Sunset Salute to Commemorate the 248th Anniversary of the Battle of Rhode Island

The Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee (BHFRC) of the Battle of Rhode Island Association (BoRIA) will hold a wreath-laying ceremony with a musket salute on the 248th anniversary of the Battle of Rhode Island on Saturday, August 29th, at 6:30 PM at Butts Hill Fort in Portsmouth, RI. We take this moment to remember and reflect on the events of that day in 1778. The public is invited and parking will be available at the Wealth Management lot on the top of Dyer Street off Sprague Street and the Portsmouth High School tennis courts. There is no parking on Butts Street.

This year’s guest speaker is Damien Cregeau, author of Portraits of Patriots: Colonel John Trumbull and Five Fellow Patriots From Connecticut in the American Revolution. He will touch on the stories of two Battle of Rhode Island veterans: famed painter John Trumbull and Major Ebenezer Huntington of Connecticut

The battle was tactically inconclusive, with both sides suffering significant casualties, but it ultimately ended with the British maintaining control of Aquidneck Island. Most historians call it a “stalemate.” Butts Hill Fort was the headquarters of patriot forces under the command of General John Sullivan.

Casualties (approximate): American – 30 killed, 137 wounded, and 44 missing.

British, Hessian and Loyalists – 38 killed, 210 wounded, and 12 missing.

If you’re a reenactor and would like to participate please contact Jim Stearns, Director of Public Relations. publicrelations@battleofrhodeisland.org