French capture of Gorée (1804) facts for kids

A French force from Cayenne took back the island of Gorée from the British on January 18, 1804. The force was led by Jean-Michel Mahé, a French naval officer.

The French group included a navy schooner named Vigie and three privateer ships. Privateers were privately owned ships allowed to attack enemy ships. The soldiers came from the 8th Demi-Brigade and the Cayenne Volunteers.

On their way, the French force stopped in Dakar, Senegal. In Dakar, they added another schooner, Rosalia, and more soldiers from the 46th Brigade. They also asked a privateer ship called Mon Oncle Thomas to join them. This ship had stopped in Dakar to get its license to act as a privateer renewed. The French commander agreed to renew the license if Mon Oncle Thomas joined the mission.

The French force had about 500 to 600 men. They anchored near Gorée island late on January 17. The next morning, 240 soldiers landed east of the town in eight boats. They faced resistance from the British soldiers and local people. The British had only 40 to 70 men defending the island.

The fighting resulted in 9 British soldiers killed and 10 wounded. The French suffered more, with 43 men killed and 32 wounded. Colonel John Frazer, the British commander, saw that the French force was too strong. He surrendered and signed an agreement. The French then took control of the town.

The French put the captured British soldiers on a small ship. They sent them to Dakar. In Dakar, the French used a schooner called Marengo as a cartel ship. A cartel ship is used to transport prisoners. The British prisoners were put on board. Marengo stopped in Teneriffe to get supplies. It arrived in Falmouth, England, on April 17.

British Recapture Gorée

The British took back Gorée on March 7, 1804. Lieutenant Charles Pickford led a landing party from the frigate HMS Inconstant . A frigate was a type of warship. Pickford's group forced the French soldiers on the island to surrender.

Pickford had only been sent ashore to find out why the French held the island. The main British invasion force was not expected yet. The Inconstant returned on March 8 with four transport ships full of soldiers. They did not expect the island to have already been taken.

Ships Involved in the French Attack

Here are the ships that were part of the French force that captured Gorée: