A Forgotten Battle on Boston Harbor (episode 186)

245 years ago this week, provincial militia and royal marines battled it out in what is now East Boston. The battle of Chelsea Creek was sandwiched between the battle of Lexington in April and Bunker Hill in June, and it’s often overshadowed by the larger battles in our memories. While the casualties and stakes were lower than those familiar battles, this skirmish over livestock was an important testing ground for the new American army. It proved that the militias of different colonies could plan and fight together, it confirmed the wisdom of maneuvering and firing from cover instead of facing the redcoats head-on, and it bolstered provincial morale with a decisive victory. The ragtag American army even managed to destroy a ship of the Royal Navy in the fighting!
Please check out the transcript and full show notes at: HUBhistory.com/...
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The Battle of Chelsea Creek

• Our header image this week is one in a series of panoramic views (collections.le...) from the top of Beacon Hill that were painted by a British officer during the siege of Boston. Noddle Island is at 4, Hog Island is at 5, and the Winnisimmet ferry is at 3.

• This Documentary History of Chelsea (books.google.c...) includes excerpts from Amos Farnsworth’s diary.

• The Naval Documents of the American Revolution (babel.hathitru...) (vol 1) is an incredibly exhaustive collection of primary sources.

• Abigail Adams reports (www.masshist.or...) on the “battle” of Grape Island.

• Lt John Barker of the King’s own regiment kept a diary (babel.hathitru...) that covers both Grape Island and Chelsea Creek.

• The Committee of Safety orders all livestock off of Hog and Noddle Islands (digital.lib.ni...) .

• A georeferenced 1776 map of Boston Harbor (collections.le...) showing how the islands and Chelsea all fit together. Zoom in and out, then use the slider to adjust the opacity of the historic map to see the modern map below.

• We relied heavily on the account of the battle compiled in this 2011 report (www.mass.gov/f...) and a related 2009 article (www.mitpressjo...) .

• HMS Diana grounded on the ferry way at Winnisimmet. What is a ferry way (books.google.c...) ?

• Why do we keep calling it “the engagement that’s now remembered as the Battle of Chelsea Creek”? Because Chelsea Creek didn’t really exist at the time (boston1775.blog...) , as JL Bell tells us.

Sponsored by Liberty & Co.
This week’s podcast is sponsored by Liberty & Co (libertyand.co/...) , who sell unique products inspired by the American Revolution. The latest offering in their Candles of the Revolution (libertyand.co/...) series is a special, limited edition “Green Dragon Tavern” candle. (libertyand.co/...)
The Green Dragon Tavern was home to the St Andrews Freemason lodge, the Loyal Nine, the Sons of Liberty, and the Boston Committee of Correspondence. It was where the Tea Party was planned and where Paul Revere got his instructions to ride to Lexington and Concord. This unique candle smells like coffee, pipe tobacco, and revolution. It was poured as a small, limited edition run in an exclusive Green Dragon Tavern mug that’s perfect for coffee or ale.
You might also consider the 1775 militia collection (libertyand.co/...) , honoring the citizen soldiers who turned out for the battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and even Chelsea Creek, months before the Continental Army was formed.
Save 20% on any purchase with the discount code HUBHISTORY.
Boston Book Club
Universal Hub is my first stop for all Boston-related news, and they recently ran a history article titled “The Elevated Origins of a Lowly Building in Chinatown.” (www.universalh...) At the corner of Harrison and Beach Street, within sight of the Chinatown gate, there’s a nondescript, single story building with storefronts for a Vietnamese sandwich shop and a bakery. As writer Adam Gaffin points out, it’s normal in every way, except that it’s the only single story buil...