Grey, leading 4,000 troops, raided the towns of New Bedford and Fairhaven along with Martha's Vineyard as part of the northern theater of the American Revolutionary War after Saratoga.

American forces in New England were not strong enough to dislodge the garrison there, which was also supported by Royal Navy vessels that used Newport as a base.

[1] This situation changed in 1778, following the entry of France into the war, when the French and Americans agreed to embark on joint operations against the British.

The fleet arrived off the coast of New York City in July 1778 but found the port well-defended, and d'Estaing further believed that its bar would be too shallow for his largest ships to cross.

His orders issued in March 1778 included instructions to raid coastal communities, destroying shipbuilding facilities and supplies.

He found too few ships there to merit landing, however, and ordered Grey to "proceed without loss of time to the eastward" to raid New Bedford and Fairhaven on the Massachusetts mainland, as well as the island of Martha's Vineyard.

[7] Early on September 4, Grey's fleet sailed for Buzzard's Bay led by the Royal Navy frigate Carysfort under Captain Robert Fanshawe.

They encountered Lord Howe's fleet en route, and the earl agreed to remain near Block Island until the raids were completed.

The Carysfort arrived in Buzzard's Bay that afternoon but managed to strike rocks—twice; however, neither incident was serious, and the fleet proceeded up the Acushnet River toward New Bedford and Fairhaven.

The raiding parties set fire to many ships, and the resulting conflagration also destroyed homes and houses of worship and was bright enough to be seen in Newport, some 20 miles (32 km) away.

[11] In honor of Elihu, and to commemorate his earlier shipbuilding, the village of Padanaram was called Akin's Wharf for 20 years after the war.

[14] Concurrently, American militiamen were beginning to arrive to defend Fairhaven, with Major Israel Fearing taking command from an elderly colonel who was reluctant to pursue an active defense.

British raiding parties approached Fairhaven on the morning of September 6, and Fearing arrayed about 150 men between the village and their landing point.

[15] Grey sent his aide Captain John André to New York to request transports for livestock, then set sail for Martha's Vineyard.

Contrary winds slowed the fleet's progress, and it did not reach the harbor at Holmes Hole (present-day Vineyard Haven) until September 10.

Because of the bad winds, Grey abandoned the idea of raiding Nantucket and focused on acquiring livestock on Martha's Vineyard.

Dissatisfied with their pace of action, Grey landed small contingents of troops on September 12 to accelerate the process and to destroy vessels found in the area.

To oppose this wholesale spoliation the "Islanders" had no power so they submitted in sullen and despairing silence, at times even assisting to drive away the captured flocks, hoping thereby to prevent still greater waste and outrage.

[18] The raid was followed by others (not led by Grey): one against Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey in October 1778,[19] and two in 1779 against communities on Chesapeake Bay and the Connecticut shore.