Captain Jeremiah O'Brien | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1744 Kittery, Massachusetts Bay |
| Died | September 5, 1818 (aged 74-79) Machias, District of Maine |
| Buried | O'Brien Cemetery Machias, Maine |
| Allegiance |  Massachusetts Bay |
| Branch |  Massachusetts State Navy |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles / wars | |
Captain Jeremiah O'Brien (1744–1818) was an American captain in the Massachusetts State Navy. (Despite the image in this article, he had light brown hair and blue eyes.[1]) Prior to its existence (or that of the Continental Navy), he commanded the sloop Unity when he captured the British armed schooner HMS Margaretta in the Battle of Machias, the first naval battle of the American Revolutionary War. He also led the first American attack on Nova Scotia in the Raid on St. John (1775). Six United States ships were named in his honor.
- ^ Sherman, Andrew, Life of Captain Jeremiah O'Brien, 1902 at p. 20