S2E6 - The French & American Alliance in Rhode Island

Hello and welcome to the Story of Rhode Island. The podcast that tells you the story of Rhode Island’s fascinating history. In last week’s episode we watched the British capture Aquidneck Island and raid the nearby towns of Warren and Bristol. While those events were devastating in their own right, things are only going to heat up as we jump into episode 6. Walking down the streets of Newport on a foggy July morning in 1778 is Mary Almy. Mary, a 43 year old Quaker loyalist, runs a boarding house on Thames Street and as usual, she’s on her way to the local market so that she can grab a few necessary supplies for her guests. Passing her are various German and British troops who rudely push her out of the way. Mary finds herself troubled by their lack of respect since she supports their attempt to once again make Rhode Island a colony within the British empire. But not everyone in her family shares such a sentiment, not even her own husband. It’s well known throughout Newport that Benjamin Almy is deeply devoted to the patriot cause. So much so in fact that he’s decided to take up arms against the British by becoming a soldier in the Continental Army. Perhaps it’s due to this unique circumstance why the soldiers treat her so poorly. On the other hand, maybe they’re just annoyed in general due to the fact that they’ve been dragged across the Atlantic Ocean to fight in this god forsaken war. Mary will never know the answer to that question and frankly she’s far too busy running her boarding house to spend much time thinking of it. When Mary makes it to the store, she ends up chatting with the store's owner for a while. Their conversation drags on for longer than she would like so she eventually finds a way to bring it to a close, allowing her to get on with her day. After grabbing what she needs from the store, she makes her way back onto the streets of Newport and notices that the dense morning fog has since disappeared. But while on her way home, Mary sees citizens and British troops frantically running down Thames Street. For the next several minutes she just stands there trying to find out what’s going on. Finally, a man she’s known for years comes up to her with a worried look on his face and tells her that she must head home right away. When she asks why he responds by saying “haven’t you heard? The French Navy has been spotted off of Point Judith and they’re on their way to Narragansett Bay. Rumor has it that they are going to team up with the rebels and invade Newport”. Mary immediately becomes frantic and like any mother during a time of uncertainty she finds herself concerned for the safety of her children. Without a second of hesitation she drops her bag of supplies and begins pushing her way past a crowd of soldiers so that she can get home to her children. And so, with the city now in a state of panic, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that tumultuous events are about to unfold. And over the next several days their fears will come true. When the French navy arrives in Narragansett Bay, numerous British ships will be run aground and blown to pieces while the sound of cannon fire keeps the people of Newport in a constant state of unease. Then, with the French having complete control of the bay, American troops make their way onto the northern end of Aquidneck Island and it’ll seem as though the invasion of Newport is about to begin. But unbeknownst to anyone, Mother Nature is conjuring up a storm of her own and once unleashed it’ll throw everyone’s plans into complete disarray. The story of the violent and unpredictable events that unfold as French and American forces prepare to retake the city of Newport is what we’ll cover in this week’s episode of the Story of Rhode Island Podcast.

Intro Music

Mary Almy is a tough lady. In a time when women are expected to be subservient to their husbands, Mary is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Not only has she remained loyal to the King while her husband has turned his back on the crown but she’s also still a devout Quaker even though Mr. Almy is a member of the Anglican Church. Unfortunately, no amount of courage could have prepared her for the events that have begun to unfold in southern Rhode Island. Because now, more than ever, the Revolutionary War has arrived at her very doorstep. With the likelihood of their city coming under attack increasing every hour, the people of Newport watch anxiously as British gunners at local batteries prepare for the fighting to begin. Two of these batteries are located on Aquidneck Island; one at Brenton’s Point