raid on Norridgewock

Govenor Shute chose to launch a punitive expedition against Father Rale at Norridgewock in March 1722. While the New England Rangers were unsuccessful in capturing Father Rale, they plundered the church and Rale's cabin.^[5]

Raid on Merrymeeting Bay

In response, the Abenakis raided a British settlment at Merrymeeting Bay near the mouth of the Kennebec River.^[6]

Blockade of Annapolis Royal (1722)

During Dummer's War,^[7] in July 1722 the Abenaki and Mi'kmaq attempted to create a blockade of Annapolis Royal, with of intent of starving the capital. The natives captured 18 fishing vessels and prisoners from present-day Yarmouth to Canso. They also seized prisoners and vessels from the Bay of Fundy. Under potential siege, in May 1722, Lieutenant Governor John Doucett took 22 Mi'kmaq hostage at Annapolis Royal to prevent the capital from being attacked.^[8] Massachuetts Governor Samuel Shute declared war on the Abenaki.

New Englanders retrieved some of the vessels and prisoners after the Battle at Winnepang (Jeddore Harbour), in which thirty-five natives were killed and five New Englanders. Other vessels and prisoners were retrieved at Malagash harbour after a ransom was paid.^[9]

Raid on Fort St. George, Maine

In August 1722, 500-600 natives laid siege to Fort St Georges (Phippsburg, Maine, located on the Kennebec River at Sabino Head) for twelve days.^[10]

Raid on Northfield and Rutland, Massachusetts

To defend against these attacks, the English built Fort Dummer (near present-day Brattleboro, Vermont) in 1724.

Raid on Annapolis Royal (1724)

During Dummer's War, the worst moment of the war for the capital came in early July 1724 when a group of sixty Mikmaq and Maliseets raided Annapolis Royal. They killed and scalped a sergeant and a private, wounded four more soldiers, and terrorized the village. They also burned houses and took prisoners.^[11] The British responded by executed one of the Mi'kmaq hostages on the same spot the sergeant was killed. They also burned three Acadian houses in retaliation.^[12]

As a result of the raid, three blockhouses were built to protect the town. The Acadian church was moved closer to the fort so that it could be more easily monitored.^[13]

Battle at Norridgewock

In July 1724, 100 Massachusetts rangers under Captains Jeremiah Moultan and Johnson Harmon marched to Norridgewock to assassinate Father Rale and destroy the settlment. Rale was killed in the opening moments of the battle, a leading chief was killed and the rangers massacred nearly two dozen women and children.^[14]. The English had casualties of two militiamen and one Mohawk.

Raid on Winnipiscogee Lake

On December 10, 1724, Captain John Lovewell along with a company of rangers killed two Abenakis. In Febrary 1725, Lovewell killed another ten indians near Winnipiscogee lake.^[15]

Raid on Fryeburg

During his last expedition, Lovewell died in a fight against the Pequawket tribe at Fryeburg, Maine, on May 8, 1725.

Aftermath

Peace treaties were signed in Maine in December 1725 and in June of the following year in Nova Scotia. Unlike the Maine natives, the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet of Nova Scotia refused to declare themselves British subjects.^[16] The war had been as much a native victory as it was a British one. The British were forced to acknowledge that the natives had a right to possess their land.^[17] The peace in Nova Scotia would last for eighteen years.^[18]

References and notes

^ The war had little organized leadership, and was mostly a series of skirmishes. Exactly which of these should be considered part of the war remains a matter of dispute.
^ John Grenier. The Far Reaches of Empire. University of Oklahoma Press. 2008. p. 51, p. 54
^ A history of Nova-Scotia, or Acadie, Volume 1 By Beamish Murdoch, p. 398
^ Faragher, p. 163
^ John Grenier, p. 55
^ Grenier, p. 55
^ The Nova Scotia theatre of the Drummer War is named the "Mi'kmaq-Maliseet War" by John Grenier. The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia 1710-1760 University of Oklahoma Press. 2008.
^ Grenier, p. 56
^ Beamish Murdoch. A history of Nova-Scotia, or Acadie, Volume 1, p. 399
^ Grenier, p. 59
^ Faragher, John Mack, A Great and Noble Scheme New York; W. W. Norton & Company, 2005. pp. 164-165.
^ Brenda Dunn, p. 123
^ Brenda Dunn, pp. 124-125
^ John Grenier, p. 84
^ John Grenier, p. 65
^ John Grenier, p. 70
^ John Grenier, p. 71
^ John Faragher, p. 167

External links

[1] The war had little organized leadership, and was mostly a series of skirmishes. Exactly which of these should be considered part of the war remains a matter of dispute.

[2] John Grenier. The Far Reaches of Empire. University of Oklahoma Press. 2008. p. 51, p. 54

[3] A history of Nova-Scotia, or Acadie, Volume 1 By Beamish Murdoch, p. 398

[4] Faragher, p. 163

[5] John Grenier, p. 55

[6] Grenier, p. 55

[7] The Nova Scotia theatre of the Drummer War is named the "Mi'kmaq-Maliseet War" by John Grenier. The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia 1710-1760 University of Oklahoma Press. 2008.

[8] Grenier, p. 56

[9] Beamish Murdoch. A history of Nova-Scotia, or Acadie, Volume 1, p. 399

[10] Grenier, p. 59

[11] Faragher, John Mack, A Great and Noble Scheme New York; W. W. Norton & Company, 2005. pp. 164-165.

[12] Brenda Dunn, p. 123

[13] Brenda Dunn, pp. 124-125

[14] John Grenier, p. 84

[15] John Grenier, p. 65

[16] John Grenier, p. 70

[17] John Grenier, p. 71

[18] John Faragher, p. 167

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@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 To defend against these attacks, the English built [[Fort Dummer]] (near present-day [[Brattleboro, Vermont]]) in 1724.
+==== Raid on Annapolis Royal (1724) ====
+During [[Dummer's War]], the worst moment of the war for the capital came in early July 1724 when a group of sixty Mikmaq and Maliseets raided Annapolis Royal.  They killed and scalped a sergeant and a private, wounded four more soldiers, and terrorized the village.  They also burned houses and took prisoners.<ref>Faragher, John Mack, A Great and Noble Scheme New York; W. W. Norton & Company, 2005. pp. 164-165.</ref>  The British responded by executed one of the Mi'kmaq hostages on the same spot the sergeant was killed. They also burned three Acadian houses in retaliation.<ref>Brenda Dunn, p. 123</ref>
+As a result of the raid, three blockhouses were built to protect the town. The Acadian church was moved closer to the fort so that it could be more easily monitored.<ref>Brenda Dunn, pp. 124-125</ref>
 === Battle at Norridgewock ===
 In July 1724, 100 Massachusetts rangers under Captains [[Jeremiah Moultan]] and Johnson Harmon marched to Norridgewock to assassinate Father Rale and destroy the settlment.  Rale was killed in the opening moments of the battle, a leading chief was killed and the rangers massacred nearly two dozen women and children.<ref>John Grenier, p. 84</ref>. The English had casualties of two militiamen and one Mohawk.