Falklands Expedition: Difference between revisions

Falklands Expedition
	; A map of historic Puerto Soledad.
Date	December 28, 1831 – January 22, 1832
Location	Port Louis, Falkland Islands
Result	Americans rescued; Suspects captured; Island evacuated; Temporary severing of Argentina–United States relations; Indirectly resulted in reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands;
Belligerents
United States	Argentina
Commanders and leaders
Silas Duncan	Matthew Brisbane (POW)
Strength
1 sloop	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	7 captured
	38 colonists evacuated

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The Falklands Expedition occurred in late 1831 when the United States Navy warship USS Lexington was dispatched to investigate the seizure of three whalers at the settlement of Puerto Luis founded in the ruins of the former Spanish penal colony of Puerto Soledad by Luis Vernet. Vernet had sought to control sealing in the islands and seized the ships alleging they had violated his regulations controlling sealing in the islands (US sealers did not recognise his authority and had ignored them). Finding one of the ships being outfitted with guns, Captain Duncan seized six of the senior officers in the settlement on charges of piracy. The damage done to the settlement is disputed. Duncan reports spiking the guns of the settlement and a powder store. Vernet was to later claim his settlement was ransacked.

The settlers complained of the conditions they were living in and asserted that Vernet had misled them. Duncan offered passage to the mainland and the majority of settlers chose to leave, leaving behind a small party. In late 1832, Argentine warships challenged American sealers in the area again, prompting the US consul to consider a second punitive expedition with orders to sink the Argentine ship ARA Sarandi. This prompted the British to reassert sovereignty over the islands. Historically, the Argentine government has disputed the rights to the islands with the United Kingdom and it culminated in the Falklands War of 1982.^[1]

References

^ Silas Duncan and the Falklands' Incident

External links

SILAS DUNCAN (1788 - 1834)

[1] Silas Duncan and the Falklands' Incident

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|US Naval action}}
-{{operational plan
+{{Infobox military conflict
-|name =Falklands Expedition
+| conflict    = Falklands Expedition
-|image =[[File:Puerto-Soledad.PNG|250px]]
+| image       = [[File:Puerto-Soledad.PNG|250px]]
-|caption =''A map of historic Puerto Soledad.''
+| caption     = ''A map of historic Puerto Soledad.''
-|scope =
+| date        = December 28, 1831 – January 22, 1832
-|planned =
+| place       = [[Port Louis, Falkland Islands]]
-|planned_by =
+| result      =
-|objective = Investigate reports of [[piracy]]
+* Americans rescued
-|executed =December 1831
+* Suspects captured
-|executed_by ={{flag|United States}}
+* Island evacuated
-|outcome = Evacuation of [[Argentina|Argentine]] colonists from the [[Falkland Islands]]
+* Temporary severing of [[Argentina–United States relations]]
-|casualties =
+* Indirectly resulted in [[reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (1833)|reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands]]
+| combatants_header =
+| combatant1  = {{flag|United States|1822}}
+| combatant2  = {{flag|Argentina|1829}}
+| commander1  = [[Silas Duncan]]
+| commander2  = [[Matthew Brisbane]]{{POW}}
+| strength1   = 1 [[Sloop-of-war|sloop]]
+| strength2   = Unknown
+| casualties1 = None
+| casualties2 = 7 captured
+| notes       = 38 colonists evacuated
+| campaignbox =
 }}
-The '''Falklands Expedition''' occurred in late 1831 when the [[United States]] [[US Navy|Navy]] warship [[USS Lexington (1825)|USS ''Lexington'']] was dispatched to investigate the plunder of two [[whaler]]s at the small [[Argentina|Argentine]] [[colony]] of [[Puerto Soledad]]. American forces discovered that the settlers were suffering from [[famine]] so they were evacuated in the ''Lexington'' to the mainland. The Argentine colony was then abandoned which left the islands unsettled and open for [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Re-establishment of British rule on the Falkland Islands|acquisition]]. Historically the Argentine government has disputed the rights to the islands with the [[United Kingdom]] and it culminated in the [[Falklands War]] of 1982.<ref>[http://www.ussduncan.org/silas_page13.htm Silas Duncan and the Falklands' Incident]</ref>
+The '''Falklands Expedition''' occurred in late 1831 when the [[United States]] [[US Navy|Navy]] warship [[USS Lexington (1825)|USS ''Lexington'']] was dispatched to investigate the seizure of three [[whaler]]s at the settlement of [[Port Louis, Falkland Islands|Puerto Luis]] founded in the ruins of the former Spanish penal colony of [[Puerto Soledad]] by [[Luis Vernet]].  Vernet had sought to control sealing in the islands and seized the ships alleging they had violated his regulations controlling sealing in the islands (US sealers did not recognise his authority and had ignored them). Finding one of the ships being outfitted with guns, Captain Duncan seized six of the senior officers in the settlement on charges of piracy.  The damage done to the settlement is disputed.  Duncan reports spiking the guns of the settlement and a powder store.  Vernet was to later claim his settlement was ransacked.
+The settlers complained of the conditions they were living in and asserted that Vernet had misled them.  Duncan offered passage to the mainland and the majority of settlers chose to leave, leaving behind a small party.  In late 1832, Argentine warships challenged American sealers in the area again, prompting the US consul to consider a second punitive expedition with orders to sink the Argentine ship [[ARA Sarandí (1826)|ARA ''Sarandi'']].  This prompted the [[United Kingdom|British]] to [[Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (1833)|reassert sovereignty over the islands]]. Historically, the Argentine government has disputed the rights to the islands with the [[United Kingdom]] and it culminated in the [[Falklands War]] of 1982.<ref>[http://www.ussduncan.org/silas_page13.htm Silas Duncan and the Falklands' Incident]</ref>
-==See Also==
+==See also==
 *[[Brazil Squadron]]
+*[[Capture of Port Egmont]]
+*[[Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (1833)]]
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+==External links==
+*[https://robertson.org/FC_Silas_Duncan.html SILAS DUNCAN (1788 - 1834)]
-[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1831|Falklands]]
+[[Category:Maritime incidents in December 1831|Falklands]]
-[[Category:History of the United States Navy]]
+[[Category:United States Navy in the 19th century]]
 [[Category:History of the Falkland Islands]]
-[[Category:Military expeditions of the United States|Falklands]]
+[[Category:Punitive expeditions of the United States]]
-[[Category:Punitive expeditions and landings in the Atlantic/Mediterranean (1800-1899)|Falklands]]