Grey's Raid
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Grey's raid was a series of raids carried out in
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
by
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
forces under the command of Major-General Charles Grey in September 1778 during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. Grey, leading 4,000 troops, raided the towns of
New Bedford New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, New Bedford had a ...
and Fairhaven along with
Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...
as part of the northern theater of the American Revolutionary War after Saratoga. The raids were one of the first in a series of attacks executed by the British against American coastal communities. Grey's force was originally intended as a relief force for the British garrison at
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
that was briefly under siege, but they arrived after the American besiegers had already retreated. General Sir Henry Clinton diverted Grey's troops to carry out raids instead. On September 5 and 6, Grey raided New Bedford and Fairhaven, encountering significant resistance only in Fairhaven. His troops destroyed storehouses, shipping, and supplies in New Bedford, where they met with light resistance from the local militia; they damaged fewer American holds at Fairhaven where militia resistance had additional time to organize. He then sailed for Martha's Vineyard, which was undefended. Between September 10 and 15, its residents surrendered 10,000 head of sheep and 300 oxen, as well as most of the island's weapons.


Background

In December 1776,
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
forces occupied
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
. American forces in
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
were not strong enough to dislodge the garrison there, which was also supported by
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
vessels that used Newport as a base. This situation changed in 1778, following the entry of
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
into the war, when the French and Americans agreed to embark on joint operations against the British. The French sent a fleet under the command of French Admiral
comte d'Estaing Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing (24 November 1729 – 28 April 1794) was a French military officer and writer. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of wa ...
to provide troops and naval support. The fleet arrived off the coast of
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in July 1778 but found the port well-defended, and d'Estaing further believed that its
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would be too shallow for his largest ships to cross. He then sailed instead for Newport, where he and General John Sullivan prepared to besiege the British garrison. In response to the threat to Newport, General Sir Henry Clinton ordered 4,000 men under General Charles Grey to prepare for transport to Rhode Island, while Admiral Lord
Richard Howe Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe (8 March 1726 – 5 August 1799) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. After serving in the War of the Austrian Succession, he gained a reputation for his role in amphibious operations agai ...
sailed from New York to oppose d'Estaing. D'Estaing sailed out of Newport's harbor on August 10, preparing to do battle with Howe. As the fleets maneuvered for position, a storm arose that scattered and damaged both fleets. D'Estaing then decided to abandon Newport and sailed for
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
to make repairs. By then, General Sullivan had already begun siege operations against Newport without French assistance, which prompted Clinton to order Grey's force to sail for Newport on August 26, and Clinton accompanied the force. It made slow progress, however, due to contrary winds,Nelson, p. 63 arriving in Newport on September 1, and the Americans had already retreated from the island after the inconclusive
Battle of Rhode Island The Battle of Rhode Island (also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill) took place on August 29, 1778. Continental Army and Militia forces under the command of Major General John Sullivan had been besieging the British forces in Newport, Rhode Is ...
on August 29, 1778. Rather than disembark Grey's troops at Newport, Clinton decided to pursue other objectives. His orders issued in March 1778 included instructions to raid coastal communities, destroying shipbuilding facilities and supplies. Subsequently, he ordered the fleet to sail to
New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...
, a potential raiding site. He found too few ships there to merit landing, however, and ordered Grey to "proceed without loss of time to the eastward" to raid New Bedford and Fairhaven on the Massachusetts mainland, as well as the island of Martha's Vineyard.Nelson, p. 64


