The Battle of Jersey (January 6, 1781) was an attempt by France to invade Jersey and remove the threat the island posed to French and American shipping in the American War of Independence. Jersey was used as a base for privateering by the British, and France, engaged in the war as an ally of the United States, sent an expedition to gain control of the island. The expedition ultimately failed, and its commander, Baron Phillipe de Rullecourt, died of wounds sustained in the fighting. The battle is often remembered for the death of the British officer Major Peirson, and a painting based on his final moments by John Singleton Copley.
Read more about Battle Of Jersey: Causes, Defences in Jersey, Failed French Attack, The French Plan, Battle, Aftermath
Famous quotes containing the words battle and/or jersey:
“Napoleon said of Massena, that he was not himself until the battle began to go against him; then, when the dead began to fall in ranks around him, awoke his powers of combination, and he put on terror and victory as a robe.”
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—For the State of New Jersey, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)