- Battle of Signal Hill
Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Signal Hill
partof=theSeven Years' War French and Indian War
caption=Signal Hill
date=September 15 ,1762
place=St. John's, Newfoundland
result=British victory
combatant1=
combatant2=flagicon|UK|1606 Great Britain
commander1=Guillaume de Bellecombe
commander2=William Amherst
strength1=295 regulars
strength2=200 regulars and provincials
casualties1=20–40 dead or wounded
casualties2=4–5 dead
19 woundedThe Battle of Signal Hill (
September 15 ,1762 ) was a small skirmish, the last of theFrench and Indian War . The British under Lieutenant ColonelWilliam Amherst forced the French to surrender St. John's.French occupation
On
June 27 1762 , French forces underComte d'Haussonville forced the British capitulation of St. John's. During the following weeks, d'Haussonville, under the orders of theChevalier de Ternay , was able to consolidate the French position in Newfoundland. His defence system consisted of several advanced posts, equipped with artillery, around Signal Hill.On
September 13 1762 , the British landed at Torbay, a few miles to the north. Ternay and Haussonville were unable to counter it, so to hamper the British advance, they dispatched a detachment to guard the bare summit of Signal Hill, a strategic point dominating the surroundings.The battle
At dawn on September 15 1762, British troops climbed the hill held by the French. The surprise was total, and the engagement was brief but fatal. The commander of the French detachment,
Guillaume de Bellecombe , was seriously wounded. On the British side, a bullet shattered the legs of one of Amherst's officers, MacDonell. The French withdrew to the fort.Consequence
At the close of the battle, Signal Hill was in the hands of the British. Strengthened by this advantageous situation, they obtained the capitulation of the French garrison of St. John's 3 days later.Cite web|url= http://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/amherst-1762.shtml | title= Recount of William Amherst Journal| author= Newfoundland Grand Banks| accessdate= 2008-01-28 ]
References
Further reading
*Georges Cerbelaud-Salagnac, "La reprise de Terre-Neuve par les Français en 1762", revue française d'histoire d'outre-mer, tome LXIII, 1976, numéro 231
* Major Evan W. H. Fyers, "The Loss and Recapture of St.John's, Newfoundland, in 1762," Army Historical Research, Volume XI, 1932
* André de Visme, "Terre-Neuve 1762 : Dernier combat aux portes de la Nouvelle-France", Montréal, 2005 (ISBN = 2-9808847-0-7)
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