Battle of Roatán: Difference between revisions
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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{{further|Spain in the American Revolutionary War}} |
{{further|[[Spain in the American Revolutionary War]]}} |
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Following the entry of [[Spain]] into the [[American War of Independence]] in 1779, both Spain and [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] contested territories in [[Central America]]. While most of the territory was part of the Spanish [[Captaincy General of Guatemala]], whose governor was [[Matías de Gálvez]], the British had established logging rights along the [[Mosquito Coast]] and the southern coast of the [[Yucatan Peninsula]] (the former is now present-day [[Honduras]] and [[Nicaragua]], and the latter is now [[Belize]]). Gálvez had moved quickly when the declaration of war arrived, seizing St. George's Cay, one of the principal British island settlements off the Yucatan coast.<ref name=C152>Chávez, p. 152</ref> Many of the British had fled that occupation to the island of [[Roatán]] (sometimes also spelled "Rattan"), another British-controlled island about {{convert|40|mi|km}} off the Honduran coast. British commander [[Edward Marcus Despard]] used Roatán as a base for guerilla-style operations to extend and maintain British influence on the Mosquito Coast, and for [[privateer]]ing operations against Spanish shipping. (Sources do not indicate whether Despard was present on Roatán at the time of the Spanish attack; he continued to be active in the theater afterward.) |
Following the entry of [[Spain]] into the [[American War of Independence]] in 1779, both Spain and [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] contested territories in [[Central America]]. While most of the territory was part of the Spanish [[Captaincy General of Guatemala]], whose governor was [[Matías de Gálvez]], the British had established logging rights along the [[Mosquito Coast]] and the southern coast of the [[Yucatan Peninsula]] (the former is now present-day [[Honduras]] and [[Nicaragua]], and the latter is now [[Belize]]). Gálvez had moved quickly when the declaration of war arrived, seizing St. George's Cay, one of the principal British island settlements off the Yucatan coast.<ref name=C152>Chávez, p. 152</ref> Many of the British had fled that occupation to the island of [[Roatán]] (sometimes also spelled "Rattan"), another British-controlled island about {{convert|40|mi|km}} off the Honduran coast. British commander [[Edward Marcus Despard]] used Roatán as a base for guerilla-style operations to extend and maintain British influence on the Mosquito Coast, and for [[privateer]]ing operations against Spanish shipping. (Sources do not indicate whether Despard was present on Roatán at the time of the Spanish attack; he continued to be active in the theater afterward.) |
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Revision as of 18:36, 10 January 2010
| Battle of Roatán | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American War of Independence | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spanien |
 Great Britain | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Matías de Gálvez Gabriel Herbias | Edward Marcus Despard?[1] | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 600 soldiers, 3 frigates | at least 81 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 killed | 81 captured | ||||||
The Battle of Roatán was an American War of Independence battle fought on March 16, 1782, between British and Spanish forces for control of Roatán, an island off the Caribbean coast of present-day Honduras.
A Spanish expeditionary force under Matías de Gálvez, the Captain General of Spanish Guatemala gained control of the British-held island after bombarding its main defences. The British garrison surrendered the next day. The Spanish evacuated the captured soldiers, 135 civilians and 300 slaves, and destroyed their settlement, which had been used as a base for piracy and privateering.
Background
Following the entry of Spain into the American War of Independence in 1779, both Spain and Great Britain contested territories in Central America. While most of the territory was part of the Spanish Captaincy General of Guatemala, whose governor was Matías de Gálvez, the British had established logging rights along the Mosquito Coast and the southern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula (the former is now present-day Honduras and Nicaragua, and the latter is now Belize). Gálvez had moved quickly when the declaration of war arrived, seizing St. George's Cay, one of the principal British island settlements off the Yucatan coast.[2] Many of the British had fled that occupation to the island of Roatán (sometimes also spelled "Rattan"), another British-controlled island about 40 miles (64 km) off the Honduran coast. British commander Edward Marcus Despard used Roatán as a base for guerilla-style operations to extend and maintain British influence on the Mosquito Coast, and for privateering operations against Spanish shipping. (Sources do not indicate whether Despard was present on Roatán at the time of the Spanish attack; he continued to be active in the theater afterward.)
Gálvez, who had been ordered by King Charles to "dislocate the English from their hidden settlements on the Gulf of Honduras",[3] embarked in 1782 on a series of actions to wipe out British settlements on the mainland and on Roatán. By March 2 he had secured coastal communities as far south as the San Juan River, and began assembling troops at Trujillo. He arrived there on March 8 to organise an expedition to Roatán. Leaving a force of 600 at Trujillo to further harass the British and their partisans, he embarked another 600 troops onto transports, and sailed for Roatán on March 12, escorted by three frigates (Santa Matilde, the Santa Cecilia, and the Antiope) and a number of smaller armed naval vessels.[4]
Battle
The fleet arrived off Roatán early on March 13, and, after its defenders fired several ineffectual cannon shots, anchored out of range, while Gálvez sent a party in to request the surrender of the island's defenders. The defenders requested six hours to consider their options, which Gálvez granted. After that time had elapsed, the defenders indicated that they were prepared to stand their ground, and refused to surrender. Immediate attack was not possible due to high winds and rough seas, so Gálvez then held council, and a plan of attack was formulated.[5]
At about 10:15 am on March 16, Spanish guns opened up against the Forts Dalling and Despard, which guarded the mouth of New Port Royal's harbour. By 1 pm the British guns there had been silenced, and Major General Gabriel Herbias began landing troops. After the two forts were secured, the Spanish warships entered the harbour and began raking the town with cannonfire, while British artillery fired back from positions in the hills above the town. This exchange continued until sunset, at which point the British defenders capitulated.[5]
Aftermath
Terms of surrender were agreed the next day. Gálvez and his men remained on the island for several days, collecting weapons, rounding up slaves that had run away, destroying all the buildings and agriculture on the island, as well as burning many of the ships in the harbour, which were assumed to be used in smuggling and other illicit trade.[5] The Spanish left the island on March 23, carrying as prisoners of war 81 British soldiers, 300 slaves, and 135 British civilians.[6]
Gálvez was able to only temporarily eliminate British influences in the area. Edward Marcus Despard successfully recaptured some of the mainland settlements, and was able to hold them until the end of the war, in part due to a shortage of Spanish manpower.[7]
References
- Chávez, Thomas E (2004). Spain and the Independence of the United States: An Intrinsic Gift. UNM Press. pp. 162–163. ISBN 9780826327949. OCLC 149117944.