Capture of Saint Kitts, Montserrat, and Nevis

On 13 February 1782, the marquis de Bouillé completed the reconquest of Saint Kitts after a month-long siege of the fortress of Brimstone Hill

On 13 February 1782, the fortress of Brimstone Hill, reputed to be impregnable, capitulated after a month-long siege. This brilliant series of combined sea and land operations, led by the marquis de Bouillé, deprived the British of three colonies yielding 22 to 24 million livres per year, as well as a naval base of essential strategic importance.

  • Date: 11 January – 13 February 1782
  • Location: Island of Saint Kitts (West Indies)
  • French commander: Marquis de Bouillé, Governor General of the Windward Islands
  • French forces: approximately 6,000 men
  • British garrison: 700 men of the Royal Scots, 150 of the 15th Foot, 80 gunners, 500 militiamen
  • Result: Reconquest of Saint Kitts, Montserrat, and Nevis

Choice of Objective

After the reconquest of Saint Eustatius, the marquis de Bouillé, Governor General of the Windward Islands, considered attacking another British-held island of greater strategic importance. After conferring with Lieutenant General of Naval Forces de Grasse, whose squadron had just returned to the West Indies following its victorious campaign in the United States, and having successively considered the reconquest of Saint Lucia and the capture of Antigua, he settled on the island of Barbados, but bad weather and the presence of a strong British squadron in Carlisle Bay thwarted this plan. The final choice therefore fell on Saint Kitts, although it was defended by the fortress of Brimstone Hill, considered impregnable.

The Siege

On 11 January, the French forces arrived before the port of Basseterre, capital of Saint Kitts, whose officials capitulated immediately and without resistance, but Major General Sir Thomas Shirley, governor of the island, and Brigadier General Thomas Fraser, commanding the troops, had withdrawn to Brimstone Hill with the garrison, composed of 700 men of the Royal Scots, the 1st Regiment of England, reinforced by 150 soldiers of the 15th Foot, 80 gunners and more than 500 militiamen, and armed with 66 guns and mortars.

For their part, the troops assembled by Bouillé numbered 2,000 men of the Touraine and Agenais regiments commanded by maréchal de camp de Rouvroy, marquis de Saint-Simon-Monbleru; 1,200 men of the Champagne and Auxerrois regiments under the orders of maréchal de camp de Marillac, vicomte de Damas; 1,200 men from the Dillon and Royal Comtois regiments, the Martinique grenadiers and the foreign volunteers of the Navy, led by brigadier of infantry Arthur, comte de Dillon; and finally 1,600 men of the Armagnac, Viennois and Guadeloupe regiments commanded by maréchal de camp marquis Du Chilleau d’Airvault.

On 15 January, the French transport ship le Lion Britannique, carrying the bulk of the siege artillery, was wrecked following a navigational error. Fortunately, the wreck was easily accessible and brigadier of naval forces d’Albert-Saint-Hippolyte efficiently organised the recovery of the guns, mortars and shot. Nevertheless, this setback prevented Bouillé from beginning the bombardment of the fortress before 19 January.

Hood’s Intervention

On 24 January, the British squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Samuel Hood, numbering 22 ships, appeared before Saint Kitts and, after a brief engagement with the 29 ships of the comte de Grasse, succeeded in anchoring at Frigate Bay in the south-east of the island, where it landed 1,200 soldiers under the orders of Major General Robert Prescott on 28 January. These troops attempted to march on Basseterre, but a force composed of 500 grenadiers, 100 soldiers of the Dillon regiment and Bouillé’s volunteers, placed under the orders of the comte de Fléchin de Wamin, lieutenant-colonel of the Touraine regiment, offered fierce resistance, giving Bouillé time to assemble 3,000 men for a counter-attack. Finding himself outnumbered, General Prescott withdrew and re-embarked his men on Hood’s squadron.

The Capitulation

Bouillé intensified his effort, installing and bringing into action on 10 and 11 February four new artillery batteries that opened breaches in the ramparts. He then prepared a general assault on the enemy position, scheduled for the early morning of 14 February. But during the night of 12–13 February, General Fraser, who had lost 400 men and 13 officers killed or seriously wounded, asked to capitulate. The honours of war were granted to him and he marched out of the fortress with the survivors of his garrison at noon on 13 February.

The comte de Dillon was appointed military commander of Saint Kitts, whose surrender brought about that of the neighbouring island of Nevis. The island of Montserrat was subsequently taken by the naval division of Lieutenant General of Naval Forces comte de Barras-Saint-Laurent, who entrusted its command to the comte de Fléchin.

Philippe Henrat, member of the SAR History Committee

References