Battle of Martinique (1794)

{{Short description|Battle of the French revolutionary wars}} {{For|other attacks on the island|Invasion of Martinique (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of Martinique}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{more footnotes|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox military conflict |conflict=Battle of Martinique |partof=the War of the First Coalition |image=File:Capture of Fort Louis, Martinique, 1794.jpg |caption=''The Capture of Fort Saint Louis, Martinique, 20 March 1794'' <br /> William Anderson, 1795 |date=5 February – 24 March 1794 |place=Martinique |coordinates={{coord|14|40|N|61|0|W|display=inline,title}} |result= British victory * Occupation of Martinique until 1802 |combatant1={{flagcountry|Kingdom of Great Britain}} |combatant2={{flagicon image|Flag of France (1790–1794).svg}} French Republic |commander1=John Jervis<br>Charles Grey |commander2= Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur {{Surrendered}} |strength1=6,000 men<br>3 ships of the line<br>5 Frigates |strength2=900 troops or militia |casualties1= |casualties2= | map_type = Caribbean#South America | map_relief = 1 |campaignbox={{Campaignbox First Coalition}} }}

The '''Battle of Martinique''' was a successful British invasion of the French colony of Martinique in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary Wars. They continued to occupy the island until 1802, when the Treaty of Amiens restored it to French control.

==Background==

Prior to the invasion, war had broken out between the French Republic and Great Britain. The British government was contacted by French planter Louis-François Dubuc, who wished to place Martinique under British protection as the Republic's National Constituent Assembly was about to pass legislation which would abolish slavery in the French colonial empire; the legislation was passed the day before the British invasion of Martinique commenced. Fourteen days later, the British signed the Whitehall Accord on 9 February with counter-revolutionary French planters, which allowed them to keep their chattel property.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

==Invasion==

On 5 February, a British fleet under the command of Royal Navy Admiral Sir John Jervis landed troops under the command of Sir Charles Grey on the island, which proceeded to capture the island from the Republicans in concert with French planters.<ref name=LG13643>{{London Gazette|issue=13643 |date=22 April 1794|pages=353–359}}</ref>

By 20 March, only Fort Bourbon and Fort Royal remained under Republican control. Jervis ordered the fourth-rate ship of the line HMS ''Asia'', and the sloop, HMS ''Zebra'' to capture Fort Saint Louis.<ref name=James>James (1837), Vol. 1, p. 218</ref> ''HMS Asia'' was unable to get close to the fort and ''Zebra'' went in alone, with her captain, Richard Faulknor. Despite facing heavy Republican artillery fire, Faulknor ran ''Zebra'' close under the walls. He and his ship's company then used ''Zebra''{{'}}s boats to land. The British stormed the fort and captured it. ''Zebra'' lost only her pilot killed and four men wounded. Meanwhile, the remainder of the British fleet captured Fort Royal and two days later Fort Bourbon capitulated.<ref name=LG13643/>

==Aftermath==

The Governor General of Martinique at the time, Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, surrendered to Grey. The British then occupied Martinique until the Treaty of Amiens returned the island to the French in 1802.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

==Citations== {{reflist}} ==References== * Fortescue, John. [https://books.google.com/books?id=_Sw8AAAAIAAJ&dq=jervis+guadeloupe+1794&pg=PA354 ''A history of the British Army'', Volume 4] * {{cite book |last = James |first = William |author-link = William James (naval historian) |year = 1837 |orig-year= 1827 |title = The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume I, 1793–1796 |publisher = Richard Bentley |location = London | oclc=634321885}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinique, Battle of 1794}} Category:Battles of the French Revolutionary Wars Category:Battles involving the Kingdom of Great Britain Category:Battles involving France Battle Category:Conflicts in 1794 Category:Invasions Category:1794 in the British Empire Category:1794 in the Caribbean Category:Invasions by the Kingdom of Great Britain 1794 Category:18th century in Martinique