British Attack on Santo Domingo (Battle of Hispaniola)

Timeline

1. 1655Southwest coast of Hispaniola · HispaniolaOn April 13, 1655, the British expeditionary fleet under Admiral William Penn reached the southwest coast of Hispaniola, where General Robert Venables landed about 9,000 troops; however, the landing site lay roughly 30 miles of jungle march from Santo Domingo, and supplies were critically short.
2. 1655Outskirts of Santo Domingo · HispaniolaOn April 17, after a long jungle march, the British reached the outskirts of Santo Domingo, their fighting strength greatly reduced by thirst, hunger, exhaustion, and disorientation. Spanish defenders, using favorable terrain and guerrilla tactics, repelled the attack with a small force; the British suffered several hundred casualties and were forced to withdraw to the coast.
3. 1655Santo Domingo and surroundings · HispaniolaOn April 25, the British attacked Santo Domingo again; Spanish cavalry and infantry ambushed the British column, which routed once more, with cumulative casualties exceeding a thousand. Venables and Penn admitted the siege was hopeless, abandoned Hispaniola, and turned instead on the poorly defended Jamaica, leaving Hispaniola in early May.