Battle of Capri 1808

The Siege of Capri

by Robert Fletcher, FINS, USA

On the sixth of October, a temporary stalemate was reached, while the French received needed supplies and reinforcements. General Lamarque sent 250 Voltigeurs past the British cannon along the Phoenician stairs to attack Capri's port. These men easily captured Marina Grande, which been found strangely un-garrisoned.

Mule transportation Black & White Postcard circa 1900

The capture of Marina Grande cut off the principal British supply line and allowed a number of intact storehouses to fall into French hands. Lamarque ordered a battery constructed at Santa Maria a Cetrella to bring the town of Capri under direct artillery fire.

Although occupied, Marina Grande was found unsuitable as a port for French use, being directly under the British batteries fire from Capri. Lamarque, thus denied use of a major port, had his sappers bring down the coastal ruins of Tiberius’s Bath to construct an improvised new port on the coast out of sight of Capri. During the day, Franco-Neapolitan gunboats maintained steady fire on Capri until 10 o’clock at night.

On October 7th, Lamarque's total force numbered some 2,363 men (minus dead and wounded), a number of captured cannon, and another seven cannon arriving later in the day. Lamarque received a shock as a Bourbon naval squadron arrived off Capri during the afternoon, preventing further French supplies from arriving.

The French halted their siege works and made ready to receive a naval attack. No attack ever materialized, as the Bourbon squadron commander was reluctant to engage, fearing that the only existing bourbon naval force could be damaged or lost.

The squadron commander, Captain Salvatore Valguarnera aboard the 44 gun frigate Sirena, did interrupt the French and Neapolitan supply shipping, by his presence alone. Later in the day, a small English squadron composed of the HMS Ambuscade, Mercury, and Halcyon arrived off Capri.

On the 8th, before any assistance could be given to the British defenders, a storm broke, driving both squadrons off to shelter in the gulf of Salerno. Gunfire and operations continued on both sides, though the British did not fire cannon to save ammunition, except at specific items such as the pesky gunboats. Lowe had placed his officers forward to direct operations, Captain Susini right flank, Captain Rossi in the centre, Captain Church on the town left flank, Captain Arata on Castle Hill, and Major Schummelkettel commanding the reserve.

On the 9th October, Captain Durban of the English squadron was able to provide 2 officers, 57 marines, an ensign, and 10 seamen as reinforcements to Lowe. Further support was made impossible due to bad weather and heavy seas, which continued for several days. Colonel Lowe watched as the Franco-Neapolitans implemented formal siege works around the town.

The lower walls nearest to Marina Grande proved little or no defence against the French cannon shot that easily penetrated them. Lowe pulled back further into the town, his forces loop holing walls, bricking up doors and alleys, to prepare for an assault. Heavy winds continued, preventing any naval assistance or reinforcements for either side. Franco-Neapolitan operations continued as battery positions were sited at Marina Grande and Monte Solaro (6, 24, and 12 lb cannon).

The English continued to fortify the town, digging trenches, piling rubble, and waiting. A Neapolitan engineer Colonel, Charles d’Hautpoul, took over the formal siege operations from Lamarque. His plan was to open a breach in the walls nearest to the “Due Golfi” area followed by an all out assault.

As weather permitted, the English ships fired on the French positions and the new port at Tiberius' baths, but provoked no noticeable damage. Colonel Lowe requested the English squadron to conduct a blockade of all French shipping, deducing that if Lamarque received no supplies, he could not attack. In fact, General Lamarque had already communicated to Murat that he was in dire need of both gunpowder and food. On the 12th, the Neapolitan ships Cerere and Renommee' commanded by Captain Giuseppe Correale put to sea, to provoke the allied squadron into breaking the blockade.

Captain Durban engaged Correale’s frigates, which exchanged gunfire and fled. The English ships followed the French and Neapolitan vessels, as a massive small craft flotilla sailed for Capri. Within several hours, Lamarque had been re-supplied and reinforced as Lowe watched, helpless to intervene. Valguarnera's squadron continued to decline combat and sailed off to the waters around the island of Ischia. After the return of the English squadron, Lowe had a heated discussion with Captain Durban regarding his abandonment of Capri. Durban replied that he was a frigate captain and did his duty as he saw fit.

Boats from the Ambuscade and Mercury had been engaged with enemy small craft and along the coast with enemies. At this point, Lowe had the island treasury embarked, as he planned for the worst. Meanwhile, a small English craft put into Capri with a message that reinforcements were finally on the way to Capri, but neither details, nor an expected arrival time were provided.

On 14 October, two French 12pdr guns and an 24pdr Gun, two 9 pounders and four howitzers opened fire on the town of Capri. All day supplies were ferried to the French and Neapolitans from the coast. The cannon projectiles, passed straight through the defences and into the town proper. By the 15th of October, all of Lamarque's batteries (an additional 12 pound gun and two 24 pounders) were in operation and a narrow breach had already been opened in the town walls. Lowe’s guns replied and Tower Hill kept up a continuous fire.

Lamarque sent terms of surrender to Lowe under a truce. As negotiations progressed, yet another French supply convoy arrived. Lowe was low on ammunition, three out of four cannon at Castiglione had been dismounted, his other cannon had been moved to cover the breach, and several town buildings were severely damaged and close to collapsing. News of reinforcements reached Lowe at the same time with help finally arriving.

During the night of the fifteenth, 220 soldiers of a 600 total, aboard two English transports, were disembarked under some difficulty, at Tragara by the light of bonfires. Lowe realized that other reinforcements “might” arrive, but, the Navy so far had let him down, his actual situation had not yet changed, and heavy seas continued to prevent contact with the fleet.

On the morning of 16 October, with no fleet in sight and the heavy seas continuing, Lowe signed proposals for a convention of truce bargaining for surrender terms that his force was to be repatriated to Sicily, with a promise not to fight the French for a year. General Lamarque granted such terms fearing that long negotiations would see the arrival of British reinforcements and could place him into a besieged position (in fact other reinforcements had put to sea from Sicily).

The terms had been sent for approval to Murat, who made no response, and Lamarque decided to take Lowe's surrender. On the 17th the terms were presented as ratified by Murat. Lowe received news that a British force was 20 hours or so distant, but the surrender terms had been made.

During the evening, Lowe surrendered the city gate and turned over all arms and magazines intact. Lamarque entered Capri the next day, with four companies of grenadiers in dress uniforms. Lowe's departing force was lessened by a number of desertions among the Corsican Rangers, who preferred to stay with the French and Neapolitans (some 86 men). The last of Lowe's force was removed from Capri on 21 October, when the weather finally permitted embarkation to the waiting transports.

Battle of Capri 1808

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