The HMS Nimrod Attacks Falmouth on January 28, 1814-- Part 1

From the January 28, 2020, Cape Cod Today  "January 28, 1814:  British warship shells the town of Falmouth."

On this day in 1814, the British HMS Nimrod warship, a brig-sloop, shelled the town of Falmouth for several hours.  The reason for the bombardment, the American refusal to give up two  cannons.

There is a painting of the HMS Nimrod at the Falmouth Historical Society.

The 18-gun Nimrod had arrived in American waters the year before and quickly had become to Americans.  With the aid of two other vessels, it had captured the 20-gun American privateer Yorktown in July 1813.

That autumn, she was assigned to patrol the coast of New England with a squadron of other ships.  The squad established itself at Tarpaulin Cove on Naushon Island, a site well-known to mariners because of an inn  located there.  The innkeeper, a man maybe named Mr. Slocum, overheard the British discussing  their plans to attack Falmouth so he alerted the town.

--Brock-Perry