Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey - Military Career - American War of Independence

American War of Independence

During the American War of Independence he was one of the more successful army leaders. He was rapidly promoted, becoming a Major General in 1777 and commanding the 3rd Brigade at the Battle of Brandywine. He earned the nickname "No-flint Grey" after the Paoli Massacre nighttime attack of 1777, before which he had collected flints from the muskets of his troops before they engaged the American revolutionaries using bayonets, thus maintaining the element of surprise. Immediately thereafter, he commanded the 3rd Brigade again at the Battle of Germantown and the Battle of Monmouth.

In 1778 he led raids at New Bedford on 5–6 September, destroying nearly all the shipping and burning twenty shops and twenty-two houses in the town, and Martha's Vineyard, where between 10 and 15 September, the British carried off all the sheep, swine, cattle and oxen that they could find with promise of payment in New York. Grey then used the same tactic as he had at Paoli in the Baylor Massacre. He was recalled to England and became a knight of the Order of the Bath and a lieutenant general. He later was appointed commander-in-chief of the British troops in America, but hostilities ended before he could take command.