St. John River expedition

St. John River expedition
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia - sent troops to end John Allan's operations
Date June 2–30, 1777 Location Saint John, then Nova Scotia, now New Brunswick 45°16′22″N 66°04′20″W / 45.272893°N 66.072135°W / 45.272893; -66.072135 Result British victory
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
John Allan	Gilfred Studholme Michael Francklin
Strength
about 100 militia	120 troops
Casualties and losses
12 killed	1 killed

The St. John River expedition was an attempt by a small number of militia commanded by John Allan to bring the American Revolutionary War to Nova Scotia in late 1777. With minimal logistical support from Massachusetts and approximately 100 volunteer militia and Natives, Allan's forces occupied the small settlement at the mouth of the Saint John River (present-day Saint John, New Brunswick, then part of Sunbury County, Nova Scotia) in June 1777.^[1]

The settlement's defense was weakened by the war effort and that Americans quickly occupied it and took prisoner British sympathizers. Almost a month later, under command of Brigade Major Studholme and Colonel Francklin, British forces successfully drove off the occupying Americans, forcing Allan to make a difficult overland journey back to Machias, Maine. Allan's incursion was the last significant American land-based assault on Nova Scotia during the war, which remained loyal throughout the war.