The story of how a Bath militia group prevented a load of masts from being delivered to the Royal Navy shortly after Lexington and Concord is proudly celebrated locally. We know the story from the American point of view, the names of some of the men involved, and how the masts were later defended when the British sent the frigate Rainbow to try to recover them. But the journal of an Englishman who participated in that affair presents a different view of the event and sheds light on what really happened.

Renowned local educator and historian Bud Warren offers insight into the event, putting it into a larger context – the mast trade, the British burning of Portland and the ill-fated Penobscot Expedition. The journal of mast agent Edward Parry reveals a great deal about what it was like to live in revolutionary times.

The program will begin immediately after the Bath Historical Society’s annual meeting at 10:30 the morning of Saturday, 20 April, 2019, in the Community Room of the Patten Free Library. All are welcome to attend at no charge.