In early May 1800,
Captain Silas Talbot organized a naval expedition to
Puerto Plata on the island of
Hispaniola. His objective was to reduce
French privateering. Having captured the small French sloops
Sally and
Ester, arrived outside Puerto Plata. The French privateer
Sandwich was known to be at anchor in the harbor. Talbot offloaded from USS
Constitution a
landing force of about 100
marines and
sailors, onto the prize sloop
Sally under the command of Lt.
Isaac Hull. Hull, with the force hidden below deck, brought
Sally into harbor and alongside an unsuspecting
Sandwich. The French were no doubt shocked at the approaching American force and hardly put up a fight;
Sandwich was captured in minutes. Then the Americans turned their attention on
Fortaleza San Felipe, a Spanish fort whose guns covered the two ships. After another brief fight, the fort's defenses were overrun and the marines spiked the fort's
cannons. With the capture of
Sandwich and the assault on the coastal fort, U.S. forces returned to their ships and sailed home. The Battle of Puerto Plata Harbor was one of the few land battles during the
Quasi-War. Later the United States government would have to disavow Talbot's raid as it was an attack on a neutral party (Spain) and against a neutral military force (the fort). ==Bibliography==