Assault on Cartagena
Palatinate War of Succession (1688–1697)
Philippsburg - Koblenz - Walcourt - Bantry Bay - Mainz - Bonn - Fleurus - Beachy Head - Boyne - Staffarda - Québec - Mons - Cuneo - Leuze - Aughrim - Barfleur / La Hougue - Namur 1 - Steenkerke - Lagos - Neerektiven - Marsaglia - Charleroi - Torroella - Camaret - Texel - Sant Esteve d'en Bas - Gerona - Dixmuyen - Namur 2 - Brussels - Ath - Cartagena - Barcelona
The attack on Cartagena in the spring of 1697 was one of the last significant acts of war during the Nine Years' War . It was an enterprise involving both regular French soldiers and buccaneers from the West Indies . Together they besieged and conquered the important Spanish port city of Cartagena in today's Colombia . The French made enormous booty while the Buccaneers were absent. Later there was a dispute over the share of the booty and the pirates looted the city again.
prehistory
During the nine-year war had always alongside large fleet operations on both sides of the privateer war given. This tendency increased on the French side after the weakening of the French navy from around 1694.
The French captain Jean-Bernard Desjean de Pointis convinced Louis XIV in 1696 . of his plan to launch a large-scale raid on Cartagena. This city was the main Spanish port in the southern Caribbean.
He received permission to attract private donors for this purpose. It brought together over 660 investors. 50% of the booty had been promised to them. The company founded for this purpose chartered the necessary ships with the money raised and paid the crews. The soldiers provided the king, who was also entitled to a share of the booty.
With around 2300 sailors and 1750 soldiers, the fleet left Brest in early January 1697 . The equipment necessary for a siege was also on board.
In Santo Domingo , the governor Jean Baptiste du Casse made other participants and ships available for the expedition. In addition to regular soldiers, members of the militia, former colored slaves and voluntary settlers, the main contingent consisted of at least 650 buccaneers whom the governor had been collecting for the project for months. As a result, he commanded his men himself.
course
The fleet arrived near Cartagena on April 12 or 13, 1697. The troops landed nearby a few days later after exploring the coast. They first attacked the Fort San Luis de Bocachica. This was defended by 150 men. After a storm attack on April 16, the fort surrendered and 170 men were occupied. With the conquest of the fort, the way into the bay was clear for the ships. The Spaniards had given up the next Fort Santa Cruz. The reason was that they only had a total of about 750 men available for the overall defense. Fort Lorenzo was attacked and conquered by the privateers over sea and by the French soldiers over land.
Both forces reunited and began to siege a suburb of Cartagena. About 700 men defended the Spanish positions there. Trenches were dug and siege guns were brought into position. The bombing began on the 28th. After a breach was made, de Pointis ordered the assault. This was carried out jointly by the regular soldiers and the privateers. Then the Spaniards were ready to hand over on May 2nd. While negotiating the surrender, de Pointis learned of the imminent arrival of an alleged relief force. The privateers and a few hundred soldiers were dispatched to intercept the enemy.
The handover took place on May 4th. In total, de Pointis allegedly made a booty of two million gold pesos. The French destroyed the fortifications.
Jean Baptiste du Casse, who returned with his buccaneers after a fruitless search for opposing troops, found the city gates locked. A dispute arose because the buccaneers felt they had been cheated of their share of the booty. The share of booty offered to them was too small because it did not correspond to their usual practice in distributing the booty. After a few days of debating, the pirates invaded the city against du Casse's will on May 30th and pillaged and pillaged it for three days. Many residents were killed or tortured to give up their valuables.
consequences
The French left Cartagena on June 1st. The pirates followed a few days later. The French fleet encountered an Anglo-Dutch fleet under Vice Admiral John Nevell on June 6th. This had been sent to the West Indies to track down the French fleet. The Allied fleet was significantly stronger than the French. This was also understaffed because a large part of the crew had a fever. The French ships fled. The Allies only managed to board a small enemy ship. Later the allies came across some anchored ships of the privateers. Some of the ships were seized, others escaped.
The French fleet reached Brest again on August 29, 1697. A medal was struck to commemorate the success. Jean Baptiste du Casse also traveled to France to claim their share of the booty for himself and the buccaneers. In fact, he received a substantial sum of money and was made admiral.
literature
- David Marley: Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present. London 1997, pp. 212-216.
- JS Bromley: Corsairs and Navies 1660-1760. London 1987, p. 1 f.
Web links
- Relation fidèle de l'expédition Cartagène , 1699 (French)