Key Facts
- Duration of battle
- 3 days (16–18 June 1779)
- French commander
- Charles-Marie de Trolong du Rumain
- British governor
- Valentine Morris
- British military commander
- Lt. Col. George Etherington
- Carib control ended
- Second Carib War, 1795
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 16 June 1779, French commander Charles-Marie de Trolong du Rumain landed forces on Saint Vincent. The Black Caribs controlling the island's northern territory actively assisted the French advance. British Governor Valentine Morris and military commander Lieutenant Colonel George Etherington failed to coordinate a coherent defense, disagreeing on the appropriate response. By 18 June, the British position had collapsed and the island's defenders surrendered without mounting significant armed resistance.
01 / The Origins
During the American Revolutionary War, France sought to exploit British vulnerability in the Caribbean by seizing colonial possessions. Saint Vincent, a British-controlled island in the West Indies, was a strategic target. The island's northern region was already held by Black Caribs who opposed British authority, making it a favorable location for a French landing that could combine external invasion with internal allied support against the British garrison.
03 / The Outcome
The British surrendered Saint Vincent to French forces by 18 June 1779. Both Morris and Etherington faced subsequent inquiries into their conduct during the capitulation. French control of the island consolidated Black Carib authority over the northern territories. This arrangement persisted until the Second Carib War of 1795, after which British power was eventually reasserted and Carib resistance on the island was suppressed.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Charles-Marie de Trolong du Rumain.
Side B
1 belligerent
Valentine Morris, George Etherington.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.