Key Facts
- Dates
- May 25 and 31, 1778
- British & Hessian force (May 25)
- 500 soldiers
- British force (May 31)
- 100 soldiers
- Towns attacked
- Bristol and Warren, RI; Freetown, MA
- Commanding officer
- General Sir Robert Pigot
Strategic Narrative Overview
On May 25, 1778, 500 British and Hessian troops landed between Bristol and Warren, Rhode Island. They plundered Bristol, destroyed boats, and wrecked military supplies while meeting minimal local resistance. Six days later, on May 31, a smaller force of 100 soldiers attacked Freetown, Massachusetts (now Fall River). There, local militia defenders successfully held a bridge crossing, limiting British destruction and marking the first effective American resistance during the raids.
01 / The Origins
In early 1778, British forces occupied Newport, Rhode Island, while the Continental Army prepared a potential assault on the garrison. To preempt American operations, General Sir Robert Pigot ordered raids on communities along Mount Hope Bay, aiming to destroy cached supplies, military defenses, and watercraft that could support an American offensive against Newport. The raids were part of broader British efforts to maintain control of Rhode Island and suppress Patriot resistance in New England.
03 / The Outcome
The raids caused significant material damage to Bristol and Warren, destroying homes, municipal buildings, and religious structures, as well as Continental Army supply caches. Freetown suffered less harm due to effective militia resistance. No territorial change resulted, but the destruction disrupted American preparations for an assault on Newport. The raids underscored the vulnerability of coastal New England communities to British seaborne raiding operations.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
General Sir Robert Pigot.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.