A minor English naval raid during the Second Anglo-Dutch War that briefly seized and plundered the French settlement of Cayenne in 1667.
Key Facts
- Date of assault
- 22 September 1667
- English troops disembarked
- 850 troops
- French defenders
- 300 men
- Duration of occupation
- Two weeks (departed 9 October 1667)
- English commander
- Rear Admiral Sir John Harman
- French governor
- Cyprien Lefebvre de Lézy
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following a victory at Martinique, Rear Admiral Sir John Harman's English squadron held naval dominance in the Caribbean. Unable to retake French-held St. Kitts, Harman resolved to strike French and Dutch settlements along the north coast of South America, targeting Cayenne first before moving against the Dutch fort of Zeelandia.
On 22 September 1667, Harman's squadron approached Fort Saint Louis at Cayenne with approximately 850 troops. The French garrison of 300 men under Governor de Lézy offered resistance for three days before the fort fell and the settlement was fully surrounded. English forces captured most of the French defenders, stripped the citadel of valuables, seized guns, ammunition, and slaves, then torched the buildings and plantations before departing on 9 October.
After departing Cayenne, Harman sailed east to attack the Dutch settlement at Fort Zeelandia. The captured French prisoners, including de Lézy, were eventually released and returned with reinforcements to rebuild Cayenne's defenses. Nine years later, however, the settlement was again captured, this time by the Dutch.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Rear Admiral Sir John Harman.
Side B
1 belligerent
Cyprien Lefebvre de Lézy.