and another about a mile north of Newport. Then, there’s one on Goat Island and finally two on Conanicut Island; one on the north end at Fox point and another on the southern tip right where Fort Wetherall stands today. But the question that as yet to be answered is just how effective these guns will be against the newly arrived French ships situated around Newport. In its entirety, the French fleet totals 16 warships, consisting of 11 ships of the line, 4 frigates, and a 50-gun ship. With most of the royal navy having been moved to New York, the French fleet greatly outnumbers the British ships in the Narragansett Bay. Leading this intimidating French armada is Charles Henri Theodat, Comte d’Estaing, a man who like everyone else in the French military is anxious to get revenge on their British rivals after losing to them in the French and Indian War. For now, D’Estaing has positioned part of his fleet just south of Conanicut Island while another portion sits at the mouth of the Sakonnet River, a river way known to the Generals as the East Channel. Along with this intimidating Naval force are the American soldiers in Providence, led by General John Sullivan. You might recall John Sullivan from last week’s episode as he is the man whose reputation has suffered throughout the Revolutionary War, most recently due to his lackluster attempt at protecting the towns of Warren and Bristol when they were raided by British and Hessian troops months earlier. Refusing to allow this mission to go sideways as well, Sullivan has been working tirelessly to build up an army that can be used for the invasion of Newport. Therefore, due to the warlike preparations unfolding all around, Mary Almy finds herself filled with a dreadful feeling sitting in the pit of her stomach. It’s given her so much worry that instead of sleeping she typically spends her nights thinking about her children’s safety. Such a feeling of unease is only heightened when at about 6:00 am on July 30th of 1778, she hears cannon fire coming from the Bay. As she clutches her children tightly, attempting to ease their nerves, Mary struggles to hold back tears of her own. As the minutes pass, more cannon fire is heard coming from Narragansett Bay and the family begins praying to God for safety. The commotion is coming from d’Estaing decision to move his fleet deeper into the Bay. As two of their ships make their way up the West Channel, they fire at the British batteries situated on Conanicut Island to the east. Before long, the ships turn around the northern tip of Conanicut and end up anchoring at the southern tip of Prudence Island. The British troops, realizing that they are ill equipped to defend Conanicut, retreat back to Aquidneck and allow the French to take it into their possession. Shortly after that, d’Estaing orders his ships located at the East Channel to pursue 3 British frigates up the Sakonnet River. By the afternoon, the British decide that the frigates are no match for the French warships so they have them run aground and set on fire. When the flames seep into the ship’s interior the frigate explodes and a loud boom echoes across the bay. Moments later, debris begins falling from the sky, almost as if it were raining. Meanwhile, inside the city itself, war-like preparations continue to unfold as well. Littered throughout the streets are sheep and cattle brought in from Middletown and Portsmouth along with British and German troops who were formerly stationed on the northern end of Aquidneck. The British troops hand out muskets to ordinary townspeople just in case they too are needed to help defend the city. Then, with the British Army now couped up in Newport, the French and American forces inch their way closer to the city. General Sullivan moves the American Army onto the Northern end of Aquidneck Island while d’Estaing sails part of his fleet directly up the middle channel. As his ships make their way in between Conanciut and Aquidneck Island, British cannons situated around Newport fire at the enemy passing by them. Meanwhile, the British frigates located in the channel, just like those in the Sakonnet River, are run aground and blown to pieces. Eventually, the French ships anchor in between Prudence and Aquidneck Island and thousands of French troops are sent into Portsmouth to meet up with General Sullivan and the American troops. And so, just like a chess master arranging his pieces for a well thought out move, the allied powers strategically position their forces that will be used to unleash a heavy blow on the enemy. It beginning seems as though it’ll only be a matter of time before the invasion of Newport begins.

