Portuguese conquest of French Guiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Invasion of Cayenne
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Carte de la Guyane françoise et l'isle de Cayenne, Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Date 6–14 January 1809 Location Cayenne, French Guiana Result Anglo-Portuguese victory Capitulation of Cayenne Occupation of French Guiana by Portugal until 1817
Belligerents
Portugal State of Brazil  United Kingdom	France
Commanders and leaders
Manuel de Elva James Yeo	Victor Hugues
Strength
3,250 1 frigate 2 brigs 1 schooner 2 cutters	1,250
Casualties and losses
33 killed and wounded	36 killed and wounded 400 captured

The Portuguese conquest of French Guiana, also called the Conquest of Cayenne, was a military attack in January 1809. It happened during the Napoleonic Wars. A combined force of Portuguese and British soldiers attacked Cayenne, the capital of the French colony of French Guiana in South America.

This invasion was one of many attacks on French lands in the Americas during 1809. The British Royal Navy could not send many ships. So, they asked the Portuguese government for help. The Portuguese royal family had moved to Brazil in 1808. This was because France had invaded Portugal. In return for their help, the Portuguese were promised control of French Guiana. They would keep it until the war ended.

The British sent only one small warship, HMS Confiance. But it had a very skilled crew and captain, James Lucas Yeo. He led the entire mission. The Portuguese force was much larger. It had 700 regular soldiers from Brazil. There were also 550 marines and several warships. These ships helped carry troops and provided artillery support. The French defenders were weak. Years of British blockades had cut off their supplies. They had only 400 regular soldiers and 800 unreliable local fighters. Because of this, the French resistance was not strong. Even with its forts, French Guiana fell in about a week. This event is seen as the first major battle for the Brazilian Marine Corps.

Why the Invasion Happened

During the Napoleonic Wars, French colonies in the Caribbean caused problems. Their fortified ports gave shelter to French warships and privateers. These ships attacked British trade routes. This forced the Royal Navy to use many ships to protect their convoys. But it was also hard for the French Navy to support these bases. The French Navy had lost many battles. Its ships were often trapped in their own harbors. They could not sail without being attacked by British ships.

The French colonies in the Caribbean suffered from food shortages. Their economies were failing. In 1808, messages asking for urgent help were sent to France. Some of these messages were caught by the Royal Navy. They described the low spirits and weak defenses of the French colonies. So, the British decided to capture these colonies. This would remove the threat they posed for the rest of the war.

Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane was put in charge of this campaign. He first focused on Martinique. He gathered many ships and men at Barbados. Meanwhile, smaller forces watched other French colonies. One of these was HMS Confiance, led by Captain James Lucas Yeo. He was sent to the coast of South America. Rear-Admiral Sir Sidney Smith also helped. He was the commander of the Brazil Station. He had talked with the Portuguese government, which was in Brazil.

Smith got help from a Portuguese fleet. It included two armed brigs, Voador and Vingança. There was also an unarmed brig, Infante Dom Pedro, and a cutter, Leão. This force carried at least 550 Portuguese soldiers. Sailors and marines were also on board. Lieutenant-Colonel Manuel Marques led them.

Yeo took overall command of the mission. He met the Portuguese force near Belém in December 1808. On December 15, he attacked the coastal areas of Oyapok and Appruage. He captured both without a fight. This prepared the way for the advance on Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana.

The Invasion of Cayenne

Map of the forts at Cayenne, made in 1760

Cayenne is on an island at the mouth of the Cayenne and Mahury Rivers. In 1809, forts and gun batteries protected its entrances. The town itself had a strong, modern star fort. Captain Yeo knew his force was not big enough to attack the island directly. So, he decided to attack smaller forts on the Mahury River. He hoped this would draw out the French defenders.

On January 6, 1809, everything was ready. Yeo launched an attack during the night. They landed at Pointe Mahury at 3:00 AM on January 7. Heavy rains fell throughout the campaign. The waves were strong, and all five canoes were wrecked. But no one was hurt. Yeo sent a Portuguese force to attack the Dégras de Cannes battery. He himself led sailors and marines against Fort Diamant. Both places were quickly captured. The British had seven men wounded. The French lost six killed and four wounded. Four cannons were taken, along with 90 French soldiers. Soldiers from the fleet then guarded both forts.

With the Mahury forts captured, the French in Cayenne were at risk. They could be cut off and surrounded. Governor Victor Hugues gathered most of his 600 troops. He marched them towards the Allied positions. Yeo gathered his forces at Dégras de Cannes. He destroyed Fort Diamant. Scouts found two more forts downriver. These were at Trio and the Canal de Torcy. The Canal de Torcy fort protected Hugues' home.

Yeo immediately ordered the Portuguese cutters Leão and Vingança into the river. They attacked the forts. The Portuguese ships fired on the positions for an hour. Meanwhile, Yeo prepared his attack teams. Yeo led the attack on the Trio fort. A Portuguese group attacked the fort on the canal. Both places were captured. Their 50 defenders were driven away.

As Yeo secured his position, Hugues arrived at Dégras de Cannes. Hugues attacked Lieutenant Colonel Marques' troops right away. But he could not defeat the Portuguese before Yeo returned. Hugues was forced to retreat after a three-hour fight. Another French force went to Fort Diamant. They saw the British destroying the walls. Thinking the fort had more defenders, they retreated without attacking.

The next morning, Hugues fell back to his home. Yeo followed, using the river and canal. Hugues had fortified his property with 100 men and two cannons. He ordered his men to fire on British sailors offering a truce. A second attempt to talk was met with cannon fire. A third attempt, using one of Hugues' slaves, got a response. But Hugues was only trying to delay the Allies. His men were setting up an ambush in the trees.

