On September 5, 1813, during the War of 1812, a fierce naval battle unfolded off the Maine coast near Pemaquid Point and Monhegan Island. The American brig USS Enterprise, commanded by Lieutenant William Burrows, encountered the British gun-brig HMS Boxer, commanded by Commander Samuel Blyth. After roughly six hours of maneuvering in light winds, the two vessels closed and began a brutal exchange of cannon and small-arms fire.
The fighting lasted about thirty minutes. Enterprise’s handling and gunnery proved decisive. Boxer suffered severe damage, including the loss of her mainmast, leaving her unable to continue the contest effectively. She struck her colors and surrendered to Enterprise. The capture offered the young United States Navy a welcome tactical and morale victory at a time when British naval power exerted intense pressure along the American coast.
Victory came at a devastating human cost. Commander Samuel Blyth was killed early in the engagement, while Lieutenant Burrows was mortally wounded soon afterward. Burrows remained at his post through the action and died from his wounds later that day. The battle became memorable not only for the American capture of Boxer, but also because both commanding officers lost their lives.
Afterward, Enterprise towed her captured prize into Portland. In an extraordinary expression of professional respect between wartime enemies, Portland held a joint funeral procession for Burrows and Blyth on September 9, 1813. The two adversaries were buried side by side in the city’s Eastern Cemetery, where their neighboring graves still commemorate courage, loss, and a shared humanity amid war.
Image: Early print depicting the victory of USS Enterprise over HMS Boxer, via Digital Commonwealth of Massachusetts; public domain.
