Battle of Rhode Island

Battle context

The Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778 concluded an American siege of Newport that ultimately failed to dislodge British forces from Aquidneck Island. Continental and militia forces under Major-General John Sullivan had been pressing the siege when circumstances compelled a withdrawal to the island's northern end. British forces at Newport sortied in support of recently arrived Royal Navy ships and pressed the retreating Americans. Although the engagement ended inconclusively in terms of battlefield outcome, the operational consequence was clear: Continental forces withdrew to the mainland, leaving Aquidneck Island and Newport firmly in British hands. The episode illustrated the difficulties of combined Franco-American operations during this early phase of the French alliance, as the failure to coordinate naval and land pressure allowed the British garrison to hold a strategically significant port.