Raid on Nassau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raid on Nassau
Part of The War of the Spanish Succession
Island of New Providence, home to Nassau, in the Gulf of Providence, in the islands of the Bahamas [See further map below for context.]
Date October 1703 Location New Providence, Bahamas Result Franco-Spanish victory, Nassau is briefly occupied, then destroyed.
Belligerents
Spain  France	England
Commanders and leaders
Blas Moreno de Mondragón Claude Le Chesnaye	Gov. Ellis Lightwood  (POW)
Strength
2 frigates 300~400 men	300 men
Casualties and losses
few	100 civilians killed 100 prisoners 22 guns

The Raid on Nassau was a surprise attack in October 1703. It happened on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas. This attack was carried out by French and Spanish forces against the English during a big conflict called the War of the Spanish Succession. The French and Spanish won this battle. They took over Nassau for a short time and then destroyed it.

The attack was led by Blas Moreno Mondragón and Claude Le Chesnaye. Their main target was Nassau, which was the capital city of the English-controlled Bahamas. Nassau was an important base for English ships that attacked other ships (called privateers or corsairs) in the Caribbean Sea, especially near Spanish Cuba and Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). The town of Nassau was quickly captured, robbed, and burned down. The fort in Nassau was also taken apart. The English governor, Ellis Lightwood, and all the English soldiers were captured and taken away as prisoners.

About a year later, a new English governor named Sir Edward Birch arrived in Nassau. He was so upset by the damage and ruin he found that he went back to England after only a few months. He didn't even start his job as governor.

Why the Raid Happened

Leaders from the Spanish colony of Santiago de Cuba and the French colony of Saint-Domingue saw Nassau as a threat. They decided to team up and launch a joint attack. They gathered Spanish soldiers and French buccaneers (a type of pirate) for this mission.

In October 1703, these forces sailed to Nassau on two frigates, which are types of warships. They were commanded by Blas Moreno Mondragón and Claude Le Chesnaye.

The Attack on Nassau

The French and Spanish forces surprised about 250 English people living in Nassau, the capital of New Providence. During the attack, more than 100 people were killed. Between 80 and 100 people were taken prisoner. The attackers also seized 22 guns and completely destroyed all the defenses and fortifications. After a few days, the French and Spanish forces returned to Santiago de Cuba. They took their prisoners and 13 captured ships with them. Governor Ellis Lightwood was among the prisoners.

What Happened After

After the attack, the English people who survived hid in the woods until it was safe. When they came back, they found the island completely ruined and empty. They then found ways to move to other settlements. England had not paid much attention to New Providence, so they didn't even know about the disaster that had happened there.

Edward Birch was chosen as the new governor. But when he arrived in Nassau, he found it completely empty. Because of this, he had to go back home without even officially starting his job.

Another enemy attack in 1706 left only about twenty-seven families still living in simple huts on New Providence Island. There were no more than 400 to 500 English residents scattered around. They suffered a lot from more attacks during the rest of the conflict. Their small amount of trade with other places stopped, and no new governors or help came from England. Governor Birch saw that the people had almost nothing, so he didn't even bother to unroll his official papers before sailing back to England.

In 1706, John Graves, who had been a colonial secretary, reported on the few survivors in New Providence. He said they "lived separately in little huts, ready upon any attack to secure themselves in the woods."

Images for kids

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  An 1803 map by Aaron Arrowsmith showing the Island of New Providence (center of map; settlement of Nassau not visible), situated in the Gulf of Providence, with the Providence Channels to the immediate north. Other islands of the Bahamas, e.g., Grand Bahama and Abaco Islands, are further to the north, with Andros Island is to the west, and Eleuthera (island) to the east.