raharris1973
Well-known member
What if the Franco-Spanish expedition of 1706, aimed against Charleston, had been successful?
Here is the wiki page regarding the attempted expedition that was stopped, well short of the main defenses of the city. Lefebvre's Charles Town expedition - Wikipedia
My thought to rejigger things for a more successful outcome for the raiders/attackers is to give Cuba some relief from its yellow fever outbreak that year. Yellow fever was of course a common thing in that region, but some years were worse than others, so let's say this is a much milder year with some couple years prior being heavier instead in the natural disease epidemiological cycle.
This has several beneficial effects. The Spanish regime in Cuba is more enthusiastic to reinforce Le Moyne D'Iberville's expedition with Cuban raised troops, far fewer of the troops transported from France perish from disease, Le Moyne D'Iberville doesn't die of the fever and have to leave command to Captain Jacques Lefebvre, and the Spanish Governor of Cuba doesn't die from the fever.
The larger force, with more French soldiers, and especially more Hispano-Cubans, ventures forth from Havana, and makes a last stop in St. Augustine, Florida, reprovisioning and taking on some more men and guides.
Unlike OTL, it is not spotted by an English ship in advance of the approach to Charleston Harbor, at least not by any English ships that are able to make it back and provide advance warning prior to Franco-Spanish assault.
The Franco-Spanish forces bombard and storm the outer works of Charleston and work their way into the city, eventually capturing it. English forces, militia from elsewhere in Carolina and Virginia and regulars that can be scraped up, and more Spanish troops from Florida, move to the scene of the battles in South Carolina as the struggle progresses.
The Franco-Spanish occupy Charleston and the lowland South Carolina counties around it, especially in the southward direction toward the Savannah, for a time, occupying or destroying English plantations, crushing any English militia surfacing to fighting and any pro-English Amerindian groups, and supporting any anti-English Amerindian groups and revolted or runaway slaves in that region or in what we know as Georgia while they are present in southern South Carolina.
It is important to note, this is about 25 years before the foundation of England's Georgia colony, so Georgia, from a European point of view is effectively a no man's land. Spain certainly claims everything up to the Savannah river as part of its Florida colony. English Carolina has paper charter claim to it but no permanent settlements. However, its South Carolina's and Indian slave traders and raiders are active throughout the land and traverse to attack Florida settlements and even French competitors as far as the Mississippi.
So, while the Franco-Spanish force is carrying out its occupation of Charleston and the South Carolina low country it is hitting at the far southern flank of the British-settled zone of the 12 seaboard colonies, a fairly strategic position.
I'm undecided how long they can hold the position. In the overall war, the English ultimately did better on the colonial fronts by the end, so the occupation may be brief. In which case the Franco-Spanish likely burn and loot the occupied land and encourage a flight of runaway before they are removed. In the less likely case they hold it throughout the war, the Bourbon powers may still trade it back at the peace table, and Britain may think hard about trading something like Gibraltar to get it back. In the biggest of over performances probably the Spanish keep it, with the Spanish compensating the French in some other way.
Excluding the big over performance of permanent occupation, what happens if the Franco-Spanish ravage Charleston after a temporary occupation, what are the consequences for later development of the colony?
I would note that OTL history gave The Carolinas little rest from war after the historic end of the War of Spanish Succession/Queen Anne's War in 1713 and the Treaty of Utrecht. North Carolina was faced with the Tuscarora war in its backcountry from 1711-1715. Then South Carolina was ravaged by the Yamassee war, as. the Yamassee, and many other Amerindians, including most formerly allied with the South Carolinians, turned on the colonies and torched most of the plantations in the colony, sending most of the white population into a flight to refuge in Charleston and even ships in Charleston Harbor.
Tuscarora_War
Yamasee_War
How would relations with all these. tribes and their potential for hostile combat be effected by prior damage from the Franco-Spanish occupation and agitation?
Here is the wiki page regarding the attempted expedition that was stopped, well short of the main defenses of the city. Lefebvre's Charles Town expedition - Wikipedia
My thought to rejigger things for a more successful outcome for the raiders/attackers is to give Cuba some relief from its yellow fever outbreak that year. Yellow fever was of course a common thing in that region, but some years were worse than others, so let's say this is a much milder year with some couple years prior being heavier instead in the natural disease epidemiological cycle.
This has several beneficial effects. The Spanish regime in Cuba is more enthusiastic to reinforce Le Moyne D'Iberville's expedition with Cuban raised troops, far fewer of the troops transported from France perish from disease, Le Moyne D'Iberville doesn't die of the fever and have to leave command to Captain Jacques Lefebvre, and the Spanish Governor of Cuba doesn't die from the fever.
The larger force, with more French soldiers, and especially more Hispano-Cubans, ventures forth from Havana, and makes a last stop in St. Augustine, Florida, reprovisioning and taking on some more men and guides.
Unlike OTL, it is not spotted by an English ship in advance of the approach to Charleston Harbor, at least not by any English ships that are able to make it back and provide advance warning prior to Franco-Spanish assault.
The Franco-Spanish forces bombard and storm the outer works of Charleston and work their way into the city, eventually capturing it. English forces, militia from elsewhere in Carolina and Virginia and regulars that can be scraped up, and more Spanish troops from Florida, move to the scene of the battles in South Carolina as the struggle progresses.
The Franco-Spanish occupy Charleston and the lowland South Carolina counties around it, especially in the southward direction toward the Savannah, for a time, occupying or destroying English plantations, crushing any English militia surfacing to fighting and any pro-English Amerindian groups, and supporting any anti-English Amerindian groups and revolted or runaway slaves in that region or in what we know as Georgia while they are present in southern South Carolina.
It is important to note, this is about 25 years before the foundation of England's Georgia colony, so Georgia, from a European point of view is effectively a no man's land. Spain certainly claims everything up to the Savannah river as part of its Florida colony. English Carolina has paper charter claim to it but no permanent settlements. However, its South Carolina's and Indian slave traders and raiders are active throughout the land and traverse to attack Florida settlements and even French competitors as far as the Mississippi.
So, while the Franco-Spanish force is carrying out its occupation of Charleston and the South Carolina low country it is hitting at the far southern flank of the British-settled zone of the 12 seaboard colonies, a fairly strategic position.
I'm undecided how long they can hold the position. In the overall war, the English ultimately did better on the colonial fronts by the end, so the occupation may be brief. In which case the Franco-Spanish likely burn and loot the occupied land and encourage a flight of runaway before they are removed. In the less likely case they hold it throughout the war, the Bourbon powers may still trade it back at the peace table, and Britain may think hard about trading something like Gibraltar to get it back. In the biggest of over performances probably the Spanish keep it, with the Spanish compensating the French in some other way.
Excluding the big over performance of permanent occupation, what happens if the Franco-Spanish ravage Charleston after a temporary occupation, what are the consequences for later development of the colony?
I would note that OTL history gave The Carolinas little rest from war after the historic end of the War of Spanish Succession/Queen Anne's War in 1713 and the Treaty of Utrecht. North Carolina was faced with the Tuscarora war in its backcountry from 1711-1715. Then South Carolina was ravaged by the Yamassee war, as. the Yamassee, and many other Amerindians, including most formerly allied with the South Carolinians, turned on the colonies and torched most of the plantations in the colony, sending most of the white population into a flight to refuge in Charleston and even ships in Charleston Harbor.
Tuscarora_War
Yamasee_War
How would relations with all these. tribes and their potential for hostile combat be effected by prior damage from the Franco-Spanish occupation and agitation?