Invasion of Dominica (1778)
Invasion of Dominica | |||||||
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Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
Prise de la Dominique, engraving by François Godefroy | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
France | Great Britain | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
François Claude Amour, marquis de Bouillé |
William Stuart | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
2,000 men 3 frigates 1 corvette smaller vessels and transports | 100–600 men (regulars and militia) | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
at least 40[1] | 2 killed; remainder surrendered |
The Invasion of Dominica (7 September 1778) was a successful
Early on 7 September 1778, French forces landed on the southeastern coast of the island. They rapidly took over some of the island's defenses, and eventually gained control of the high ground overlooking the island's capital,
Background
Following the pivotal
On Dominica, Governor Thomas Shirley had been concerned about the island's security since the war began in 1775. Operating against instructions from colonial authorities in London to minimize expenses for defence, he had pushed forward the improvement of a fort at Cachacrou and other sites.[3] This work was incomplete when Shirley took leave in June 1778, sailing for England. Command was left with Lieutenant Governor William Stuart, and work to improve the defenses was still incomplete in August 1778, when François Claude Amour, marquis de Bouillé, the governor of the French West Indies, received word that war had been declared.[2]
Prelude
The French frigate
De Bouillé carefully maintained a facade of peace in his dealings with Dominican authorities while he began preparing his forces on Martinique. On 2 September he and Stuart signed an agreement that formally prohibited privateering crews from plundering. The next day de Bouillé sent one of his officers to Dominica to see whether a Royal Navy frigate was still anchored in Prince Rupert's Bay (near present-day Portsmouth). Stuart, suspicious of the man, had him questioned and then released.[4] On 5 September de Bouillé was informed that the frigate had sailed for Barbados.[citation needed]
He immediately acted to launch his invasion.
Invasion
After sunset on 6 September, 1,800 French troops and 1,000 volunteers departed Martinique aboard the frigates
The French proceeded to land more troops between Cachacrou and Roseau, with the objective of gaining the high ground above the capital. The main force of 1,400 men was landed about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Roseau near Pointe Michel,[1] with heavy fire from the hill batteries resulting in 40 casualties.[10] De Bouillé landed with another 600 at Loubiere, between Pointe Michel and Roseau, while another 500 landed north of Roseau, and the fleet's frigates moved to bombard Roseau's defences.[1] The French briefly captured the coastal fort at Loubiere, but were three times driven out by fire from above. They ended up withdrawing until forces were able to reach and capture the hill batteries.[11] By noon, the French occupied the high ground above the capital, and Stuart realized the situation was hopeless.[1]
Negotiations followed, and Stuart and de Bouillé signed the terms of capitulation at about 3:00 pm. The proceedings were interrupted by one of the French frigates, whose captain, apparently unaware of the proceedings, fired on Fort Young, where the British flag was still flying. The two commanders rushed to the fort to prevent further exchanges of gunfire before they completed the agreement.[1] The French then formally took control of Roseau. The British regulars were made prisoners of war, and the militia were released to return home.[12] De Bouillé, who was interested in keeping on good terms with the population, did not allow his troops to plunder the town. Instead, he levied a fee of £4,400 on the island's population that was distributed among his men.[13]
Aftermath
De Bouillé in official correspondence claimed the French suffered no casualties. Stuart reported that the French appeared to be concealing the casualties that occurred during the invasion.[1] De Bouillé left a garrison of 800 (700 French regulars and 100 gens de couleur libres militia) on the island, turned its command over to the Marquis de Duchilleau, and returned to Martinique.[14]
News of Dominica's fall was received with surprise in London. Considering a single
Dominica remained in French hands until 1784. Much to de Bouillé's annoyance, it was returned to British control under the terms of the 1783 Treaty of Paris.[19] The fact that the French had supplied natives and mixed-blood locals with arms during the invasion caused problems for the British. These local forces, who were previously somewhat pacifist, resisted British attempts to expand their holdings on the island, leading to expanded conflict in 1785.[20]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Boromé, p. 39
- ^ a b Boromé, p. 36
- ^ a b Boromé, pp. 36–37
- ^ a b c Boromé, p. 37
- ^ Mahan, p. 427
- ^ Atwood, p. 109
- ^ a b c d Boromé, p. 38
- ^ Marley, p. 488
- ^ Atwood, p. 116
- ^ Atwood, p. 118
- ^ Atwood, pp. 118–119
- ^ Atwood, pp. 122–123
- ^ a b Boromé, p. 40
- ^ Boromé, p. 41
- ^ Mackesy, pp. 230–232
- ^ Marley, pp. 489–521
- ^ Sugden, pp. 282–283
- ^ Marley, p. 521
- ^ Boromé, p. 57
- ^ Craton, pp. 143–144
References
- Atwood, Thomas (1971) [1791]. The History of the Island of Dominica. London: Frank Cass. OCLC 316466.
- Boromé, Joseph (January 1969). "Dominica during French Occupation, 1778–1784". The English Historical Review. 884 (330): 36–58. JSTOR 562321.
- Craton, Michael (2009) [1982]. Testing the Chains: Resistance to Slavery in the British West Indies. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. OCLC 8765752.
- Mahan, Alfred Thayer (1898). Major Operations of the Royal Navy, 1762–1783: Being Chapter XXXI in The Royal Navy. A History. Boston: Little, Brown. OCLC 46778589.
- Mackesy, Piers (1993) [1964]. The War For America: 1775–1783. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. OCLC 26851403.
- Marley, David F (1998). Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. OCLC 166373121.
- Sugden, John (2005). Nelson: A Dream of Glory, 1758–1797. New York: Macmillan. OCLC 149424913.