The Penobscot Expedition: Commodore Saltonstall and the Massachusetts Conspiracy of 1779

by George E. Buker

Overview

In 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608933563
Publisher:	Down East Books
Publication date:	01/07/2015
Pages:	218
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

George E. Buker, a retired commander in the U.S. Navy, left active duty in 1963 and went on to become a professor of history at Jacksonville University until he retired 1987. Dr. Buker is the author of numerous books on the history of Florida, including Swamp Sailors in the Second Seminole War. His articles have appeared in a variety of publications including American National Biography, American Neptune, and The Oxford Companion to American Military History.

Table of Contents

Preface
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

Editorial Reviews

...a definitive book on this significant but little-known action in American naval history.

Sea Power

...solves a mystery that has puzzled generations of historians.

Sea Classics

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

...offers tremendous insight into littoral naval operations, as well as the many difficulties raised by a divided command hierarchy.

Nautical Research Journal

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

Buker is convincing...this book must be regarded as the standard treatment of the American defeat.

Choice Reviews

Buker is convincing...this book must be regarded as the standard treatment of the American defeat.

Choice

Buker is convincing...this book must be regarded as the standard treatment of the American defeat.

CHOICE