Invasion of Dominica (1761) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Invasion of Dominica
Part of the Seven Years' War
A view of the British attack on Roseau, 6 June 1761, as drawn by Archibald Campbell, (Royal Engineers).
Date June 1761 Location Roseau, Dominica 15°18′00″N 61°22′59″W / 15.3°N 61.3831°W / 15.3; -61.3831 Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Lord Rollo Sir James Douglas	Louis Robert de la Touche de Longpré (POW)
Strength
4 ships of the line 2 frigates	unknown
Casualties and losses
8 killed or wounded	unknown

The Invasion of Dominica was a military mission by the British. They wanted to capture the Caribbean island of Dominica. This happened in June 1761, during the Seven Years' War.

Why Dominica Was Attacked

By the end of 1760, a big war called the French and Indian War was over in Canada. Many British soldiers were not busy anymore.

In early 1761, a British leader named William Pitt had a plan. He told General Amherst that some troops would be needed. They would attack islands like Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Martinique.

Amherst first sent 2,000 soldiers to Guadeloupe. This island was already controlled by the British. From there, they would plan to take Dominica and Saint Lucia. Later, another 6,000 soldiers would be sent to capture Martinique.

The British Expedition

Location of Dominica

In early June 1761, British ships carrying soldiers arrived in Guadeloupe. A storm had scattered them, but they slowly gathered. By June 3, four ships had arrived. Lord Rollo was with them. He was chosen by Amherst to lead the attack.

On June 4, all the British ships sailed towards Dominica. They were protected by ships led by Sir James Douglas. He was the admiral in charge of the ships in the Leeward Islands.

British Forces

The British force was made up of several groups of soldiers:

• About 300 men from the soldiers already in Guadeloupe.
• About 400 Highlanders.
• Soldiers from the 22nd Regiment of Foot.
• Soldiers from the 94th Vaughan's Regiment of Foot.

Lord Rollo was in command of all the soldiers. Commodore Douglas led the naval ships. These included four large warships: the Montague, Sutherland, Belliqueux, and his own ship, the Dublin. There were also two smaller, faster ships called frigates.

The Attack on Roseau

On June 6, the British arrived at Roseau, the main town in Dominica. They asked the French to give up. But the French decided to fight. They had cannons and four lines of defenses, one above the other.

Lord Rollo landed his soldiers and entered the town. It was getting late, but he decided to attack the French defenses right away. He was worried the French might get more soldiers during the night. The British attacked and quickly pushed the French out. The British lost very few soldiers. The French commander and his second-in-command were captured. After this, the fighting stopped.

On June 7, Dominica officially promised loyalty to King George III of Britain.

What Happened Next

After the war, the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763. Unlike Guadeloupe and Martinique, Dominica was not given back to France. It stayed under British control.

However, during the American War of Independence, France captured Dominica again in 1778. They held it until 1783. Then, it was returned to British control once more. Dominica remained a British territory until it became an independent country in 1978.

Gallery

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  Another view by Archibald Campbell

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  An alternative view of the attack underway

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  This view credited to Campbell