raid known military raid forces command connecticut colonel foraging party harbor new_york american revolutionary war loyalists killed captured americans suffered casualties raid response successful british raid connecticut late april opposed american forces battle organized connecticut expedition crossed dragged raided early morning destroying boats supplies battle marked american victory state new_york new_york_city long_island fallen british campaign city background qualified success british forced abandon boston captured new_york_city unable hold new_jersey general george_washington surprised princeton british consolidated hold new_york_city long_island winter months early continental_army established land blockade city new_jersey southern new_york southwestern connecticut spring lieutenant general launched raiding expeditions continental_army local militia storage depots near city successful raid new_york march prompted organize ambitious expedition raid depot connecticut expedition led royal governor new_york successfully reached landing point connecticut april destroyed provisions supplies connecticut militia mobilized days british marched ships notably april general leading connecticut defenses decided organize act opportunity arose learned british foraging expedition landed harbor long_island occupied british troops august battle long_island established strong defensive position meeting house hill fortifications town situated providing supplies royal_navy bay anchorage patrolling eastern end forage expedition consisted smaller boats protected schooner mounting guns small boats manned crews totalling men time garrisoned men loyalist battalion lieutenant colonel detachment command captain raid parsons gave command expedition colonel return according parsons report assembled force totalling men regiments rowed rough seas high winds prevented crossing days finally left afternoon accompanied crossing armed unarmed crossing vicinity new_york arrived learned british forces area ordered march new_york_city small force loyalists left harbor men bay launched boats men cross bay midnight crossed bay landed miles harbor formed men marched harbor arriving divided force detachment stormed earthworks went harbor destroyed british boats collected provisions land attack conducted silence fixed shot said fired schooner opened fire attackers burned boats sources unclear schooner taken destroyed boats destroyed raiders took prisoners earth works wharf suffering casualties process prisoners taken connecticut aftermath long_island loyalist communities organized response raid loyalists crossed sound captured connecticut militia general gold home took long_island captured judge long_island november exchanged parsons organized expedition august loyalist outpost unsuccessful colonel rewarded elegant sword stone commemorating battle placed site
Meigs Raid