The Battle of Placentia (1692) was fought between the English and the French at Fort St. Louis ( Castle Hill) in

Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador Placentia is a town located in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It consists of the Argentia Industrial Park and amalgamated communities of Townside, Freshwater, Dunville, Southeast, Point Verde and Jerseyside. History Ther ...

during

King William's War King William's War (also known as the Second Indian War, Father Baudoin's War, Castin's War, or the First Intercolonial War in French) was the North American theater of the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), also known as the War of the Grand All ...

. The battle lasted from 16 September until 21 September 1692.

Background

In order to protect the bay, there was one fort erected, Fort Plaisance (1662) (also known as Vieux Fort) between 1662 and 1690. During

, on 25 February 1690, 45 British freebooters from Ferryland led by Herman Williamson attacked Plaisance by land. After killing two soldiers and wounding governor

Louis de Pastour de Costebelle Louis de Pastour de Costebelle (ca. 1658 – unknown) naval officer served as interim governor of Plaisance (Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Placentia), Colony of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, before the arrival of Jacques-François de Mon ...

, they took possession of the town and destroyed the fort. The population was imprisoned in the church for six weeks, until the English left on 5 April with the colony's supplies. The French replaced the former fort with Fort Saint-Louis in 1691, and was manned by 50 soldiers.

Battle

On 16 September, five English vessels anchored just outside the range of the French cannon at Placentia. An estimated 500 disembarked from the ships to go ashore. On 18 September, Commodore Thomas Gillam (Williams) of called upon Governor

Jacques-François de Monbeton de Brouillan Jacques-François de Monbeton de Brouillan (1651, Gascony – September 22, 1705 at Chedabouctou, Acadia) French military officer and Governor of Plaisance ( Placentia), Newfoundland (1689-1701) and Acadia (1701-1705). Biography Monbeton de ...

to surrender. The Governor refused. On 19 September, the English fired upon the fort and its garrison of only 50. Philippe Pastour de Costebelle (brother of former Governor Louis) and Louis-Armand de Lom d'Arce de Lahontan, Baron de Lahontan led the defence of the garrison. The French killed six English in the defence of the fort and one French soldier was wounded. The seamen of the visiting French ships held off a landing and the English squadron withdrew on 21 September after burning the houses at Point Verde.

Aftermath

In August 1693, Admiral

Francis Wheler Sir Francis Wheler (sometimes spelt Wheeler) (1656 – 19 February 1694) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the Nine Years' War. Wheler spent the early part of his career in the Mediterranean, eventually being promoted to comm ...

with 19 ships did not attack the fort for fear that the fort was too strong."Wheler, Sir Francis (1656–1694)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 60. 1893. p. 445.

References

New voyages to North America
1692 in North America Battles involving England Battles involving France Conflicts in 1692 History of Newfoundland and Labrador King William's War {{Newfoundland-stub

Background

Battle

Aftermath

See also

References