[12] On the morning of July 1, Stoddard led approximately 170 US privateers in four heavily armed vessels and overpowered Lunenburg’s defence, capturing the blockhouses, burning Creighton's home, and filling Jessen's house with bullet holes.

In 1775 the 84th Regiment, led by Captain John MacDonald, had been defending Nova Scotia, attacking an American privateer ship off of Lunenburg.

[17] In February 1778 Colonel Creighton appealed to the Government to address the "Mischiefs done to the settlement of Lunenburg by the New England Privateers."

[20][21] A month later, on April 15, 1780, the Lunenburg militia (35 men) and the British brigantine John and Rachael captured an American privateer prize, also named Sally, off LaHave River.

[22] During the seizure, the privateers killed the head of the militia (McDonald) and wounded two of the crew members of John and Rachael.

[26] The following month Stoddard's vessel Scammell was commissioned in April 1782 and made the plan in Boston to raid Lunenburg.

[28][29] On June 30, the day before the raid on Lunenburg, Stoddard and two other privateers descended on Chester, Nova Scotia firing cannon from their vessels.

Captain of the militia Jonathan Prescott informed the privateers that the military forces were gone from Lunenburg and were headed to Chester.

During the early morning of July 1, 1782, five American privateers that had left Boston under the command of Captain Noah Stoddard began to raid Lunenburg.

Colonel Creighton and five other militia men occupied the eastern blockhouse and began firing at the approaching land assault.

Governor Hamond dispatched from Halifax three ships under the command of Captain Douglass of HMS Chatham, one of which had 200 Hessian soldiers aboard.

On August 29, 1782 American privateer Wasp, with 19 men under the command of Captain Thomas Thompson, captured a vessel off Chester.

On September 1 Wasp sailed to Pennant Point and was confronted by three men from Sambro, Nova Scotia who fired on the crew, killing one and wounding three others including Captain Thomas Thompson.

[44][45] On September 3, 1782, Henry Vogle of the Lunenburg militia recaptured a shallop taken by American privateers, which was witnessed by those on Wasp.

[46] On September 5, Wasp tried to enter LaHave River but was fired on by the local inhabitants and so continued on to Port Medway.