Continental Army Assesses the Loss of Danbury Stores

In the weeks following the April 1777 Danbury raid, Washington and the Continental Army commissary estimated the loss of stores essential to the coming campaign season: roughly 4,000 barrels of salted beef and pork, 5,000 bushels of grain, 1,700 tents, and large quantities of clothing. The destruction forced emergency procurement efforts throughout New England and temporarily disrupted the planned buildup for summer operations. The raid demonstrated how effectively targeted British coastal strikes could undermine the American war economy.