Capture of Tortuga

Capture of Tortuga
Part of the Franco-Spanish War
A c. 1650 illustration of Tortuga
Date 21–23 January 1635 (1635-01-21 – 1635-01-23) Location Tortuga Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spain	England  France
Commanders and leaders
Francisco Turrillo de Yebra Ruy Fernández de Fuenmayor Gonçalo de Frías	Christopher Wormeley
Strength
150 cavalry 50 infantry 50 sailors 4 ships	150‍–‍600 male settlers
Casualties and losses
2 killed 4 wounded	196 killed 39 captured 2 ships destroyed 1 ship captured

The capture of Tortuga was a Spanish expedition to the island of Tortuga in January 1635 intended to remove French and English settlers from the island during the Franco-Spanish War. During the early 17th century, English and French colonists settled on Tortuga, engaging in logwood harvesting and piracy. In 1630, 150 English settlers from Saint Kitts established a settlement linked to the Providence Island colony, which appointed Christopher Wormeley as governor in 1634.

The Spanish, alerted to Tortuga's weak defences by Irish defectors, set a 250-strong expedition in late January 1635 which captured and destroyed all French and English settlements on the island, forcing their survivors to flee. Spanish forces summarily executed hundreds of captives during the engagement. Wormeley was later banished for his failure, and Tortuga evolved into a pirate stronghold after the departure of the Providence Island's plantation-oriented oversight.^{[note 1]}
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