Addenda: January 1691 | British History Online

Page 762

Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 13, 1689-1692. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1901.

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Citation:

January 1691



Jan. 11.	2,782. Exact relation of what passed between the English and French at St. Domingo on 11/21 January, 1690/1;. M. de Cussy having learned from some English prisoners that the English fleet which had taken St. Christophers was sailing for Porto Rico, there to join the Spaniards and attack the French quarters at St. Domingo, went to await them on the 31st of December and arrived off the Cape on the 2nd January. About eight o'clock on the morning of the 4th we heard cannon-shots. In the evening we learned of five large ships of the enemy anchored at Mangaville, eighteen or nineteen leagues from the Cape. The Governor pushed forward his advanced sentries, one of whom returned at dawn of the 7th to say that he had seen a large number of horses, reeking with sweat, and some Spaniards. Thereupon the alarm was given, as the news was that the enemy was advancing rapidly, and the Governor on the 9th set out at the head of 30 or 40 of his bravest men, leaving M. Franquesnay to assemble and march with the inhabitants left behind. On the 10th they arrived at Limonade and on the 11th came in sight of the enemy, whom they approached so closely that by nine o'clock the fighting began. The issue hung in the balance for more than an hour and a half till a Spanish officer, seeing their fusiliers waver under the fire of ours, raised his hat as a signal to 300 pikemen who were lying down. These fell upon our men so impetuously that most of ours took to flight. Only the bravest resisted, and these were obliged to yield to superior force. M. de Cussy distinguished himself throughout, but in the route he surpassed himself, for though surrounded by eight pikemen he killed two after he had received a wound in the body, and died gloriously killing a third man with his pistol at the moment that a pike was thrust into him. M. de Franquesnay and 32 of the bravest officers shared his fate. It was with keen regret that we heard later that the vessels at anchor entrapped and captured two French frigates. French. 1½ pp. [Board of Trade. Jamaica, 6. No. 81A.]