From the Back Cover:
The ill-fated Penobscot expedition of 1779 remains one of the least studied and most controversial aspects of the American Revolution, despite being a seminal event in U.S. naval history. As part of the largest fleet ever assembled by the fledgling American navy, the vessels comprising the expedition were expected to swiftly defeat the British in the Penobscot Bay. Instead, the armada lost some forty ships during the battle, suffering a catastrophic defeat that would not be matched until Pearl Harbor. Commo. Dudley Saltonstall was blamed for the debacle, accused of cowardice and court-martialed.
In this groundbreaking book—the most detailed chronicle to date of the expedition—George E. Buker provides a compelling defense of Saltonstall. Bypassing historical speculation, he analyzes concrete factors that might well have caused the American defeat, namely the limitations of square-rigged ships in restricted waters, the geographic setting, and the British defensive alignment.
Buker presents stunning evidence that the Massachusetts Committee of Inquiry and the General Court conspired against Saltonstall and interfered with the commodore's court-martial proceedings to ensure a result that would allow the state to assess Congress for part of the expenses. Buker's conclusions, which solve a mystery that has puzzled generations of historians, are certain to foster a reassessment of Saltonstall and his actions.
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.
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