Disaster for Americans at Penobscot Bay

On August 13, 1779, the Americans in Penobscot Bay were trapped by a British fleet under Sir George Collier. Between midnight and 5 a.m., 750 Massachusetts militiamen and all their supplies were loaded back onto twenty-five transport ships and moved north towards the Penobscot River, hoping to make their escape. Inconceivably, the entire American fleet, all 44 ships, would be gone the next day, without any shots being fired by either side.
Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses how the Penobscot Expedition turned into a disaster for the Americans, and why it still matters today.
Photo Credits:
Picryl
Library of Congress
New York Public Library
MFA Boston
Naval History and Heritage Command
Wikimedia