The
year 1762 provided evidence of the worldwide nature of the conflict in which the French
and Indian War was a major issue. The British now turned their attention to the Caribbean
Sea.
On
February 13, 1762, the island of Martinique capitulated to the British naval and marine
force. Pigeon Island surrendered the same day, and two weeks later the island of Sainte Lucia followed suit. Early in the year, England declared war against Spain and immediately
set it’s sights on Havana with it’s formidable fortress. After a forty-four day
assault on the fortress, Havana capitulated, on August 12th.
France,
seeking to recoup some of her losses, planned to recapture Newfoundland. On June 12th, a
squadron of four ships carrying fifteen hundred troops landed at the Bay of Bulls. The
fleet landed without opposition, and three days later they captured the garrison at Saint
Johns. General Jeffery Amherst's immediate reaction was to send his brother, Lieutenant
Colonel William Amherst. He would join Vice Admiral Lord Colville, who had already
departed from Halifax, recapture the post and thwart the French plan. The British troops
landed without opposition and marched to take possession of a pass at Kitty Vitty. There
the French army was engaged and forced to retreat. On September 17th, artillery batteries
were established outside the Saint Johns garrison and bombardment began. The next day, the
French surrendered, leaving Newfoundland in British hands and ending the war between
English and French in North America.
1761
1763