Battle for the Bay: The Naval War of 1812
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by Joshua M. Smith
With the two hundredth anniversary of the War of 1812 quickly approaching, it’s exciting to see the amount of new scholarship and publications that are bringing this important conflict back into the public eye.
Battle for the Bay by historian Joshua M. Smith explores the conflicted loyalties of maritime communities around the Bay of Fundy and along the northeastern United States coast. While the region was never a major theatre of the war, the naval skirmishes that took place are rich with interesting tales and stories.
Conflict consisted of littoral, or coastal, warfare through the foggy bays and inlets that define the area. American privateers who worked for profit were the main threat to the sleepy fishing villages along the Bay of Fundy, and the British response often involved locally crewed ships. Smith focuses on the story of the provincial ships Brunswicker and Bream, as well as the British brig HMS Boxer, which engaged in the area’s greatest battle against the United States brig Enterprise in September 1813.
Smith’s account is well researched, immensely readable, and another excellent addition to the growing New Brunswick Military Heritage series. Combined with clear maps and well-chosen artwork, this book provides the perfect starting point to a war enthusiast’s driving expedition down the eastern seaboard.
— Joel Ralph (Read bio)
Joel Ralph is the director of programs for Canada's History Society.