The BoRIA Post
The official newsletter of the Battle of Rhode Island Association featuring news, events and Rhode Island history. Learn more at www.battleofrhodeisland.org.
July 2025 Edition
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Christian McBurney, an independent historian renowned for his scholarship on the American Revolutionary War, has closely examined the British raid on Bristol, Rhode Island. On May 25, 1778, British forces launched a devastating attack on the port town as part of operations targeting key locations in Bristol County, Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Christian’s research reevaluates the context, aims, and impacts of this raid, going beyond traditional narratives to highlight new sources and critical perspectives.
He details how the raid aimed to disrupt American military logistics by destroying more than eighty boats that were ready to be used to support American forces invading British-held Aquidneck Island. However, the British attack went far beyond military objectives, resulting in the burning of dozens of homes, a church, and grave losses to the civilian population. In addition, McBurney argues here for the first time that the British took more than fifty civilian prisoners to use as human shields and may have learned that lesson from the failures of the raid on Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. McBurney’s work incorporates original documents from both British and American archives, providing a nuanced portrait of the event and contributing to a deeper understanding of the civilian cost and local responses to the raid.
Christian is an independent historian specializing in the American Revolutionary War, with a strong emphasis on Rhode Island history. Raised in Kingston, Rhode Island, he attended South Kingstown High School and graduated from Brown University with a thesis on colonial Rhode Island’s planter society. He subsequently earned his law degree from New York University and practiced law in Washington, D.C., while actively publishing history books and articles. He retired from the law at the end of last year.
He is the author of several acclaimed books, including the following with Rhode Island as its focus: The Rhode Island Campaign: The First French and American Operation of the Revolutionary War; Kidnapping the Enemy: The Special Operations to Capture Generals Charles Lee & Richard Prescott; Spies in Revolutionary Rhode Island; and Dark Voyage: An American Privateer’s War on Britain’s African Slave Trade.
He serves as the editor and publisher of Small State, Big History, a leading Rhode Island history blog. He is also President of the American Revolution Round Table of the District of Columbia.
This research was funded by the BoRIA via a grant from the Whalley Family Foundation and the Bristol Heritage and Preservation Society.
Battle of Rhode Island Sunset Salute at Butts Hill Fort
Around sunset on Friday, August 29th, on the hallowed grounds of Butts Hill Fort, Portsmouth, BoRIA and the BHFRC will pay tribute to all the participants of the Battle of Rhode Island which took place on August 29th, 1778. In this simple and solemn ceremony. Portsmouth Town Historian Jim Garman will speak briefly followed by a laying of a wreath at the 1923 stone marker at the entrance to the fort. Reenactors representing the various troops who were in the battle will march into the fort and deliver a musket volley in honor of those who participated and those who gave their lives.
The Town of Portsmouth has awarded a $2,040 Civic Engagement Grant to support restoration efforts at Butts Hill Fort. This marks the fourth grant received for this project, bringing the total funding from the Town to $7,580. The Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee expresses its appreciation to the Town Council and staff for their continued support of this restoration initiative.
Johnny Carawan, National Park Services’ Trail Administrator for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail (WARO), is pleased to announce the release of a new trail map. This unveiling took place during the “French in Newport” event, celebrating the enduring partnership between France and the United States.
WARO commemorates the remarkable journey of allied American and French forces under Generals George Washington and Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau. Their critical march—from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781—paved the way for the decisive victory that secured American independence.
Key Features of the Trail and Map:
• 680-mile Historic Route: Traces the original roads and waterways used by American and French troops.
• Spans Nine States & D.C.: Connecting communities and historic sites from New England to the Mid-Atlantic.
• Educational Resource: The new map highlights major sites, interpretive resources, and opportunities for public engagement.
Johnny Carawan and the National Park Service (NPS) invite the public to explore this rich chapter of revolutionary history, using the new map as a gateway to learn more about the alliance that changed the course of history.
For further information about the trail click here to visit the NPS WARO page.
The National Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association launches “Victory Towns” Initiative
Two national nonprofit organizations are seeking partnerships with nearly 200 communities—referred to as “Victory Towns”—that lie along the historic route taken by American and French troops en route to their 1781 victory at the Siege of Yorktown, the decisive battle that secured American independence from Britain.
