Newfoundland expedition facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newfoundland expedition |
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| Part of the War of the First Coalition | |||||||
 Entrance of St. John's harbour, 1786. Drawing by J.S. Meres. Courtesy of the National Archives of Canada. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France Spain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Joseph de Richery José Solano |
 James Wallace |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 17 Ships of the line 3 Frigates 1,500 regulars 7000~sailors |
1 Fourth-rate 2 Frigates 2 Sloops |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Minimum, no ships lost | 600~ prisoners 127 merchant ships burnt, sunk or captured, |
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The Newfoundland expedition was a series of naval attacks and land raids. These were carried out by French and Spanish fleets. They happened along the coasts of Newfoundland, Labrador, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This event took place during the French Revolutionary Wars.
In August 1796, a French fleet of seven large warships and three smaller frigates sailed from Cadiz. It was led by Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery. A much stronger Spanish fleet, commanded by General Solano, joined them. Their goal was to protect the French ships on their way to Newfoundland.
On August 28, 1796, this combined fleet of 20 ships appeared near Newfoundland. They carried 1,500 soldiers. People in England were very worried by the news. They heard that the French had landed many troops at Bay Bulls and Portugal Cove. Reports said the French were marching towards St. John's.
St. John's harbour had strong defenses. These included Fort Amherst and Fort Townshend. The local soldiers and volunteers set up a camp on Signal Hill. They also built a barrier across the harbour entrance. French Admiral Richery saw these defenses. He decided not to attack St. John's directly. Instead, he sailed to Bay Bulls, about 18 miles south, and landed there on September 4.
At Bay Bulls, the expedition destroyed the town and its fishing businesses. They took many British prisoners. The fleet then sailed to Saint Pierre and Miquelon. These islands were controlled by the British at the time. The combined fleet stayed there for two weeks. They took on water and got ready for their journey back to France and Spain. The expedition destroyed over 100 British fishing boats. They also burned fishing stations along the coast, including a British base at Placentia Bay.
Contents
Why the Expedition Happened
On August 19, 1796, France and Spain signed a treaty. This agreement meant they would help each other in war. Spain promised to have a fleet ready to support the French. This treaty was officially approved in Paris on September 12. Then, on October 5, Spain declared war on Great Britain.
A Spanish fleet sailed from Cadiz. Ten of their large warships joined a French force. This French force had seven large warships and three frigates. They were all led by Rear-Admiral Richery. Their mission was to attack the British settlement of Newfoundland.
In August 1796, people in Canada and Nova Scotia were worried. They heard that Admiral Richery had escaped British ships near Cadiz. He was heading to Newfoundland with many warships. The British commander at St. John's, Vice-Admiral Wallace, had only a few ships to defend against this large force.
The Expedition's Journey
Failure at St. John's
Admiral Richery planned to attack St. John's. He thought his powerful ships could destroy Fort Amherst. Once the fort was quiet, he could enter the harbour and destroy the town. The British ships were outnumbered. So, they stayed behind the forts and prepared to fight hard.
On the morning of September 2, 1796, the French fleet was seen off the coast. Admiral Wallace did not have many soldiers in St. John's. He tried to make it look like he had more. He had his men set up tents on both sides of the harbour entrance. Then, he marched them back and forth at Fort Amherst and below Signal Hill. This made the French think St. John's would be too hard to capture.
Richery did not know much about St. John's defenses. He also had no local guides for the waters. He had to rely on information from a captured fishing ship captain. Richery's large fleet stayed near Cape Spear for a day, watching the strong defenses. The next morning, Richery formed his ships for battle and headed towards the harbour entrance. But as they got close to Fort Amherst's cannons, he changed his mind. He turned his ships around and sailed back out to sea. The trick had worked, and the town was saved.
In France, people were told that Richery had captured St. John's. They heard he had taken many ships and sent over a thousand sailors as prisoners. But the real news reached England in October. It was learned that the French admiral had given up on attacking St. John's. He had left the coast on September 29.
Attacks at Bay Bulls
On September 4, the French fleet entered Bay Bulls. The town quickly surrendered. Admiral Richery ordered his men to loot and destroy the entire settlement. They burned buildings and ships, including fishing stages. The people living there had to flee into the woods. The French captured 57 buildings, 47 fishing ships, and over 400 prisoners.
Burnt their stores and houses, Took their fish and oil, The hard-earned produce, Of their yearly toil.
Raids at Chateau Bay
On September 5, Richery sent Admiral Zacharie Jacques Théodore Comte Allemand to raid the Bay of Castles in Labrador. Allemand had three warships. Richery himself went to Saint Pierre and Miquelon with his main fleet. He planned to do the same damage there.
Bad winds and fog delayed Allemand. He did not reach the Bay of Castles until September 22. By then, most of the fishing boats had already left for Europe. The French commander sent an officer to demand the town's surrender. This was refused. But the approaching French ships forced the British officer to destroy the fishing stages himself.
Destruction at Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Richery destroyed all the buildings, ships, and fishing stages he found at Saint Pierre and Miquelon. He claimed the islands for France, but left them empty. About 225 houses, 17 large fishing platforms, 8 big buildings, 80 fishing boats, and 80,000 quintals (a measure of weight) of cod were burned.
Admiral Richery raised the French flag on St. Pierre island. This island had surrendered to British forces years before. But it had been left without soldiers, though British fishermen had settled there. Richery's fleet then split up. Part of it sailed to Labrador to try and catch fishing fleets returning to Quebec. Admiral Richery stayed near Cape Breton with four warships and a frigate.
On September 27, Admiral Murray arrived in Halifax. He still had confusing information. But the lack of troop transport ships suggested the French attack was a raid, not a serious attempt to take Newfoundland. Two days later, Allemand left the coast and headed home. Richery had already done the same. On November 5, Richery's ships entered Rochefort, France. On November 15, Allemand's ships reached Lorient, France.
What Happened Next
The combined French and Spanish fleets had destroyed over 100 merchant ships. They also took many prisoners. Some prisoners were sent to Halifax. The rest, about 300 people, were taken to France and Spain.
The British fishing industry in Newfoundland slowly recovered. This happened after the Treaty of Amiens was signed in March 1802. In that year, 71 Newfoundland and 58 British fishing vessels worked on the Grand Banks. The industry declined again when war broke out in 1803. It improved a bit after the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805. But it declined again during the Anglo-American war of 1812–14.
See also
In Spanish: Expedición franco-española a Terranova para niños
