The Battle off Halifax took place on 10 July 1780 during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. The British privateer ''Resolution'' fought the American privateer ''Viper'' and heavy casualties were suffered by both sides. The battle was "one of the bloodiest battles in the history of privateering.... a loss of 51 lives in a single battle was virtually unheard of."

Background

During the American Revolution, Americans regularly attacked Nova Scotia by land and sea. American

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

s devastated the maritime economy by raiding many of the coastal communities, such as the numerous raids on

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

and on

Annapolis Royal Annapolis Royal, formerly known as Port Royal, is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Today's Annapolis Royal is the second French settlement known by the same name and should not be confused with the n ...

. A few months before the Battle of Halifax, in December 1779 the schooner ''Hope'' wrecked near the

Sambro Island Light Sambro Island Lighthouse is a landfall lighthouse located at the entrance to Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, on an island near the community of Sambro in the Halifax Regional Municipality. It is the oldest surviving lighthouse in North America and ...

on the Three Sisters Rocks. Captain Henry Baldwin and six other crew were killed. Weeks later, 170 British sailors were lost when two vessels - ''North'' and ''St Helena'' - were wrecked in a storm when entering Halifax harbour.

Battle

Just off Sambro Island Light, the American privateer ''Viper'' (22 guns, 130 men), under the command of William Williams took the British brig ''Resolution'' (16 guns) under the command of Captain Thomas Ross of Halifax. In the "hot engagement" for 90 minutes, the British had killed 8 and 10 wounded, while the American killed and wounded totalled 33 men. Both vessels were much disabled and the British surrendered.

Aftermath

American privateers remained a threat to Nova Scotian ports for the rest of the war. For example, after a failed attempt to raid

Chester, Nova Scotia Chester is a village on the Chester Peninsula, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. The nearby waters of Mahone Bay and its numerous islands are well known for yachting and have made the Chester Yacht Club into a cruising destination. A provi ...

, American privateers struck again in the Raid on Lunenburg in 1782.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halifax, Battle off Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War involving the United States Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War Privateering in the American Revolutionary War Conflicts in 1780 Maritime history of Canada Military history of Nova Scotia Military history of New England 1780 in Nova Scotia Halifax (1780)

Background

Battle

Aftermath

See also

Notes