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American Revolution in Massachusetts

An overview of Massachusetts' history during America's Revolutionary Era.

1778-1779: Grey’s Raid and the Penobscot Expedition

Although military action in Massachusetts had largely ended with the evacuation of the British from Boston, significant events did occur in the years afterward that became major victories for the British.

One of the earliest in a series of raids on coastal towns, British Major General Charles Grey had been ordered by General Sir Henry Clinton to raid coastal towns in Massachusetts for supplies and to destroy shipbuilding operations. Over the course of eight days New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Martha’s Vineyard were attacked by Grey’s forces, which consisted of around 4,000 men on about 40 ships.

September 4, New Bedford: Fires set by Grey’s men destroyed ships, warehouses, and wharves. The fires also managed to accidentally destroy nearby homes and churches. A 38-man artillery garrison manning a small fort on the other side of the Acushnet River briefly fired upon the British ships, spiking their guns before abandoning the fort. The British subsequently returned fire and destroyed the fort’s guns.

September 5, Fairhaven: After Grey’s men set fire to several buildings near their landing point, a hastily assembled contingent of 150 colonial militiamen forced them to retreat back to their ships before they could reach the village.

September 10-14, Martha’s Vineyard: The island had been largely neutral during the war until that point and was left undefended. The sight of Grey’s fleet, which had been delayed by unfavorable winds, arriving in the waters off Holmes Hole (now Vineyard Haven) caused some alarm. Three locals went out to the ships on behalf of the islanders to see what they wanted. Grey demanded the locals turn over any weapons, any available public funds, 300 cattle, and 10,000 sheep. After the locals delivered 6,000 sheep and 130 cattle to the ships, Grey sent a contingent of his men ashore to pillage the island before leaving for New York.

Casualties
Colonists: 4 killed, 16 captured
British: 1 killed, 4 wounded, 16 missing

Result
Raids successful

Aftermath
In New Bedford 16 men were taken captive and 11 houses, 21 shops, 34 ships, 1 ropewalk, and numerous stores of naval supplies and other goods were destroyed. The damage to that town and Fairhaven was estimated in the £20,000 to £100,000 range (approximately $4.2 to $21 million today.)

Grey had promised reimbursement to the residents of Martha’s Vineyard for the supplies his men had taken and the property they had destroyed, and they undertook a years-long effort for compensation over £10,000 (about $2.1 million today) to cover their losses. They received only £3,000 (about $627,000 today.) The experience left the residents of the island more decidedly against the British than they had been before.

In June 1779, British forces led by General Francis McLean took control of land around Penobscot Bay in what is now Maine and established a colony for Loyalists called New Ireland. In response to this Massachusetts raised an expedition for the purpose of going to Maine to oust the British.

The Continental Congress-supported expedition consisted of 19 warships, 25 support ships, and over 3,000 militiamen. Upon their arrival to Penobscot Bay in late July, they first captured a battery on Nautilus Island. They then set their sights on capturing Fort George and began a siege.

Commodore Dudley Saltonstall, the overall commander of the expedition, refused to engage with the British ships in the bay. Over the course of two weeks the expedition land forces commander, Brigadier General Solomon Lovell, argued for a direct attack on the British fleet. It was clear to Lovell and many others that the siege was not working as intended. Saltonstall’s refusal to engage the British ships let them pin down the Americans on the shore, not allowing them to take the fort. By the time Saltonstall relented and ordered an attack, a British relief fleet arrived in Penobscot Bay.

Over the course of two days British forces routed the American fleet, driving them up the Penobscot River where many of their ships were either captured or scuttled by their own crews. The American survivors, including Paul Revere, were forced to return to Boston overland with very little food or ammunition.

Casualties
Colonists: 474 killed, wounded, captured, or missing; all ships lost
British: 25 killed, 35 wounded, 26 captured

Result
British victory

Aftermath
The British continued to hold the land around Penobscot Bay under the name New Ireland until the war ended, when they abandoned Fort George and evacuated the area under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. They would occupy the fort again from 1814-1815 during the War of 1812, once again evacuating after the end of the war.

Saltonstall was court-martialed, found to be primarily responsible for the disastrous campaign, and was consequently found guilty and dismissed from the Navy. He returned to his home in Connecticut and began a successful career as a privateer two years later.

Paul Revere, who had commanded the artillery, briefly hesitated in following an order given by Brigadier General Peleg Wadsworth and was accused of cowardice and disobedience. He was forced to resign his post in the militia a few weeks after returning to Boston. Revere was cleared of all charges in 1782, after years of requesting a formal court-martial in order to clear his name.