Battle of Sabana Real

Battle of Sabana Real
Illustration of the Battle of Sabana Real, artowrk by José Alloza
Date January 21, 1691 Location Santo Domingo Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Santo Domingo	France
Commanders and leaders
Francisco de Segura Sandoval y Castilla	De Cussy  †
Strength
700 Spanish Dominican raiders 2,600 militiamen	1,000
Casualties and losses
47 dead 130 wounded	400 dead

The Battle of Sabana Real (Spanish: Batalla de Sabana Real) took place on January 21, 1691. An army of 700 Dominican raiders and 2,600 militiamen aboard five warships of the Armada de Barlovento, circled and overwhelmed 1,000 French defenders at Sabana de la Limonade; Governor de Cussy and 400 of his followers were killed.

This incident, among others, led Spain to formally recognize French control of some Caribbean territory in the Treaty of Ryswick in order to avoid further conflicts again in the future: Tortuga Island and the western third of the adjacent island of Hispaniola, where the French colony of Saint-Domingue was later established.

Background

French invasion of Santiago

On June 6, 1690, De Cussy and his militias entered Santiago, the most important town in the entire Cibao region, and subjected it to pillage because its inhabitants had all fled in time, leaving the town completely abandoned. At the end of the mass robbery, De Cussy's troops burned it before beginning their retreat towards the French side. Along the entire northwest line, from Santiago to the border, the French left a desolate specter.

When the news of what the French did reached Admiral Ignacio Pérez-Caro y Fernández, he became irritated and wanted to request by any means suggested the possibility of revenge to achieve the absolute extermination of the French and evict them from the island, for which Admiral Ignacio Pérez-Caro wanted to reduce their forces with repeated hostilities to obtain the opportunity to achieve the French defeat. He would order the military corporals of Santiago and those of the towns of Azua and Hincha, to continually harass the French to obtain information on the people, militia captains and Corsicans with whom he was in contact. the disposition of its fortresses, towns and the rest that would lead to Spanish interest. Following those orders from the Governor, Captain Vicente Martín with the troops from the south together with the residents of Hincha and Azua killed 28 Frenchmen, imprisoned 9 and burned a large house with 4 huts. The residents of Azua burned 300 hides in a ranch, without the ones they took out for their needs, which were many. The northern troops killed 3 Frenchmen and imprisoned 7 casualties.