The raid and sacking were undertaken in reprisal for the taking by the British of the US Brig "Sally", two years prior, in 1780. Plaque text is below and a précis of the events further below.
The plaque was originally mounted at the intersection of Falkland Street and Victoria Road. With the construction of a new park and visitor centre at Townsend and Blockhouse Hill Road, the plaque was moved there. The visitor centre now occupies a recreation of one of the blockhouses which once defended the town.
THE SACK OF LUNENBURG
LE PILLAGE DE LUNENBURG
On 1st July, 1782, while most of its men were absent, the Town of Lunenburg was invaded by a fleet of six sail from Boston, in reprisal for capture of the Brig "Sally" in 1780. After taking the eastern blockhouse with its defenders Colonel Creighton and five men, and occupying the western defences, the invaders then plundered the King's stores at the foot of King street, the shops, and principal houses. They prevented the county militia, assembled under Major Pernette on the hill behind the Town, from attacking them by exacting a promissory note of 1000 pounds as ransom and by threatening to burn the Town.
Pendant la Révolution américaine, les corsaires ennemis attaquèrent de nombreuses colonies côtiers. Le matin du 1er juillet 1782, près de 100 pillards surprirent et anéantirent la petite armée de Lunenburg, capturèrent les fortins couverts et brûlèrent le maison du colonel avant de saccager l’endroit et de tenir captive la milice locale hâtivement rassemblée en menaçant de détruire la ville. Ils s’échappèrent cette nuit-là avec le butin, les prisonniers et um billet à ordre de 1,000 livres pour la sécurité de la ville. Les prisonniers furent relâchés, mas la rançon ne fut jamais versée
RAID ON LUNENBURG
During the early morning of 1 July 1782, five American privateers, who had left Boston under the command of Captain Noah Stoddard, began to raid Lunenburg. Captain Stoddard’s ship was the schooner Scammel, which had sixteen guns and sixty men. Stoddard organized both a land and sea assault of the town. The vessels first landed at Red Head, two miles outside of the town and soldiers began to march toward the town. The vessels then moved toward a frontal assault on the town.
The Lunenburg militia was led by Colonel John Creighton (judge) and Major D. C. Jessen. Colonel Creighton and five other militia men occupied the eastern blockhouse and began firing at the approaching land assault. Several of Captain Stoddard’s privateers were wounded. The landed fleet of privateers then rounded East Point. The vessels landed and quickly took control of the western blockhouse and established themselves at Blockhouse Hill (See image above). Captain Creighton and others in the blockhouse were cannonaded into silence and the blockhouse burned. Colonel Creighton surrendered and was taken prisoner along with two other men aboard Captain Stoddard’s vessel Scammel.
Resistance was also offered by Major D. C. Jessen. He was initially held up in his home, which the privateers fired full of bullets. He escaped and his house was looted. Major Jessen assembled with a militia behind the hill overlooking the town. A militia from La Have under the command of Major Joseph Pernette also advanced toward Lunenburg to join Major Jessen. Captain Stoddard sent a message to Jensen and Pernette that if they advanced on the town, all the homes would be burned. To ensure his threat was not idle, Captain Stoddard burned down Major Jessen’s home.
Captain Stoddard’s privateers looted the town and destroyed what remained. The Reverend Johann Gottlob Schmeisser tried to interfere and was bound by the privateers and placed in the middle of town.
Relief came when Lt. Governor Hamond dispatched from Halifax three ships under the command of Captain Douglass. Captain Stoddard began the retreat. Despite not having received a ransom, Captain Stoddard released Colonel Creighton and the other prisoners after they arrived in Boston.
From Project Gutenberg