The National Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association (W3R-US) has launched a “Victory Towns” initiative, available to municipalities located along the 700-mile Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail, which stretches from New England to Virginia. In collaboration, the William G. Pomeroy Foundation is offering fully funded grants for the installation of historical markers that highlight each town’s distinctive role in the campaign.
Letters of invitation were sent to chief elected officials in all towns along the trail. Participating communities will not only receive Pomeroy-funded markers, but also gain access to:
• Scholarly research tailored to each town’s history
• Educational resources for local schools
• Historic flags, banners, and reenactors
• Guest speakers and trail-related merchandise.
This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to promote public awareness and preserve the legacy of the Washington-Rochambeau march toward American independence.
For more information, click here.
2025 Battle of Rhode Island and Butts Hill Fort Archaeology Field School Update (Phase 2)
Recent graduates from the Anthropology program at Stonehill College and the Cultural Historic
Preservation program at Salve Regina University were back this summer for their second archaeological season at Butts Hill Fort (BHF) in Portsmouth. In 2024, the team was accompanied by students from University of Kentucky and collaborated with the Educe Lab to conduct non-invasive geophysical data collection on site. 2024 results were successful in likely locating the posthole foundation of the two-story barracks that housed British soldiers stationed at the fort during the war. This was funded by the van Beuren Charitable Foundation.
This summer, the team brought a top-of-the-line ground penetrating radar from the University of Kentucky’s Engineering department to search (without causing damage) for other structures important to the Battle and the fort’s evolution through time such as the magazine, trash pits, privies, and battery. Additionally, the team had gained permission for test pits on sites where interpretive signs will be placed in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the Battle. Visitors to BHF from the community were able to see people dressed to match the time period of the Battle of Rhode Island in detailed historically accurate regalia that included military re-enactors of the minute men, German, French, and British troops. The student team utilized a 3D handheld scanner and performed 3D scans of the re-enactors in anticipation of the virtual reality displays that will be placed in the fort in coming years.
Items recovered from test pits and metal detection on private properties outside the fort included buttons, musical instrument parts, musket balls, ceramics, clay pipes, clay marbles and a dice carved from a musket ball. This exciting assemblage represents the lifeways of soldiers and their families (including the hundreds of children that accompanied the troops over the years who were stationed at the fort) including the love of games (clay marbles and dice) we still play today. Recovered horse teeth, shells, and faunal remains (such as cow and deer) give insight into the importance of the horse and the diets of the soldiers.
The research was made possible through a grant from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation. Field School support was provided by the Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee, with special thanks to WealthCare Investment Partners for generous use of the firm’s building facilities.
We encourage the community to share any Revolutionary War finds they may have (such as cannon balls, musket balls) with the research team to add to our interpretations of the battle as well as encouraging them to consider donating to be 3D scanned or added to collections at the local Portsmouth Historical Society. Please reach out to auhl@
Alexandra Uhl is an adjunct professor at Stonehill College and the BoRIA Advisor for Archaeology.
Butts Hill Fort Night at Ragged Island Brewery
On Wednesday, July 9th, members of the Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee (BHFRC) were on hand at Ragged Island Brewery in Portsmouth. Ragged Island partners with charities throughout the summer for their summer concert series. Engaging the public and enlightening them to the history that can be found in their own backyards.
BoRIA & FreshMaps: Telling Old Stories in New Ways: the Nathanael & Caty Greene History Hunt
At a recent celebration of Revolutionary War hero General Nathanael Greene’s 283rd birthday, visitors old and young, from nearby RI and as far away as Dallas, TX, gathered at the Greene Homestead in Coventry, RI. The featured speaker was FreshMaps’ founder Michelle Girasole, who shared a book excerpt detailing letters written between Nathanael and Caty Greene during the Battle of Rhode Island. Watch the video on Facebook here.
Michelle reflected, “I was captivated by the biography of Catharine (Caty) Littlefield Greene, as it illuminated the emotional heaviness of living through the American Revolution, and the impact that had on their daily family life. These stories are not the focus of our history lessons in school, but the sacrifices that the Greene’s made for the freedoms we enjoy today should not be forgotten.”
Visitors also enjoyed the latest Revolutionary RI History Hunt, a walking tour of the Homestead property, which delivers 20 video stories about Nathanael and Caty’s heroic efforts during the war, and their legacy after the war ended. Many thanks to storytellers Josh Wojnar and Jake Spencer from the Greene Homestead Association for their collaboration. Revolutionary RI History Hunts – both walking and driving tours are now available for Portsmouth, Bristol, East Greenwich, Coventry, and Providence.
