Jun 8

Jun 8 The San Juan Expedition - Britain's Colonial Invasion of Nicaragua

The San Juan Expedition was one of those exceptional events associated with the American Revolutionary War that did not involve any Americans.

Instead, it was an action taken by the British against Spain in Central America.

It is relevant, however, because it all took place because of (if not actually being part of) the American Revolution.

The San Juan Expedition

By 1780 the Revolutionary War was going full steam and Spain had joined the war on the Patriot’s side.

The British Governor of Jamaica, John Dalling, saw an opportunity to help the Mother Country. He decided to launch an invasion of Nicaragua in an attempt to conquer the town of Granada.

Dalling’s goal was twofold.

First, he would separate New Spain from its southern colonies, giving Britain a nice consolation prize should she lose the 13 that were in rebellion.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, Britain would gain access to the Pacific Ocean.

The Leaders

The San Juan Expedition, as it came to be known, was led by two men: Army Captain John Poison and Naval Captain Horatio Nelson.

The 22-year-old Nelson was technically the Senior Officer, though Poison was given command of the Expedition.

Despite the tension this might be expected to create, all accounts indicate that the two men worked well together.

Laying Siege

In April of 1780 the British invaders made landfall.

Things went smoothly at first as they easily defeated the Spanish while making their way up the San Juan River, including a capture of the Fortress of the Immaculate Conception.

Soon, they found themselves laying siege to Fort San Juan.

After two weeks the Spanish gave up and the British laid claim to the Fort.

Disease

From here, the Brit’s luck ran out.

The tropical rains brought disease to the forces and they died by the hundreds.

Estimates vary, but of the approximately 3,000 soldiers who arrived at Fort San Juan, as many as 2,500 either died or deserted over a six month period.

John Poison is one of those who perished and Horatio Nelson was taken from the scene due to sickness (though he would recover and become one of the British Navy’s most heroic figures).

Abandoning the Fort

By November, the decision was made to abandon the Expedition.

On their way out, the Redcoats burned Fort San Juan.

Spanish forces soon retook the land and planned an attack of their own.

Two years later, they would conquer significant British possessions in the Capture of the Bahamas in retaliation.

If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in this other Revolutionary War battle that didn’t involve any Americans:

The American Revolution in India - Bellecombe and the Third Siege of Pondicherry

If you want to learn more about Spanish involvement in the American Revolution, check out ‘Spanish Hero of the American Revolution.’

This book is a biography of Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish Governor of Louisiana during the Revolution.

If you’d like a copy you can get one through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).