The
last invasion of my Nation occurred in 1797, not from Anglo/Norman
forces pouring over the border in the east
however, but by Frenchmen
landing from the sea in the west. The cream of the
French Republican army! no indeed they were not. With
many of them still wearing wrist and ankle irons,
they were a ragtag force of some 1400 soldiers assembled from
the dregs of French prisons. Included in the force however, were
a few released prisoners of war who evidently did not know what
they had volunteered for. The whole command was not under a dashing
French Colonel, but under a 70 year old American adventurer from
South Carolina called William Tate.
Whilst
the men of the French army may have been well below standard,
the ships of the French squadron were certainly not. Among the
squadron was two of the French navy's most modern frigates, Vengeance
and Resistance, with each mounting some 40 guns. Also in attendance
to the frigates were the 24 gun corvette Constance and the 14
gun Vautour. Certainly the fleet had the firepower to mount and
invasion, all were under the able command of Commodore Jean Joseph
Castagnier.
The Invasion force left Camaret on on the 18th
February, but gave itself away when its fighting ships attacked
merchant shipping in Ilfracombe bay. The French squadron was next
sited by men on a Lugger in Swansea Bay, who quickly put ashore
and reported the fact. The whole of the population of West Wales
were soon alive to the fact that an invasion force was abroad,
and lookouts were positioned in an attempt to record the French
Squadron's passage.
It was one such lookout, a Thomas Williams an old seafarer, who
on Wednesday 22 February 1797 spotted the French
squadron approaching
Strumble Head. Despite the fact that the ships were flying British
colours and the troops were wearing British uniforms, Williams
was not convinced they were who the were purporting to be; so
after sending a runner to the fort at Fishguard, he began to follow
the fleet from the shoreline.
At
4 PM on what was a mild day for February the fleet sailed past
Strumble Head itself and all except one frigate began to anchor
off Carregwastad Point. The frigate Resistance continued to sail
on however, but as she rounded Penaglas Point into Fishguard harbour
she was fired upon by a gun from Fishguard fort. Thinking that
he could expect salvo after salvo the Frigate's captain ordered
his ship out to sea; unknowing that the eight 9 pound guns in
the fort had only 3 rounds and 16 cartridges between them.
In
the mean time back at their anchorage the captains of the remaining
ships of the French flotilla had began to disembark their troops
at 5 PM. Despite some boats capsizing with the loss of all the
expedition's 4 pounder guns and some of the crew the "Black
Legionnaires", so called because they wore British uniforms
captured at Quiberon that had been dyed deep brown, were ashore
by 2 am Thursday 23rd of February.Also successfully landed were
40 plus barrels of gunpowder and a few thousand rifles and small
arms . Now it was hoped by the French on the shoreline, as the
French government had informed them, that the locals would rise
in insurrection against the English government.
Castagnier
the French Squadron's senior captain, with his charges ashore
was now eager to be gone from enemy shores. Once he had held a
conference with Tate and got him to sign an agreement that he
had successfully completed his part in the landing he ordered
his ships to sail for home just after 5.30 am. Tate now, with
no means of escape, was alone on an enemy shore with his rag tag
army, however, he ordered the lugger Vautour to make haste for
Brest with a more than favourable report, forwarded to Paris,
of how despite heavy opposition the landing had been a total success.
He was to regret that report.
The
news of the landing spread quickly and there were two regiments
of infantry in the immediate vicinity, the Pembroke Fencibles
and the Fishguard Fencibles; however, these were more home guard
units than front line troops. As to the local Infantry Regiment,
the Royal Pembrokeshire Militia, it was on military exercise in
Norfolk in the east of England. However, a detachment of the Carmarthenshire
Militia was nearby guarding prisoners of war; but no more than
500 troops were available in the area.
In command of the 270 strong Fishguard Fencibles was Lieutenant
Colonel Thomas Knox, who at the time of the landing was attending
a social function. Made aware of the situation, Knox hurried to
join his command at Fishguard fort. However, crossing the sand
bar at Goodwick he met part of his command under the command of
a Lieutenant marching to meet the enemy. Knox deciding that with
no estimates to hand of the strength of the invasion force he
ordered them back to the fort. His action undoubtedly saved the
lives of the young subaltern and his men, for when a runner slipped
into the fort an hour later he informed Knox that the enemy's
strength appeared to be at least 1500 strong. In view of this
news Knox decided to abandon the fort and march for the Headquarters
of the Pembrokeshire Militia situated in Haverfordwest twenty
miles to the south.