Our next event is at Smith’s Castle in North Kingstown on Thursday, August 7th, from 5-7 pm, sponsored by FreshMaps, Smith’s Castle, NK250 Committee, NK Chamber of Commerce, and West Passage Brewery. The public is welcome. Register in advance here.
Forgotten Founders Event Rescheduled
The Varnum House, FreshMaps, RI 250 Commission, and the BoRIA are collaborating with historian Robert Geake to present a new seminar series titled “The Underwritten of the American Revolution.” This multi-year initiative aims to shed light on lesser-known stories from Rhode Island’s involvement in the Revolutionary War. The inaugural seminar has been rescheduled for October 4th, 2025, in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. The event promises to be a rich educational experience, featuring a panel of invited speakers who will share their expertise on overlooked aspects of Rhode Island’s Revolutionary War history. Speakers include Dr. Shirley Green, Dr. Norman Desmarais, Keith Stokes and Robert A. Geake. In addition to the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in guided tours and visit local museums, offering a comprehensive immersion into one of the state’s historical narratives.
For tickets click here.
August 7th: Engaging Evening: “Fun & Games, Then & Now”, Smiths’s Castle, North Kingstown, 5-7 PM
August 24th: Bristol Middle Passage Port Marker Project Unveiling, 3-5 PM, Independence Park, Bristol
August 29th: Battle of Rhode Island Sunset Salute at Butts Hill Fort, Portsmouth, 6:30 PM
August 31st: NAACP’s Annual Ceremony Honoring the 1st RI Regiment, Patriots Park, Portsmouth
By Gloria Schmidt
In military terms a campaign is “A series of military operations that form a distinct phase of the War (such as the Yorktown Campaign).” I use the “Rhode Island Campaign” as a general term that encompasses the arrival of the Americans and French to Aquidneck Island, the naval battle between the French and British fleets, the Siege of Newport, and the Battle of Rhode Island.
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Did You Know?
Did You Know – Block Island
Approximately 110 square miles – Block Island is 2X+ the size of Aquidneck Island with 1,400 full-time residents. However, 15,000 – 20,000 people are on the island each day at the height of the tourist season.
- Named after the Dutch explorer Adrian Block, who charted the island in 1614. He was the first European to map and name the island.
- Sixteen families from the English colony of Massachusetts settled on Block Island in 1661 and in 1664, the Island became part of the English colony of Rhode Island.
- The population during the Revolution is not precisely recorded, but the island had a small, isolated community primarily engaged in fishing and farming.
- In 1664, the Indigenous population was estimated at 1,200–1,500, but by 1774, only about 51 Indigenous people (Narragansetts) remained on the island due to disease, conflict, and displacement.
- Block Island’s position in the Atlantic made it significant for both British and Continental forces, serving as a supply point and lookout.
- The Battle of Block Island (April 6, 1776) was a notable naval engagement between the Continental and the British navies near the island. The clash involved the Continental Navy, under Commodore Esek Hopkins, and the British Royal Navy’s HMS Glasgow, commanded by Captain Tryingham Howe. The Americans suffered 10 killed and 14 wounded; the British had 1 killed and 3 wounded. It is considered a British victory because HMS Glasgow escaped despite being heavily outnumbered and damaged. The engagement exposed the inexperience and lack of coordination within the early Continental Navy. Several American captains were criticized for their conduct—one was dismissed for neglect of duty, and Commodore Hopkins himself faced criticism and was eventually dismissed for broader issues.
Click here for a map about the Battle of Block Island.
- The island’s residents largely remained neutral, trading with both British and American sides during the conflict as most inhabitants focused on subsistence activities.
- Islanders faced threats from British ships, which sometimes raided the island for livestock and supplies.
- The town of New Shoreham, established by English settlers in 1661, was the main community during the Revolution.
- Beacon Hill, the island’s highest point (190-211 feet above sea level), was used as a warning station, with fires lit to signal enemy approach to the mainland. Barrels of tar or oil were used for the fires, which could alert Continental troops to British ship movements. The fires also served to warn about deserters and criminals approaching the island, prompting islanders to confront them upon arrival.
Block Island’s rich history during the Revolution reflects its strategic location, the resilience of its people, and the profound changes experienced by its Indigenous inhabitants.
Joe Studlick
