Battle of Grand Turk The Battle of Grand Turk occurred on 9 March 1783 during the American War of Independence . France had seized the Turks and Caicos archipelago , islets of rich salt works , seizing Grand Turk in February 1783 . The British responded by deploying 28 - gun frigate HMS " Albermarle " with a force of more than 100 men under the command of Captain Horatio Nelson . Although the mission failed , the islands were shortly restored to Britain in the second Treaty of Paris that formally concluded the war . French capture . On 12 February 1783 , a three - ship flotilla , headed by the 28 - gun " La Coquette " under the command of the Marquis de Grasse - Briançon ( nephew to Admiral Comte de Grasse ) arrived at Grand Turk Island . Disembarking about 400 men drawn from four regiments under the command of M . de Coujolles , the French took control of the island without resistance . British recovery attempt . On 2 March 1783 , the 44 - gun , under the command of Captain James King , while sailing in company with , discovered two of the French ships anchored in Turks Island passage . On being spotted the two ships cut their cables and stood to the southwest , upon which " Resistance " promptly gave chase . The rearmost ship , carrying 20 guns , sprang her main topmast , and surrendered after " Resistance " came up and fired a broadside . She then gave chase to the other , carrying 28 guns , and after enduring fire from her stern chasers , came alongside and the Frenchman promptly surrendered . A few days later " Resistance " fell in with a small squadron under Captain Horatio Nelson , consisting of , , and the armed ship " Barrington " . Primary accounts differ on what exactly happened next . King decided , on the basis of the information he had gathered from the taking of " La Coquette " to recover Turk ' s Island . The British landed some 350 seamen and marines under the command of " Drake " Captain Charles Dixon , while the two brigs positioned themselves to cover the landing and fire on the town if necessary . However , two shore batteries ( one of four 24 - pounder guns and one of five 6 - pounder guns ) that the British had not expected opened fire on the brigs . Their fire wounded seven men on " Drake " and two on " Barrington " . and forced the two brigs to withdraw . At the same time Dixon ran into a well - entrenched French force that outnumbered his landing party . He was able to extricate his force without casualties . King contemplated a second attack with the frigates , but the winds were not favorable and ultimately the British squadron withdrew . Nelson in his letter of 9 March 1783 , reports that he was in command of the squadron and the operation . Shortly after the squadron arrived at Turk ' s Island , " Tartar " left without explanation . Nelson states that he sent Dixon under a flag of truce to ask the French commander to surrender ; the demand was refused . The British then landed 167 troops , under Dixon . Unexpectedly , a shore battery of three guns opened fire on the brigs . " Drake " master was wounded , as were some seven men aboard the " General Barrington " . Dixon reported that seamen were manning the French guns and that the French troops had several field pieces . Nelson then decided to withdraw . The Turks and Caicos Islands were returned to British control under the terms of Treaty of Paris , which was formally ratified later in 1783 .