New Bedford and Fairhaven

Early on September 4, Grey's fleet sailed for Buzzard's Bay led by the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
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under Captain Robert Fanshawe. They encountered Lord Howe's fleet en route, and the earl agreed to remain near
Block Island Block Island is an island of the Outer Lands coastal archipelago in New England, located approximately south of mainland Rhode Island and east of Long Island's Montauk Point. The island is coterminous with the town of New Shoreham, Rhode Isl ...
until the raids were completed. The ''Carysfort'' arrived in Buzzard's Bay that afternoon but managed to strike rocks—twice; however, neither incident was serious, and the fleet proceeded up the
Acushnet River The Acushnet River is the largest river, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 flowing into Buzzards Bay in southeastern Massachusetts, in the United St ...
toward New Bedford and Fairhaven. That evening, Grey landed his troops at Clark's Point on the west bank of the river. They spent the night and the next morning destroying vessels, warehouses, and wharves "in the whole Extent of the Accushnet River". Many of the ships destroyed were
prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.
s captured by
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
s operating out of the two towns. The raiding parties set fire to many ships, and the resulting conflagration also destroyed homes and houses of worship and was bright enough to be seen in Newport, some away. During the raid, a British raiding party also entered the village of Padanaram in
Dartmouth, Massachusetts Dartmouth (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a coastal town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Old Dartmouth was the first area of Southeastern Massachusetts to be settled by Europeans in 1652, primarily English. Dartmouth ...
. The village was then known as Akin's Landing, and the attacks were a direct result of local resident Elihu Akin forcibly expelling three
Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
out of the village in September 1778. The three men led the British to the village, and the raiding party focused on Akin's properties. The raiders targeted Akin specifically as an act of revenge for his expulsion of the Loyalists from Dartmouth. After the raid, Akin moved to his only remaining property, a small home on Potters Hill - the Elihu Akin house. Elihu never financially recovered from the raid and died poor, he lived at the house all the way until his death in 1794. Fixing the damage to the town from the raid cost £105,960 in 1778, which is roughly equivalent to nine million dollars in today's money. In honor of Elihu, and to commemorate his earlier shipbuilding, the village of Padanaram was called Akin's Wharf for 20 years after the war. A 38-man artillery garrison was manning a small fort on the Fairhaven side of the river (today known as
Fort Phoenix Fort Phoenix is a former American Revolutionary War-era fort located at the entrance to the Fairhaven-New Bedford harbor, south of U.S. 6 in Fort Phoenix Park in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The fort was originally built in 1775 without a name, and ...
), and they fired on the British ships during the evening, then spiked the fort's guns and abandoned it, leaving their colors flying. The British briefly returned fire and then destroyed the fort's guns. Grey's troops marched around the head of the Acushnet River and camped on the eastern banks.Ricketson, p. 285 The following day, they embarked on their boats, but General Grey decided that Fairhaven should also be raided. Concurrently, American militiamen were beginning to arrive to defend Fairhaven, with Major Israel Fearing taking command from an elderly colonel who was reluctant to pursue an active defense. British raiding parties approached Fairhaven on the morning of September 6, and Fearing arrayed about 150 men between the village and their landing point. Raiders set fire to a few nearby buildings and then headed for the village. At this point, Fearing's men unleashed a withering volley of
musket A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually dis ...
fire, and the British withdrew to their boats.


