| Ocracoke raid | |
|---|---|
| Part of theWar of 1812 | |
| Location | Portsmouth andOcracoke Island, North Carolina 35°24′N76°19′W / 35.400°N 76.317°W /35.400; -76.317 |
| Commanded by |  Rear-AdmiralGeorge Cockburn |
| Objective | Cooperate with AdmiralWarren'sblockade of theChesapeake Bay |
| Date | July 11–16, 1813 |
| Executed by | Royal Navy |
| Outcome | British victory |
  Ocracoke Location within North Carolina | |
TheOcracoke raid, also known as theAttack on the Port of Ocracoke, was a successfulBritishamphibious attack conducted by Rear-AdmiralGeorge Cockburn between July 11 and 16, 1813, during Admiral SirJohn Warren'sChesapeake campaign. Theraid was undertaken to support the Britishblockade of theChesapeake Bay in theWar of 1812 and targetedOcracoke, North Carolina.
During theWar of 1812, British Admiral Sir John Warren followed up his attacks onCraney Island (June 22, 1813) andHampton (June 25–26, 1813),Virginia, with a raid on the North Carolina coast. To this end, he dispatched seven vessels and 500 troops under Rear-Admiral George Cockburn to the port of Ocracoke with orders to destroy Americanmerchant shipping and armed vessels there.[1]
On July 11, 1813, Rear-Admiral George Cockburn'snaval squadron arrived offOcracoke Inlet, North Carolina, carrying the102d Regiment of Foot, commanded by Lieutenant-ColonelCharles Napier, and artillery. Although the British managed to capture twoprivateers, theAnaconda andAtlas,[2] therevenuecutterMercury outran the British ships, reachingNew Bern in time to thwart any surprise strike on the mainland.[3] The Royal Navy remained until July 16, sailing before the detachedmilitia could reachPortsmouth and Ocracoke Island.[3] Cockburn then sailed southward and established himself for the winter atDungeness onCumberland Island,Georgia. Besides the loss of property, Cockburn gave refuge to many fugitive slaves, whom he transported to theWest Indies orFlorida.[4]
The Ocracoke raid was considered a success as it greatly alarmed the people of North Carolina, who could offer little resistance, and were harassed by incessant militia calls.[4] GovernorWilliam Hawkins later requested, but failed to receive,federal assistance in building and manning forts to protect the state from another invasion.[3]
