Capture of Fort Rocher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spanish capture of Tortuga
Part of the Franco-Spanish War
Engraving of the Fort (17th century)
Date 9 February 1654 Location Fort de Rocher, Tortuga Island, (present-day Haiti) Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spain	France England
Commanders and leaders
Don Gabriel de Rojas y Figueroa	Timoleon Otham de Fontenay  (POW)
Strength
700 men	+500
Casualties and losses
Minimum	3 Warships captured 1 Frigate captured 8 minor ships captured 500 man captured 70 cannons taken

The Capture of Fort Rocher happened on February 9, 1654. It was a key event during the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659). A Spanish force of 700 soldiers attacked the island of Tortuga. This island was a strong base for buccaneers, who were like privateers or pirates.

The Spanish captured Fort de Rocher, the main fort on the island. They took about 500 prisoners, including 330 buccaneers. They also seized valuable goods worth a lot of money. The Spanish then destroyed the colony and took control of the island. They left 150 soldiers to guard the fort.

The Spanish held Tortuga for about 18 months. But when English forces led by Penn and Venables approached, the Spanish governor ordered his troops to leave. They had to destroy the fort and bury their weapons before leaving.

Why the Attack Happened

At noon, the French and English people living on Tortuga saw four Spanish ships coming. This attack was a response to earlier raids by the buccaneers. In 1650, buccaneers had attacked Santiago de los Caballeros. In August 1652, they raided the Cuban port of San Juan de los Remedios.

Because of these attacks, Spain decided to send a punishment expedition. On December 4, 1653, 200 soldiers and 500 volunteers left Santo Domingo. They were led by Captain Gabriel de Rojas y Figueroa. Before reaching Tortuga, this Spanish group captured three buccaneer ships.

The Capture of the Fort

The Spanish ships sailed past Tortuga's harbor. They fired cannons at the ships docked there. Then, they landed several hundred troops a few miles down the coast. These soldiers marched back to begin their attack on the island's main fortress.

Map of Tortuga (17th century)

The buccaneer fort was built by a skilled French engineer. It stood on a rocky hill overlooking the island's harbor. On the night of February 12, Rojas sent a group of soldiers to climb the heights behind the fort. Their goal was to set up siege cannons.

By February 18, the French and English defenders asked for terms to surrender. Two days later, the leader, Chavalier de Fontenay, decided to give up. More than 500 people were captured, including 330 buccaneers. Most of them were allowed to sail to France on two ships. However, two leaders were kept as hostages by the Spanish.

The Spanish took 70 cannons from the fort and shore batteries. They also seized three ships, a frigate, and eight smaller boats. The attackers decided to keep control of Tortuga. They left a group of 100 men to guard the island.

What Happened Next

The prisoners were sent to Santo Domingo. There, they were forced to work on Spanish plantations.

In August, three buccaneer ships returned to Tortuga, hoping the Spanish had left. But they found that the Spanish had already set up a garrison. However, the Spanish governor soon ordered his troops to leave Tortuga. This happened on September 13, 1654, at the same time as an English invasion of Hispaniola. The Spanish soldiers destroyed the fortifications before they left.

The next year, English and French settlers reoccupied Tortuga. Elias Watts became the new "Governor" of Tortuga. He received his authority from the English military governor in Jamaica.