The Second Invasion of Canada - Johnathan Eddy's Rebellion
Johnathan Eddy was a resident of Nova Scotia who attempted to bring Canada into the Revolutionary War on the side of the Americans.
Despite being in an overly Loyalist area, Eddy recruited men in an attempt to drive the British out of his hometown.
Canada v Rebellion
When discussing the American Revolution, it is easy to focus on the ‘13 colonies’ but forget about the rest of British North American.
Not only was Florida technically two British colonies, but Canada was essentially three additional colonies.
In fact, the people of Canada had been invited to join the rebellion as early as the First Continental Congress.
Many of the residents of Canada had the same complaints as their southern neighbors.
One of these people was Johnathan Eddy.
Johnathan Eddy
Johnathan Eddy was born in Massachusetts, but after fighting in the French and Indian War he settled in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.
Eddy hated the Intolerable Acts and, along with his friend John Allan, became an outspoken supporter of the rebellion.
Unfortunately for him, the leaders of Nova Scotia remained strongly Loyalist and Johnathan found himself on the outside looking in.
Seeking Support
Eddy went to Massachusetts where he attempted to gain the support of George Washington for an invasion of Nova Scotia.
As he currently had a failing Invasion of Quebec to deal with, Washington was not convinced.
The Massachusetts government, on the other hand, liked Eddy’s suggestion and granted him a limited amount of guns and ammunition.
More importantly, he was commissioned as a Colonel in the Massachusetts Militia, which gave him the opportunity to recruit men out of Maine.
Maine, which at this time was still a part of Massachusetts, bordered Nova Scotia. This made it an ideal place to gather soldiers for the fight.
The Battle of Fort Cumberland
Eddy ran into some trouble putting together an appropriate force, but decided to carry on with his mission anyway.
Just as the British Army was chasing the Americans down the Hudson River in New York, Eddy led a siege on Fort Cumberland in an attempt to take his hometown for the Continentals.
After several unsuccessful attempts to take the Fort, British reinforcements arrived by sea and scattered Johnathan’s small force.
The Battle of Fort Cumberland, also known as the Eddy Rebellion, was a over. After reconnoitering, they decided to retreat, essentially making this the second failed invasion of Canada in one year.
The Second Battle of Machias
Eddy returned to Machias, Maine where he began planning another attempt at Fort Cumberland.
While he was there, the British attacked the town as retribution and to cut off Eddy’s new designs before they began.
This fight, known as the Second Battle of Machias, was essentially a draw.
The British were satisfied because they disembarked and burned several storehouses.
The Americans claimed victory because they were able to prevent the town from being captured.
Settling Down
After this fighting, Johnathan Eddy moved to Massachusetts where he was soon elected to the State Assembly.
His home and belongings had been destroyed by the British as a punishment for his actions against the Crown.
In 1784, he moved to main and established a settlement which he named after himself (Eddington) where he lived out the remaining two decades of his life.
I have written several articles about MAINE in the AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Samuel Thompson’s War - Maine Enters the Revolution
The Burning of Falmouth - Mowat’s Revenge
Jeremiah O’Brien Commands the Battle of Machias
I’ve recently launched a new shop on Founder of the Day.
Check out some of my products through the link below, there just might be something you like!