It’s August of 1778 and standing at the northern end of Aquidneck Island is General John Sullivan. By his side, is Nathanael Greene, the Rhode Island native who we’ve followed throughout the Revolution and a man whose contributions to the war has gotten him promoted to Major General. And next to him is Marquis de Lafayette, a young, French nobleman anxious to avenge his father’s death after he was killed by the British during the French and Indian War. Surrounding these men are about 11,000 American troops ready to assault the British and German soldiers hunkered down about 6 miles to the south in Newport. Some of these men are well trained, long-term enlistees in America’s Continental Army while others like the militiamen and volunteers are still new to the struggles of war. But whatever their level of experience might be, the men are certainly a sight for sore eyes as it’s been almost two years since American troops have been able to stand comfortably on Aquidneck Island. Seen streaming in from the Bay are troops from the French Navy who will give the Americans the manpower they need to retake the city of Newport. With the momentum now heavily in their favor, each one of the American officers see their own type of glory in the days ahead. To the young Lafayette, he sees the invasion of Newport as his chance to obtain military glory early on in his career. Meanwhile, General Sullivan sees it as an opportunity to repair his battered reputation. Lastly, General Greene wants nothing more than to reclaim his colony’s most prosperous city from the evil British empire. But above all that, this battle could have far more impactful consequences for the American Revolution itself as it could be that final move that enables the Americans to put an end to this chess game that’s gone on far longer than anyone expected. If the joint operation goes as planned then the allied forces just might be able to trap the British army in Newport, forcing them to surrender a large enough force that it would likely convince the British to give up on this costly war. Unfortunately, the American officers are about to watch their wonderfully planned move come undone. While in the midst of strategizing for their eventual assault, Sullivan, Greene, and Lafeyette notice French officers ordering their men to hurry back to the ships. The American officers stop what they’re doing and begin asking the French officers what they think they’re doing. One of the men in charge promptly tells Sullivan and Greene that Admiral Richard Howe and a British fleet of 32 vessels has just been spotted heading towards Narragansett Bay. Since d’Estaing knows keeping his fleet in the Bay gives him no chance of defeating Howe’s forces he’s ordering all of his men to return to their ships so that they can engage the British at sea. The American officers look at each other in disbelief as they’ve just lost thousands of French troops that were supposed to help them with the invasion. Not only that but if the French fleet is destroyed then they’ll lose control of the Bay as well. Unfortunately, they know that the French have no choice and that all they can do is hope that d’Estaing and his fleet come out victorious against Howe’s Navy. As the American Generals watch their ships sail out to sea, they continue to encourage their troops that even with this delay it’ll only be a matter of time before they retake Newport. However, things are about to change more than anyone could’ve expected. Just as the opposing navies make it out to sea, Mother Nature swipes her hand across the chessboard and rearranges the game completely. She unleashes a devastating hurricane that lays waste to Southern New England for days. Winds begin picking up on August 11th and by the end of the day people throughout Rhode Island are forced to run for cover. The storm doesn’t let up until August 13th and by that time, the French fleet out at sea is heavily damaged. Things only get worse for the French when their naval battle with the British proves to be a more difficult challenge than they had hoped. By the time the battle comes to an end each of the opposing armadas are ravished by the fighting and horrific weather conditions. Howe’s Fleet is so beat up that he’s forced to return to New York for repairs. And at the same time, the news isn’t any better d’Estaing’s fleet as his ships are also in dire need of repairs. Since he can’t get the servicing he needs in the Bay he knows he must head to Boston instead. D’Estaing knows that news of his departure from Rhode Island will be a hard pill for the Americans to swallow and one that will make the retaking of Newport far more difficult to accomplish.

While waiting for the two navies to fight it out at sea, General Sullivan maintained a hopeful mindset. To ensure he’s prepared for d’Estaing’s glorious return and the eventually attack on Newport, Sullivan has moved his troops closer to the British frontlines. And now, on the afternoon of August 20th 1778, an arch of American troops can be seen stationed about 3 miles outside of Newport. As Sullivan walks amongst his troops he shares words of encouragement, letting them know that it’ll only be a matter of time before they retake Rhode Island’s most prosperous city. But deep down, he knows that these words of inspiration are just as much for him as they are for his troops. If their French ally is destroyed at sea then their entire mission will be put in jeopardy. Without the support of the French Navy, the American forces might not have enough men to retake the city of Newport. And the need for additional support grows more important day after day as volunteer troops continue to desert the army. With the amount of time they’ve promised to serve having passed and farms and businesses needing to be maintained, men continue to leave in droves. But then, while speaking to one of the local militia units, word makes its way through the army that the French fleet has been spotted just outside the Bay. Upon hearing the news, Sullivan is ecstatic and a feeling of hope floods the American army. It looks as though the d’Estaing has defeated Howe in battle, meaning that the Americans will not only maintain control of the Bay but also have the troops they need to retake Newport. Unfortunately, those hopes are quickly destroyed as Sullivan begins to communicate with d’Estaing. The French Admiral informs Sullivan that due to the amount of damage his fleet took while at sea that they will be heading to Boston to get some much needed repairs. To make it worse, d’Estaing is taking his soldiers with him in case he’s attacked by Howe while at sea, meaning that the expected size of Sullivan’s already shrinking army just got even smaller. Sullivan attempts to convince d’Estaing to stay in Rhode Island so that they can see out the assault of Newport but his attempts are futile. The French fleet has experienced far too much damage and must head to Boston right away. It’s at this moment, when Sullivan realizes his biggest fear is beginning to materialize; Just like in New York and during the raids on Warren and Bristol it looks as though he is about to face yet another military failure. And like so many men consumed by fear, Sullivan resorts to anger. He begins publicly taking jabs at d’Estaing’s decision to vacate the assault and creates a riff amongst America’s only ally, an ally that they desperately need to win this war. The resentment amongst the two allied powers grows so fierce that Washington is forced to step in and mend the relationship. The situation is eventually resolved but General Sullivan is now faced with an extremely difficult decision to make; does he lead his dwindling army into the frays of battle without the help of the French or does he retreat back to Rhode Island’s mainland. While the second option may seem like the safer of the two that is not entirely true. A well organized retreat in the face of a formidable force with years of military experience is an incredibly risky maneuver, one that entails far more than simply packing up one’s bag and heading home. The Americans must ensure that they have a sufficient number of troops allocated to provide a defensive line so that their other units can be safely transported across the Sakonnet River and back into Tiverton. If those perimeter troops are unable to hold that line their army will be overtaken by British and German troops, leading to hundreds if not thousands of Americans being killed or taken prisoner. With so much on the line and only two bad options to choose from Sullivan must make a decision as to what hell do next . But he must do so fast as time is quickly running out.

