Siege of Curaçao The Siege of Curaçao was a battle in Curaçao in 1800 during the Quasi - War between the French Navy and the Batavian Republic , the United States Navy and the Royal Navy . The French had landed on the island on 22 July , and on 5 September attacked and captured a fort protecting the town of Willemstad . The American consul sent for help , and on 10 September the governor of the island surrendered to a British frigate who promised to protect the town but did little to help . On 22 September the sloop s and arrived , on 23 September the " Patapsco " sailed into the harbor and landed marines to reinforce the garrison protecting the town . On 23 September and 24 September the French fired upon the defenders ; however , instead of assaulting the town , the French forces left the island during the night , the British took control of the island , and the American forces sailed away . Background . The island of Curaçao was important to American merchants in the Caribbean , and ships had been stationed near there to guard American interests since the start of the Quasi - War . The sloop was ordered to sail there in May 1800 , and arrived in June and left soon afterwards . No American ships were stationed at Curaçao on 23 July when a French fleet arrived from Guadeloupe , consisting of 5 ships and 1400 men and sailors . The French forces landed and their commander demanded the surrender of the forts , which Governor Johan Lausser refused . Siege . An additional 10 vessels with more sailors and men had landed by 5 September , when the French forces attacked the forts protecting the town of Willemstad , capturing one and sending a note threatening to attack Americans . American consul Benjamin Phillips sent a messenger to St . Kitts , and the and " Patapsco " were sent to Curaçao on 14 September , arriving on 22 September . Meanwhile , the British frigate under Frederick Watkins had been sent to the island to prevent its capture by the French . On 10 September the ship arrived at the eastern point of Curaçao , and there chased two privateers that the French commander had left cruising as pickets . After these vessels retreated into a bay that contained a further 15 privateers , Watkins sailed to Willemstad where he began engaging various targets that were firing in the town . An American merchantman soon informed the British of the situation and that the Dutch were willing to capitulate to the British in exchange for protection . The British landed a force of twenty marines and accepted Governor Lassuer ' s surrender three days later . The French still held two forts near the town , and on 22 September , prior to the arrival of the American forces , the French commander had demanded the surrender of the town within 24 hours . Battle . On 23 September , to save the town and protect American property , the " Patapsco " sailed into the harbor , landed her marines , reinforced with twenty marines from the " Merrimack . " The marines manned a gun battery and fanned out through the town . At approximately 17 : 00 the French forts and men fired upon the defending forces , which the cannon of the " Patapsco " answered along with the muskets and cannon of the defending forces . Two Americans were wounded with an unknown number of French casualties . On 24 September , the French again exchanged cannon and musket fire with the defending forces , and the volume of French fire led the defenders to expect an assault on the town . However , during the night the French abandoned their positions and sailed away . Aftermath . On the morning of 25 September , the " Merrimack " discovered the French ships had sailed away during the night . The " Nereid " sailed into the town and the capitulation took effect . Fearing that the French would return , Watkins asked the two American captains to cruise off the windward side of the island while " Nereid " secured the island . In ten days of cruising , the Americans captured only one French vessel before stopping off at Willemstad while on their return to Saint Kitts . Upon their return to Curaçao , the Americans discovered that Watkins had failed to keep his word , and instead of protecting American property , had embargoed forty - one ships in the harbor of which seven were American . The " Nereid ' s " commander also impounded a large quantity of specie belonging to Consul Phillips and set British privateers cruising with orders to seize American shipping . In his reports , Watkins completely ignored the assistance the Americans had provided in seizing the island and failed to even mention their presence during the action . Watkins ' s treatment of the Americans was not approved by British officials and upon the appointment of a new commander for the British Jamaica Station he was stripped of his command and the specie he had seized was returned .