Qualla: Capture of St. Lucia https://qualla.com/capture-of-st-lucia en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:13 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/d/d/k/w/capture-of-st-lucia-wp/hero-small.webp Qualla: Capture of St. Lucia https://qualla.com/capture-of-st-lucia Capture of St. Lucia: Introduction https://qualla.com/capture-of-st-lucia/ Photo credit Dominic Serres, Public domain. The white plumes that became the trademark of Britain's 5th Northumberland Regiment began as battlefield trophies, pulled from the hats of dead French soldiers on a Caribbean hillside. It was December 1778, and the American Revolution had just gone global. France had recognized the fledgling United States, Britain had declared war on France, and the sugar-rich islands of the West Indies suddenly became a second front. St. Lucia -- a volcanic sliver of French territory between Martinique and Barbados -- sat at the center of this imperial chess match. What followed was a ten-day campaign of amphibious landings, naval engagements, and infantry assaults that would hand Britain one of its most strategically important Caribbean outposts.

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Image: Dominic Serres | Public domain

]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/d/k/w/capture-of-st-lucia-wp/ddkw-capture-of-st-lucia-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Capture of St. Lucia: The Caribbean Domino https://qualla.com/capture-of-st-lucia/ Photo credit Dominic Serres, Public domain. The chain of events that brought British warships to St. Lucia began in February 1778, when France signed the Treaty of Alliance with the United States. Britain declared war on France the following month, and by September the French governor of Martinique, the Marquis de Bouille,...

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Image: Dominic Serres | Public domain

]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/d/k/w/capture-of-st-lucia-wp/ddkw-capture-of-st-lucia-the-caribbean-domino.mp3 0:06 2 full Capture of St. Lucia: An Island Taken in a Day https://qualla.com/capture-of-st-lucia/ Photo credit Dominic Serres, Public domain. The British arrived on December 13, and the invasion unfolded with startling speed. Brigadier General William Medows landed at Grand Cul-de-Sac with 1,400 troops -- flank companies from several regiments and the 5th Foot. They scaled the heights on the bay's north side and captur...

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Image: Dominic Serres | Public domain

]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/d/k/w/capture-of-st-lucia-wp/ddkw-capture-of-st-lucia-an-island-taken-in-a-day.mp3 0:06 3 full Capture of St. Lucia: Bayonets and White Feathers https://qualla.com/capture-of-st-lucia/ Photo credit Dominic Serres, Public domain. What happened next was a mismatch. The French troops -- relatively green and poorly prepared -- advanced in formation against British infantry hardened by years of fighting in the American colonies. The British were entrenched and waiting. Three times the French attacked; three t...

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Image: Dominic Serres | Public domain

]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/d/k/w/capture-of-st-lucia-wp/ddkw-capture-of-st-lucia-bayonets-and-white-feathers.mp3 0:06 4 full Capture of St. Lucia: A Bargaining Chip Between Empires https://qualla.com/capture-of-st-lucia/ Photo credit Dominic Serres, Public domain. Defeated at sea and on land, and facing the imminent arrival of yet another British fleet under Admiral John Byron, the French garrison surrendered on December 28. The remaining troops embarked that night, and the fleet returned to Martinique by December 30. St. Lucia proved its ...

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Image: Dominic Serres | Public domain

]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/d/d/k/w/capture-of-st-lucia-wp/ddkw-capture-of-st-lucia-a-bargaining-chip-between-empires.mp3 0:06 5 full