The morning of August 29th is already proving to be a painfully humid day. Suffering from the heat is a regiment of German soldiers sitting at their camp in Newport. Like so many of their other countrymen, these men hail from one of Germany’s Hessian states known as Hessel-Hanau. Over the course of this long war, these states will provide more than half of all the auxiliary troops deployed to North America, explaining why the German troops are often called Hessians. These soldiers, known as chasseurs, are one of Germany’s most elite military units and have been named after the French word for hunters due to their ability to nimbly stalk their enemy as if they were prey. And although they don’t know it yet, they’re about to use those skills to run down the American army. While talking in their native dialect, the men spend their time bashing the obnoxious rebels and their lavish lifestyle that makes their fight for independence seem unjustified. All around the city of Newport are large, eloquently designed houses demonstrating just how well off the Rhode Islanders have become over the past several decades. And such a lifestyle is not unique to the people living around Narragansett Bay as other wealthy cities are easy to find throughout the American countryside. These colonists live a life that the average German couldn’t dream of living so to them, the colonists are nothing but a bunch of spoiled trouble-makers who don’t realize just how good they have it. On the surface, the German’s complaints make perfect sense as the colonists have been blessed with an abnormally high quality of life and have spent most of the 18th century paying a relatively low rate of taxes. But luckily for us today, the founders of our nation have chosen to peel back that surface and discovered that it’s not the amount of taxes that they’re being forced to pay but how those taxes are imposed on them. Such an investigation has shown them the value in building a society that gives the people a voice in government or rather, as was expressed in Cato’s Letter, the dangers of choosing not to. But nonetheless, that’s not how the German troops see it and as they sit at their camps in Newport they want nothing more to teach the American patriots a lesson. Well, Luckily for them, they’re about to be given that opportunity. At about six in the morning, their commanding officer, Captain Friedrich Von der Malsburg, rushes over to his troops and hastily informs them that the rebels have begun retreating back to the mainland. He orders his men to gather their things at once and be ready to march at a moment's notice. The men drop their morning breakfast and become energized by the battle that’s about to ensue. No longer will these chaussers be facing a frontal assault from a team of allied forces but instead will be hunting an army that’s on the run. Over the next several hours, British and German forces will leave Newport and begin attacking the Continental and militia regiments as they attempt to evacuate Aquidneck Island. To the Hessian and the British soldiers, the battle that’s about to unfold will be their opportunity to teach these spoiled Americans a lesson. On the other hand, the American officers see it as a chance to show their countrymen just how well they can respond to a set of unforeseen circumstances throwing their plan in complete disarray. But to us and to history, the fighting that is about to ensue will forever be known as The Battle of Rhode Island. It will not only be a story of bravery and grit but a tale of the largest engagement in New England during the Revolutionary War. However, no matter what one calls it or how one sees it, there’s one question that will determine the outcome of this conflict; Will the Americans be able to hold their line and enable their army to retreat to Rhode Island’s mainland or will their perimeter forces crumble at the hands of the enemy heading their way? It’s a question that we’ll answer shortly when we cover the battle of Rhode island in next week’s episode of the Story of Rhode Island Podcast.