The Battle of Hampden involved the British conquering present-day Maine and establishing the colony New Ireland during the War of 1812. Sir John Sherbrooke led a British fleet out of Halifax, Nova Scotia to establish New Ireland, which lasted until the end of the war, eight months later. The brief life of the colony yielded customs revenues which were subsequently used to finance a military library in Halifax and found Dalhousie College.
The subsequent retirement of the British expeditionary force from its base in Castine, Maine back to Nova Scotia ensured that eastern Maine would remain a part of the United States. Lingering local feelings of vulnerability, however, would help fuel the post-war movement for Maine statehood. The withdrawal of the British eight months later represented the end of two centuries of violent contest over Maine by rival nations (initially the French and British, and then the British and Americans).
Read more about Battle Of Hampden: Prelude: Capture of Castine, Expedition Up The Penobscot River, Battle of Hampden, Sacking of Bangor and Hampden, Casualties, British Evacuation of Castine, Aftermath and Consequences
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“The militancy of men, through all the centuries, has drenched the world with blood, and for these deeds of horror and destruction men have been rewarded with monuments, with great songs and epics. The militancy of women has harmed no human life save the lives of those who fought the battle of righteousness. Time alone will reveal what reward will be allotted to women.”
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