Tryon's raid
Tryon's Raid occurred in July 1779, during the American Revolutionary War, in which 2700 men, led by British Major General William Tryon, raided the Connecticut ports of New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk. They destroyed military and public stores, supply houses, and ships as well as private homes, churches, and other public buildings. The raids were ineffectually resisted by militia forces.
The raid was part of a larger strategy designed by the British
Background
Following France's entry into the
Tryon assembled a force of 2600 men, and embarked them on a fleet on Long Island Sound commanded by Sir
New Haven
The fleet sailed from New York on July 3, and reached
Fairfield
The expedition reembarked on the fleet on the afternoon of July 6, after spending the night in armed camps. It sailed for Fairfield, Connecticut (41°10′33″N 73°16′19″W / 41.17583°N 73.27194°W), arriving two days later. There the inhabitants fled upon the fleet's arrival. Tryon's force, facing little or no opposition, went on a destructive rampage. In addition to destroying 54 barns and 47 storehouses, they burned 83 homes, two churches, and municipal buildings including a schoolhouse, the courthouse, and the local jail.[6] After another night ashore, the expedition sailed across Long Island Sound, where it spent two days resting and resupplying in Huntington, New York.[7]
Norwalk
The fleet arrived at Norwalk, Connecticut (41°05′38″N 73°25′11″W / 41.09389°N 73.41972°W), late on July 11. The troops did not finish landing until 3:00 am on the 12th, so they rested until daybreak. The two divisions, which had landed on opposite sides of the harbor, were weakly opposed by about 50 local militia, who were easily dispersed. The British forces began their attack of the village, and ultimately destroyed most of its residences and commercial infrastructure. The fleet returned to Huntington, where Tryon received orders to return to New York on July 14.[6]
Aftermath
Tryon reported losses of 26 killed, 90 wounded, and 32 missing.[6] Historian Charles Hervey Townshend compiled a list of 23 Americans killed, 15 wounded, and 12 captured in the New Haven raid;[8] a contemporary news account reported 27 killed and 19 wounded.[9]
General Clinton's plan was an utter failure. General Washington, on hearing of the invasion, immediately ordered the entire Connecticut division, stationed near West Point, to move with all possible speed to counter the invasion. But they arrived after Tryon had sailed, and missed the opportunity to defend their own state.[10] Washington however, may have benefited from Clinton's weakening of the garrison at Stony Point in order to provide men for Tryon's expedition. On the night of July 15–16, a picked force under the command of General Anthony Wayne successfully captured the outpost.[11][12] Although Clinton reoccupied Stony Point, the failure of the 1779 raids to accomplish anything of substance led him to abandon it later in the year.[13]
Tryon was pilloried by both Patriots and Loyalists for the raid. Washington accused him of making war against women and children, and Silas Deane called the raids acts of "barbarity" and "almost beyond description".[12] John Pownall, a colonial administrator in London, wondered "what could have induced our friend Tryon to countenance [...] the wanton severities".[12] General Clinton insisted on a written report justifying the burnings,[12] and complained of the raiding he had been reduced to ordering, "I have been a buccaneer already too long; I detest that sort of war."[11]
The last raid by the British against the Connecticut coast was conducted by its native son,
See also
- American Revolutionary War § Stalemate in the North. Places Tryon's Raid in overall sequence and strategic context.
Notes
- ^ a b c Nelson, p. 169
- ^ a b Pancake, p. 16
- ^ Townshend, p. 7
- ^ Townshend, p. 9
- ^ Townshend, p. 23
- ^ a b c Nelson, p. 170
- ^ Townshend, p. 37
- ^ Townshend, p. 22
- ^ Townshend, p. 27
- ^ Johnston, A.M. (1889). Record of Connecticut Men in the Military and Naval Service during the War of the Revolution. Hartford, CT. p. 132.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b Pancake, p. 17
- ^ a b c d Nelson, p. 171
- ^ Pancake, p. 19
- ^ Mather, p. 234
References
- Leonard, Harmon C. "The British Invasion of New Haven" Bulletin Number 17 (Spring, 1968) The American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletins Website [PDF File {Copyrighted-reference only}
- Mather, Frederick Gregory (1913). The refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut. J. B. Lyon Company, printers. p. 234. ISBN 9780806304953.
- Nelson, Paul David (1990). William Tryon and the course of empire: a life in British imperial service. UNC Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-1917-3.
- Pancake, John (1985). This Destructive War. University, AL: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-0191-7.
- Townshend, Charles Hervey (1879). The British invasion of New Haven, Connecticut. New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse, and Taylor. p. 35.
Tryon 1779 new haven.
- Malia, Peter (1999). Visible Saints: The Colonial History of West Haven, 1648 - 1798. Monroe, CT, AL: The Connecticut Press. ISBN 9780982546819.