The Malta War was a local conflict over land titles in what is now the state of Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

, reaching its peak in 1808 and 1809. The episode was near the town of Malta, now Windsor, Maine

Windsor, Maine

Windsor is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,204 at the 2000 census. The town was formerly known as Malta, and gave its name to the "Malta War", a minor rebellion against the Massachusetts state government in Boston over settlement and land ownership rights in...

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Squatters had been clearing trees on land owned by an outside company. From time to time these men were arrested for trespass. In retaliation, in 1809 Paul Chadwick, a surveyor, was murdered. Seven of the squatters were arrested and held in the Malta jail. Seventy men descended on the jail, but the governor sent in militia from nearby towns to defend the jail and its prisoners. There was no military confrontation but there were many rumors and the soldiers stayed on, at a cost of $11,000 to the state. After six weeks, the defendants were found not guilty at their trial and the episode ended.