As the nation prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, Gloucester once again will be the epicenter of a historic reenactment — a little-known 1775 naval skirmish known as the Battle of Gloucester.
It was a moment in history when Gloucester’s townspeople faced the strongest navy in the world and won.
Organizers of the Battle of Gloucester made the announcement Monday morning at the city’s historic Stage Fort Park, a waterfront fortification that existed in the days of the Revolutionary War. Cressey Beach at the park will be the site of the reenactment, on land and sea, on the weekend of June 20-21.
The reenactment will commemorate the 251st anniversary of the Battle of Gloucester.
The battle took place in the early days of the American Revolution that began April 19, 1775, the start of an eight-year war against the British. A year later, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, marking the moment when the 13 colonies officially separated from England, establishing a new nation.
In the afterglow of this summer’s Battle of Bunker Hill reenactment, organizers saw the opportunity to return the Battle of Gloucester to the public spotlight.
“As our country celebrates America250 in 2026, this reenactment will be one of the premier events in Massachusetts honoring the birth of the U.S. Navy and those who fought in the battle,” according to a prepared statement from organizers. “The spirit of the colonial militiamen against the most powerful navy of the day instilled confidence in the colonials that they could go toe-to-toe against the British Royal Navy and win. The improved confidence of the militia in this skirmish sparked the eventual creation and birth of the U.S. Navy.”
Once again residents and visitors can experience 18th century early America when an estimated 500 reenactors will come to town to play the many roles, from militia to townspeople to the Royal Navy, offering an immersive experience of life in 1775 at the time of the Revolutionary War. A military-style encampment will be set up and historical interpreters will provide insight into colonial life. Several ships and schooners will be anchored in the harbor and used in the maritime reenactments, organizers said.
The 2026 event will be more expansive than the 2018 reenactment of the battle made possible by an anonymous donor.
Scheduled to appear at the announcement of the reenactment were reenactors; Jonathan Lane, executive director of Revolution250; Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga; Gloucester Mayor-Elect Paul Lundberg; Annie Harris, CEO of Essex National Heritage Area; Bill Rose, a reenactor and U.S. Navy veteran; Michael DeKoster, Battle of Gloucester Committee ships coordinator; and representatives of three reenactment groups — Stephen D. Cole, captain commanding of Lexington Minute Men, Col. Paul O’Shaugnessy of His Majesty’s Tenth Regiment of Foot, and Ruth Hodges, director of the Ladies Association of Revolutionary America, and Janet Foster Marshall, a Gloucester Daughters of the American Revolution member and descendant of one of the American commanders at the Battle of Gloucester.
This footnote in history is the subject of “Guns Off Gloucester,” a book written by the late Joseph Garland, a local historian and writer, and published in 1975 by Essex County Newspapers.
The Battle of Gloucester began Aug. 8, 1775, when the HMS Falcon commanded by British Capt. John Linzee patrolled the waters off the coastal towns north of Boston. The British warship intercepted two colonial merchant schooners likely returning from the West Indies, capturing one and going after the other. But the captain of the second schooner sailed into Gloucester Harbor, running the vessel aground close to town and grabbing the attention of the townspeople onshore who immediately fought back — and ultimately claimed victory against the British. There were some casualties on both sides.
“Since the attack at Gloucester was not a part of a systematic or planned British strategy, the significance of the battle was more evident at the local level. The Falcon was put out of commission due to the loss of crew and senior officers and the Americans managed to retain their ships and supplies while freeing impressed American sailors,” according to the American Battlefield Trust.
Organizers have created a website at www.battleofgloucester.com to provide updates in the coming months, along with social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-675-2706, or gmccarthy@northofboston.com.