Martha's Vineyard

Grey sent his aide Captain
John André Major John André (May 2, 1750 – October 2, 1780) was a British Army officer who served as the head of Britain's intelligence operations during the American War for Independence. In September 1780, he negotiated with Continental Army offic ...
to New York to request transports for livestock, then set sail for Martha's Vineyard. Contrary winds slowed the fleet's progress, and it did not reach the harbor at Holmes Hole (present-day Vineyard Haven) until September 10. Because of the bad winds, Grey abandoned the idea of raiding
Nantucket Nantucket () is an island in the state of Massachusetts in the United States, about south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Island, Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and Co ...
and focused on acquiring livestock on Martha's Vineyard.Nelson, p. 65 A deputation of three citizens came to the ''Carysfort'' to see what the British wanted, and Grey made his demands: he wanted the militia's weapons, any public funds, 300 oxen, and 10,000 sheep. He threatened to land his troops and seize these items if they were not delivered up. After two days, the islanders had driven 6,000 sheep and 130 oxen to Grey's fleet. Dissatisfied with their pace of action, Grey landed small contingents of troops on September 12 to accelerate the process and to destroy vessels found in the area. By the 14th, he had received all 10,000 sheep and 300 oxen, as well as local militia weapons and £950 intended as a tax payment for the
Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress (1775–1781) was the meetings of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolution and American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War, which established American independence ...
. Grey sailed from Martha's Vineyard on September 15, and reached New York City two days later.Nelson, p. 66 Henry Franklin Norton provides an account of Grey's raid on Martha's Vineyard in ''The History of Martha's Vineyard'':
September 10, 1778, General Grey in command of a transport of eighty-two sails and ten thousand British troops made a raid upon the Vineyard, carrying off all the sheep, swine, cattle and oxen that could be found. To oppose this wholesale spoliation the "Islanders" had no power so they submitted in sullen and despairing silence, at times even assisting to drive away the captured flocks, hoping thereby to prevent still greater waste and outrage. A very good idea of this period is given in the diary of Colonel Beriah Norton, which reads as follows: "September 10th. -- Gen. Grey commanding a detachment of his Majesty's army arrived at Martha's Vineyard, when I waited on him on shipboard. Agreed to deliver him 10,000 sheep, 300 head of cattle; the General informed me that payment would be made for the same if they were not resisted. The General then required the stock to be brought to the landing the next day, which was punctually complied with. "September 11th. - This day the troops landed under the command of Col. Sterling. Said Sterling then informed me that Gen. Grey had directed him to assure me that the whole stock would be paid for if they came down according to the conversation of the evening before. Sterling then informed me that a person must be appointed to appraise the stock before they would take any on shipboard. To which I agreed and we jointly agreed to. I did appoint proper persons to do that business; who were sworn by me to do their duty faithfully by the request of Col. Sterling. The stock was by this time coming down to the landing and was taken on board to the amount of 10,000 sheep and 312 head of cattle. "September 14th. - Col. Sterling then informed me and other inhabitants of the island that he had a message to deliver to the people. Then he recommended them to meet in a field for there was not room for them in doors, accordingly they met to the amount of several hundred. He informed us that we were to apply to New York for payment for the stock that they had received. I asked the Colonel if we best send a man in the fleet at this time for the payment to which the Colonel replied, we might if we chose but he recommended us to wait a little time before application was made. "September 15th. -- The fleet sailed for New York." It must seem to the reader that this Colonel Beriah Norton was a traitor to his own people, but what could he do but give in to Grey's command! Grey had the force and the power and could have destroyed the towns on the island in half a day, and would have done so if they had resisted in any way. In the diary, September 12th and 13th are omitted. Those were the days when the British troops were ravaging the island from Edgartown to Gay Head. A man was sent to New York to receive payment for the stock, but Grey had forgotten that he had ever stopped at Martha's Vineyard. Colonel Beriah Norton made two special trips to London for the same purpose, and at one time he was given a hearing in Parliament. Very little was accomplished in these two trips to England.


Aftermath

Grey's report on the expedition lists one man killed, four wounded, and sixteen missing. He reported that the defenders had four men killed; he also took sixteen prisoners in New Bedford to exchange for his missing. The raid was followed by others (not led by Grey): one against Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey in October 1778, and two in 1779 against communities on
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and the
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
shore. In 1781 a raiding expedition led by turncoat General
Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
began the decisive
Yorktown campaign The Yorktown campaign, also known as the Virginia campaign, was a series of military maneuvers and battles during the American Revolutionary War that culminated in the siege of Yorktown in October 1781. The result of the campaign was the surren ...
in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
; Arnold also led another raid in September 1781 against New London and
Groton, Connecticut Groton ( ) is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located on the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United St ...
(not far from where he grew up) that was notorious for its severity. In New Bedford eleven houses, 21 shops, 34 ships of various size, and one
ropewalk A ropewalk is a long straight narrow lane, or a covered pathway, where long strands of material are laid before being twisted into rope. Due to the length of some ropewalks, workers may use bicycles to get from one end to the other. Many ropew ...
were destroyed, along with goods and naval stores. Estimates of the damage done there and at Fairhaven ranged from £20,000 to nearly £100,000, the most costly damage was to ships and goods. The residents of Martha's Vineyard petitioned for compensation of over £10,000 due to the losses incurred in the raid. General Clinton's successor,
Sir Guy Carleton Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (3 September 1724 – 10 November 1808), known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator. He twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec, from 176 ...
made payment of £3,000 against these claims. The fort at the mouth of the Acushnet River was rebuilt and named
Fort Phoenix Fort Phoenix is a former American Revolutionary War-era fort located at the entrance to the Fairhaven-New Bedford harbor, south of U.S. 6 in Fort Phoenix Park in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The fort was originally built in 1775 without a name, and ...
. It was manned in the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
, and is now listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.Lossing, p. 889


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * {{coord, 41, 38, 10, N, 70, 56, 05, W, display=title Battles of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts Battles in the Northern Coastal theater of the American Revolutionary War after Saratoga Battles involving Great Britain Battles involving the United States History of New Bedford, Massachusetts History of Bristol County, Massachusetts History of Dukes County, Massachusetts Fairhaven, Massachusetts Martha's Vineyard 1778 in the Province of Massachusetts Bay Conflicts in 1778