Description
Book SynopsisIn 1779 the fledgling U.S. naval fleet suffered a catastrophic defeat against the British in the waters of the Penobscot Bay, losing forty ships in a battle that was expected to be a sure victory for the Americans. Commodore Dudley Saltonstall was blamed for the debacle and ultimately court-martialed for his ineptitude. In this groundbreaking book George E. Buker defends Saltonstall providing compelling evidence that he was not to blame for the loss and that in fact the court-martial was rigged against him. Buker’s conclusions foster a reassessment of Saltonstall’s naval strategies and shed new light on the political maneuvers of the time.
Trade Review...a definitive book on this significant but little-known action in American naval history. * Sea Power *
...offers tremendous insight into littoral naval operations, as well as the many difficulties raised by a divided command hierarchy. * Nautical Research Journal *
...solves a mystery that has puzzled generations of historians. * Sea Classics *
Buker is convincing...this book must be regarded as the standard treatment of the American defeat. * CHOICE *
The Penobscot Expedition is a wonderful book about an important event, told with gusto and a fine attention to detail...A superior piece of naval history. -- James Tertius de Kay, author of The Battle of Stonington
An original and major reinterpretation of the controversial Penobscot calamity that no student of Revolutionary War naval operations can ignore. First-rate scholarship. -- Clark G. Reynolds, College of Charleston, author of Navies in History
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. Bagaduce 2. Massachusett's Answer 3. Assault 4. Siege 5. Retreat and Rout 6. Homeward Bound and the Accounting 7. The Massachusetts Conspiracy 8. Paul Revere's Tribulations 9. A Court-Martial Shrouded in Mystery Appendix: Mathematical Charts and Calculations Bibliography Index
