Early in July, 1814,
Sir Thomas M. Hardy sailed secretly from
Halifax with a squadron, consisting of the
Ramillies (the flag-ship), sloop
Martin, brig
Borer, the
Bream, the bombship
Terror, and several transports, with troops under
Col. Thomas Pilkington.
The squadron entered
Passamaquoddy Bay on the 11th, and anchored off Fort Sullivan, at
Eastport, Me., then in command of
Maj. Perley Putnam with a garrison of fifty men, having six pieces of artillery.
Hardy demanded an instant surrender, giving
Putnam only five minutes to consider.
The latter promptly refused, but at the importunity of the alarmed inhabitants, who were indisposed to resist, he surrendered the post on condition that, while the
British should take possession of all public property, private property should be respected.
This was agreed to, and
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1,000 armed men, with women and children, a battalion of artillery, and fifty or sixty pieces of cannon were landed on the main, when formal possession was taken of the fort, the town of
Eastport, and all the islands and villages in and around
Passamaquoddy Bay.
Several vessels laden with goods valued at $300,000, ready to be smuggled into the
United States, were seized.
Sixty cannon were mounted, and civil rule was established under British officials.
The
British held quiet possession of that region until the close of the war.
