▁ship ▁ra iding ▁the ▁port . ▁He ▁destroyed ▁the ▁private er ▁vessel , ▁which ▁had ▁mounted ▁ten ▁carriage - g uns . ▁ ▁Two ▁months ▁later , ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁Captain ▁Campbell ▁of ▁the ▁ 8 4 th ▁Regiment ▁took ▁seven ▁men ▁with ▁him ▁to ▁retrieve ▁an ▁American ▁private er ▁ship ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁abandoned ▁on ▁Part ridge ▁Island , ▁New ▁Brun sw ick . ▁They ▁brought ▁the ▁ship ▁safely ▁back ▁to ▁Ann apolis ▁Royal . ▁ ▁However , ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 7 8 0 ▁the ▁ 8 4 th ▁Regiment ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Carol inas , ▁leaving ▁the ▁town ▁vulner able ▁to ▁attack . ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁August ▁ 1 7 8 1 , ▁two ▁large ▁American ▁private er ▁sch oon ers ▁attacked ▁the ▁und ef ended ▁town . ▁They ▁imprison ed ▁the ▁men ▁of ▁the ▁community ▁in ▁the ▁fort ▁and ▁system atically ▁lo oted ▁houses ▁in ▁the ▁town , ▁even ▁ste aling ▁window - glass ▁from ▁the ▁church . ▁The ▁private ers ▁fled ▁when ▁reports ▁arrived ▁that ▁the ▁milit ia ▁was ▁assemb ling ▁outside ▁the ▁town . ▁The ▁only ▁death ▁took ▁place ▁when ▁the ▁private ers ▁accident ally ▁shot ▁their ▁own ▁pilot . ▁Two ▁town ▁residents ▁were ▁taken ▁as ▁host ages ▁and ▁later ▁released ▁on ▁par ole ▁on ▁promise ▁of ▁exchange ▁for ▁an ▁American ▁prisoner ▁at ▁Hal if ax . ▁ ▁Lo yal ists ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution , ▁a ▁flo od ▁of ▁United ▁Empire ▁Lo yal ists