Grey's raid

Major General Charles Grey (portrait by Joseph Collyer)

Date	September 5–12, 1778
Location	present-day New Bedford and Fairhaven, Massachusetts; Martha's Vineyard
Result	raids successful

Belligerents

United States

Great Britain

Commanders and leaders

Israel Fearing (Fairhaven)

Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey

Strength

minimal (New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard)
150 (Fairhaven)

4,000 troops

Casualties and losses

4 killed
16 captured

Entire expedition:
1 killed
4 wounded
16 missing

Major General Charles Grey raided the Massachusetts communities of New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Martha's Vineyard in September 1778 as part of British operations in the American Revolutionary War. The raid was one of the first in a series between 1778 and 1781 executed by the British against American coastal communities.

Grey's force of 4,000 was originally intended as a relief force for the British garrison that was briefly besieged at Newport, Rhode Island, but they arrived after the Americans had retreated. They were diverted for raiding by British army officer General Sir Henry Clinton. 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.

In December 1776, British forces occupied Newport, Rhode Island. American forces in New England were not strong enough to dislodge the garrison there, which was also supported by Royal Navy vessels that used Newport as a base. This situation changed in 1778, following the entry of France 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 to provide troops and naval support. The fleet arrived off the coast of New York City in July 1778 but found the port well-defended, and d'Estaing further believed that its bar 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.

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