Military officer; born in
England, about 1760; became lieutenant-general in the
British army in 1811.
Early in July, 1814,
Commodore Hardy sailed secretly from
Halifax, with a considerable land and naval force, and captured
Eastport, Me., without much opposition.
This easy conquest encouraged the
British to attempt the seizure of the whole region between
Passamaquoddy Bay and the
Penobscot River.
A strong squadron, under
Admiral Griffith, bearing about 4,000 troops, led by
Sherbrooke, then governor of
Nova Scotia, captured
Castine, on
Penobscot Bay, and also
Belfast, and went up the
Penobscot River to
Hampden, a few miles below
Bangor, to capture or destroy the American corvette
John Adams, which, caught in that stream, had gone up so far to escape from the
British.
The militia, called to defend
Hampden and the
Adams, fled when the
British approached, and the object of the latter was accomplished.
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152]
Captain Morris, commander of the
Adams, burned her to prevent her falling into the hands of the
British.
The latter pressed on to
Bangor, where they tarried about
thirty hours, destroyed several vessels at the mouth of the Kenduskeag, and plundered property valued at over $20,000. Then they returned to
Hampden and there repeated their destructive work.
Then the troops and fleet descended the
Penobscot, and, after capturing
Machias, returned to
Halifax.
General Gosselin was left to hold the country, which he did with dignity and humanity.
Sir John died in Claverton,
England, Feb. 14, 1830.
