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Massachusetts State House Unveils Plaque to American Revolution Naval Hero Jeremiah O'Brien

 


Plaque to Jeremiah O'Brien at Massachusetts State House

On June 12, 1937 a plaque dedicated to Captain Jeremiah O'Brien was unveiled at the Massachusetts State House commemorating O'Brien's "distinguished services for winning the first navel engagement in the War of the Revolution and of his subsequent exploits in said war as the first regularly commissioned naval officer  and commander of the Revolutionary Navy of Massachusetts."  

More than 300 people attended the ceremony, including Mass Governor Charles F. Hurley, Lt.Governor Francis E. Kelley, and Deborah Wilson Campbell, a descendent of Captain O'Brien.  The plaque, created by artist John Paramino, is located on the staircase next to the Hall of Flags. 

At the unveiling, ex-Secretary of the Navy Francis Adams gave the address,  and Joseph F. O'Connell delivered the oration. Rev John A. Sheridan, state chaplain of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, gave the benediction.

Other special guests included Andrew J. Ryan, president of the Central Council of the Irish County Association, James T. Sullivan and John J. Keenan of the Charitable Irish Society,  Peter J. Conroy and William G. O'Hare of Clan-na-Gael of Greater Boston. P. J. Foley, Consul General of the Irish Free State in Boston, and Sean Kelly, vice consul general at New York. John E. Fenton. national president of the , Ancient Order of Hibernians. John T. Hughe of Boston and John J. Harrigan of Worcester, also were present.

Jeremiah O'Brien (1744-1818) created the "first act of Colonial piracy" in the Revolutionary War, when he, his four brothers and townsmen led an attack on the British cutter Margaretta on June 12, 1775 at Machias, Maine, defeating the ship and taking its munitions as bounty.  Maine was part of the Massachusetts Colony until 1820. 

Battle of Machias

The contention arose when townspeople put up a Liberty Pole after hearing about the battle of Lexington in April 1775.  When the Margaretta sailed into the harbor, the captain warned the townspeople that the pole must come down, or the ship would fire upon the town. The townspeople voted to leave the  pole intact, and to instead capture the Margaretta. Two American ships, the Unity and the Falmouth Packet, were dispatched to fight the battle. 

According to author Charles Lucey, "Fighting was furious," with both sides "determined to conquer or die."  The colonists under O'Brien "used axes and pitchforks" when the battle was joined at close quarters.  

In August 1775 the Massachusetts Provincial Congress declared, "Jeremiah O'Brien is hereby commissioned as commander of the armed schooner Diligent and the sloop Machias Liberty, for the purpose of guarding the sea coast, for the sum of 160 pounds lawful money of this Colony of supplying the men with provision s and ammunition."  Subsequently, the O'Brien brothers engaged in numerous battles with English ships of along the coast from Newburyport to Maine.

Battle of Machias

The head of the family was Morris O'Brien, who came from Ireland in 1740 and settled in Kittery, Maine, according to the US Congressional Record. He and his wife Mary had six boys, of which Jeremiah was the eldest. The family ran a lumber mill in Machias.

Five ships in the United States Navy have been named USS O'Brien.  During World War II, the United States liberty ship SS Jeremiah O'Brien was named in his honor.

The Massachusetts State House is one of the 20 stops along Boston's Irish Heritage Trail.

For year round information on Irish activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com. 

Research + Text, Michael Quinlin

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