Storming of Fort William and Mary

In December 1774, Paul Revere rode to Portsmouth carrying word that the British intended to prohibit export of arms to the colonies. Acting on this intelligence, Patriot John Sullivan organized a raid on Fort William and Mary at the harbor entrance. On December 14, about 400 men overwhelmed the tiny garrison of five soldiers. One soldier was lightly wounded. The raiders seized approximately 100 barrels of gunpowder and removed sixteen cannon.

The raid was one of the first overt acts of armed rebellion against British authority in America — four months before Lexington and Concord. The seized gunpowder was reportedly used by New Hampshire troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The raiders faced no legal consequences as the royal governor lacked the force to prosecute them.

John Sullivan, who led the raid, went on to become a Continental Army general commanding the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign against the Iroquois in 1779. The Storming of Fort William and Mary demonstrated colonial boldness and willingness to directly assault British military installations when the opportunity arose.