When you consider American Revolutionary Warfare battlefields, the City of Fairhaven would not instantly come to thoughts. In truth, we do such an excellent job retaining our historical past a secret round right here you most likely did not even know the British Redcoats attacked Fairhaven.
Properly, they did. It occurred in 1778. The British attacked present-day New Bedford and Martha’s Winery as properly.
American and British forces fought an inconclusive battle for management of Newport, Rhode Island in what grew to become generally known as The Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778.
British Normal Charles Gray and 4,000 of his males had been en path to the battle in Newport when the American forces fled. Gray and his males had been diverted to Buzzards Bay and had been ordered as a substitute to assault the ports of New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Martha’s Winery.
Public Area by way of Wikipedia
Based on Wikipedia, Gray’s Raid started on September 4, 1778, when “Gray’s fleet proceeded up the Acushnet River towards New Bedford and Fairhaven.” Wikipedia states, “Gray landed his troops at Clarke’s Level on the west financial institution of the river,” the place they “spent the night time and the subsequent morning destroying vessels, warehouses, and wharves.”
On September 5, 1778, a small garrison manning what’s now generally known as Fort Phoenix fired on the British ships and “spiked the fort’s weapons and deserted it, leaving their colours flying.”
Through the raid, Gray’s males “destroyed storehouses, transport, and provides in New Bedford, the place they met with gentle resistance from the native militia.”
Mary Serreze/Townsquare Media
On September 6, 1778, Gray’s forces marched on Fairhaven setting hearth “to a couple close by buildings” however had been met with a “whithering volley of musket hearth” from the higher organized Fairhaven militia in Fairhaven Village “and the British precipitately retreated to their boats.”
The next week, Gray’s males arrived at Martha’s Winery the place they confiscated 1000’s of sheep and oxen and weapons amongst different issues.
Gray’s assault on New Bedford and Fairhaven was re-enacted in 1976 as a part of the nation’s Bicentennial Celebration.
A Information to New Bedford’s Memorial Tanks and Cannons
New Bedford has a big assortment of navy {hardware} scattered all through the town to honor numerous veterans organizations. See all of them listed right here.