A signal from one of the cannons started the French ambush. They fired heavily on the troops moving towards the house. Yeo led a charge against the ambushers. In hand-to-hand fighting, they took the house and its cannons. Yeo then marched on Cayenne. He expected to meet Hugues at the Beauregard plain. Hugues had stationed his remaining 400 men there.

Reaching the plain on January 10, Yeo sent two officers into Cayenne. They offered a truce. Hugues accepted, knowing he was outnumbered. Over the next four days, Yeo's men accepted the surrender of French forces. The entry into Cayenne was planned for January 14.

The Topaze Frigate

On January 13, a French frigate appeared. It was the Topaze, a powerful 40-gun ship. It was much stronger than any British or Portuguese ship. The Topaze had been sent from France to help Cayenne. It carried extra troops, military supplies, and 1,100 barrels of flour. Cayenne desperately needed food due to the British blockade.

Captain Pierre-Nicolas Lahalle of the Topaze was careful. He soon saw Confiance anchored near the harbor. Confiance was a 20-gun ship with short-range carronades. It was much weaker than Topaze. Worse, it had almost no crew. Yeo had taken all but 25 men and two midshipmen for the land attack. If Lahalle attacked, the senior officer, Midshipman George Yeo, would have to surrender. This would leave the landing party cut off.

George Yeo acted quickly. He gathered 20 local free black civilians. He put them to work with his small crew. He then sailed aggressively from the harbor. He made it look like he was going to fight Topaze. Lahalle had orders to avoid combat if it risked his cargo. He thought such a small ship would not approach unless stronger support was hidden nearby. Not wanting to lose his ship, he turned and sailed north. He quickly left Confiance behind. He believed the British had already captured Cayenne. Nine days later, near Guadeloupe, Lahalle was spotted by a truly larger British fleet. He was defeated in the action of 22 January 1809.

French Surrender

With French reinforcements gone and defenses broken, Hugues was offered a surrender on January 10. He accepted the next day. He met with Lieutenant-colonel Marques. The surrender terms included that French troops and staff would leave on ships provided by the invaders. They would leave with honours of war. Other French people could also go to mainland France on the same ships. The new Portuguese government would keep the Napoleonic civil code in the colony. On April 20, 1809, the warship Infante Dom Pedro arrived in Morlaix. It carried Hugues and his staff.

On January 14, Yeo's Anglo-Portuguese force entered Cayenne. They captured Hugues' 400 regular soldiers. They collected weapons from 600 white local fighters and 200 black irregulars. All these local fighters were allowed to go home. The surrender included 200 cannons. All military and government supplies were also taken. All the villages and trading posts of French Guiana were included. This area stretched from the Brazilian border to the Maroni River. This river marked the border with the British-held Dutch territory of Surinam.

Few people were hurt in the operation. The British lost one officer killed and 23 men wounded. The Portuguese lost one man killed and eight wounded. The French lost 16 killed and 20 wounded. The French prisoners were put on the ships and taken to Brazil. The colony was given to the Portuguese government to manage. It was agreed that it would be returned to France when the war ended.

The La Gabriele Plantation

In the Cayenne region, there was a famous farming complex. It was run by the French crown. The main parts were the Habitation Royale des Épiceries, known as La Gabriele, and the Habitation de Mont-Baduel. These were important colonial farms in Guiana. They were large and productive, with many slaves.

Taking control of La Gabriele was a big benefit for the Portuguese. It was a main source of income for the colony. It also had many plant species that the Portuguese wanted. In April 1809, Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho, who managed Brazilian gardens, sent orders. He told the governor of Grão-Pará to transport "the greatest possible amount of all spice trees" from Cayenne to Belém and other places. He also asked for "skilled gardeners" who were not "contaminated with liberal ideology."

Later that month, another order said to move plants from the Pará garden to Rio de Janeiro. It said that finding "all kinds of cultures" was "most essential for Brazil" at that time. Joseph Martin, the French manager of La Gabriele, signed a list of plants. It included 82 species in six boxes, with planting instructions.

During the Portuguese rule, many spices and fruits were sent to Brazil. These included nutmeg, cloves, and breadfruit. Also, walnut, camboeira, avocado, and Cayenne seedlings were sent. These were much better than the sugar cane grown in Brazil then. This collection of plants helped start the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden.

What Happened Next

After the Portuguese took French Guiana, João Severiano Maciel da Costa was its only governor until 1817.

Captain Yeo's Career

Captain Yeo was highly praised for his leadership. But his health suffered during the fighting in December. He was sent to Rio de Janeiro to recover. When he returned to duty, the Portuguese Prince Regent gave him a diamond ring. Both the Portuguese and British royal families knighted him for his service. He later became commander of the frigate HMS Southampton. Many years later, this battle was recognized. A special medal clasp, "Confiance 14 Jany. 1809", was added to the Naval General Service Medal. This was given to all British who applied.

French Rule Returns

After Napoleon first gave up his power in 1814, it was decided that French Guiana would return to France. This was part of the Treaty of Paris. Portugal and the restored French monarchy agreed at the Congress of Vienna. Portugal promised to return the land to France. The Oyapock River would remain the border with Brazil, as set in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. A date for the return would be set "as soon as circumstances allow it." On November 8, 1817, a French fleet arrived. It carried Cayenne's new governor, Claude Carra Saint-Cyr. He formally took back the territory. Alexandre Ferdinand Parseval-Deschenes commanded the expedition. He then led the French naval station in the colony for two years.