Bedford-Fair Haven

On September 5, 1778, Maj. Gen. Charles Grey began his raid of the Village of Bedford. The troops expanded their raid the following day.  Local American militia abandoned Fort Phoenix, but attempted to fire upon the British raiding party.  The militia’s attack had little effect and the British destroyed Fort Phoenix.  Grey continued his raid into Fair Haven, but was met by a force of local militia under the command of Maj. Isaac Fearing. Caught off guard, the British retreated from the bay on September 10, 1778.    

The British were very successful in reducing the American privateering ability to almost nil- destroying almost all of the vessels on the water and the vast majority of the support structures on land. Thus, the Americans no longer had a privateer fleet on the Acushnet River and had no means to build or outfit a new one. This may have had an effect on the American fortunes, except at the same time the French, with their fleet, were starting to actively support the American cause. Thus, while the raid had profound effects on the local inhabitants, and military repercussions that extended beyond the bay, the overall impact of the raid on the war in general was slight.