The Chesapeake Raid was an
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
campaign by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
naval forces under the command of Commodore
Sir George Collier and land forces led by Major General
Edward Mathew
Edward Mathew (1729 – 25 December 1805) began his military career in the British Army as a commissioned officer. By the time of the American Revolutionary War he had risen to the rank of colonel. Promoted to brigadier general, he was assigned ...
. Between 10 May and 24 May 1779 these forces raided economic and military targets up and down
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...
. The speed with which the British moved caught many of the bay's communities by surprise, so there was little to no resistance. The British destroyed economically important supplies of tobacco and coal, and destroyed naval ships, port facilities, and storehouses full of military supplies.
References
*Russell, David
''The American Revolution in the Southern Colonies''
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Conflicts in 1779
Battles in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War 1775–1779
Battles of the American Revolutionary War in Maryland
Battles of the American Revolutionary War in Virginia
Battles involving Great Britain
Battles involving the United States
1779 in Maryland
1779 in Virginia
Military raids