First Naval Battle of the American Revolution, Machias Bay, Maine, June 12, 1775" by Robert E. Goodier. Framed size: 24 1/2" tall x 28 1/2 wide". Framed print. # 469 of 1000 prints. Donated by Machias Savings Bank.

First Naval Battle of the American Revolution
Machias Bay, Maine. June 12, 1775

On June 2,1775, Captain Ichabod Jones, with his two trading sloops, the Unity and the Polly, arrived in Machias with provisions the local inhabitants desperately needed due to the failure of their crops the previous year. Captain Jones was accompanied by the armed British schooner, the Margaretta which was under the command of Captain Moore. The British wanted to ensure that Captain Jones returned to Boston with his sloops loaded with lumber that the British needed to build barracks for their troops. The people of Machias were opposed to this, and when Captain Moore ordered them to take down their Liberty Pole, they decided to take action.

On June 12, under the leadership of Jeremiah O'Brien, about forty lumbermen, river drivers, farmers, and sailors armed with muskets, axes, pitchforks, mauls, etc ... set off in pursuit of the Margaretta aboard the Unity. They caught up with the Margaretta off Round Island. A shot fired from a wall gun by Mr. Knight, an old moose hunter, felled the helmsman causing the Margaretta to lose way. This enabled the Unity to come alongside and the patriots to board the Margaretta, where a sharp hand-to-hand fight ensued, resulting in the surrender of the Margaretta to the Americans.

This was the first time the British flag was hauled down in American waters. The capture of the Margaretta was the first naval battle and also the first American victory of the Revolutionary War, since the battles at Concord and Lexington were defeats.

Artist's Biography

Name: Robert E. Goodier

Personal Data: Born May 10,1925, Wilmington, Delaware

Education: Graduated from Museum College of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Background Information: Working in both oil and transparent water color, Mr. Goodier is best known for his
historic and marine paintings. His interest in both art and history was evident at six years of age. He spent his boyhood summers in the
historic Brandywine region of Delaware where he could trace his roots back six generations. There he searched for historic replicas and later painted historically and technically accurate pictures of the American Revolution and other historic events that transpired there. Mr. Goodier feels that in addition to artistic merit, historic paintings must be accurate to the minutest detail, which entails countless hours of research.

Techniques Used: Mr. Goodier approaches his subject matter with emotion rather than any particular painting technique. He becomes totally immersed in his subject and uses color, detail, light, and shadow to give his paintings an exciting feeling of aiiveness.
Awards: Benedictine Art Award, McLean Enterprise Award, William Frye Award, Chester County Art Association Award, National Bank of Chester County Award, Ocean City Art League Award.

Acknowledgments
Machias Savings Bank and the artist, Robert E. Goodier, wish to acknowledge and thank the following individuals for their invaluable detailed research and inspiration for this painting:
William Parker
Darby Johnson
Irene Hibbs
Eugene L. Larson, Nautical Research Guild, Inc.
Joseph R. McCleary, Nautical Research Guild, Inc.
Mary Boerner, Gloucester Virginia Public Library
All proceeds from the sale of these prints will benefit a scholarshipfund for deserving students from Washington, Hancock and Aropstook Counties.