Battle of Chelsea Creek

Battle of Chelsea Creek
Part of the American Revolutionary War and the Boston Campaign

Map of the battle location. Chelsea Creek separated the islands from Chelsea on the mainland to the north. The schooner Diana is represented by the burning vessel labeled "16". It was in Chelsea Creek during the battle and was never at the location indicated. It burned north of the boat labeled "Ferry Boat."
DateMay 27–28, 1775
Location
Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42°22′54.77″N 71°1′55.27″W / 42.3818806°N 71.0320194°W / 42.3818806; -71.0320194
Result American victory
Belligerents

United Colonies

 Great Britain
Commanders and leaders

John Stark

Israel Putnam

Kingdom of Great Britain Samuel Graves

Kingdom of Great Britain Thomas Graves
Strength
300–600 in initial force to Hog Island (Stark). 300 additional reinforcements during the course of the battle (Putnam). These are rough estimates.[1] 850 Royal Marines (Samuel Graves). 30 on the Diana (Thomas Graves). These are rough estimates.[2]
Casualties and losses
4 wounded[3] 2 killed,[4]
32 wounded,[5]
Armed schooner Diana destroyed

The Battle of Chelsea Creek was the second military engagement of the Boston campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It is also known as the Battle of Noddle's Island, Battle of Hog Island and the Battle of the Chelsea Estuary. This battle was fought on May 27 and 28, 1775, on Chelsea Creek and on salt marshes, mudflats, and islands of Boston Harbor, northeast of the Boston peninsula.[6] Most of these areas have since been united with the mainland by land reclamation and are now part of East Boston, Chelsea, Winthrop, and Revere.

The American colonists met their goal of strengthening the siege of Boston by removing livestock and hay on those islands from the reach of the British regulars. The British armed schooner Diana was also destroyed and its weaponry was appropriated by the Colonial side. This was the first naval capture of the war, and it was a significant boost to the morale of the Colonial forces.

  1. ^ Sources vary considerably on the number of colonial forces involved. Stark led about 300 men from his regiment on the expedition; they were joined by "local militia" from Chelsea and other communities that sources do not enumerate. Supporting forces counts under Putnam vary from 200 to 1000.
  2. ^ Most sources are either vague or incomplete on the number of British forces involved. This is due at least in part to the evolving nature of the action, and also the relatively minor nature of the action.
  3. ^ Frothingham, p. 110
  4. ^ Beatson, p. 73
  5. ^ A Documentary History of Chelsea, p. 439
  6. ^ In 1775, unlike today, Boston was a peninsula. Much land was filled around the Boston peninsula, primarily in the 19th century. See the history of Boston for details.