During the War of the Spanish Succession, General Codrington’s expedition, which included the Inniskillings, had begun landings in March 1703 on the western part (Basse-Terre) of the French possession of Guadeloupe, an island in the West Indies. This was a mainly seaborne expedition with landings attacking French defences and settlements along the coast. Codrington sent out parties of troops to lay waste to these settlements by burning and destroying houses, farms, works and plantations. Troops were also ordered to forage and plunder because provisions were in short supply and they were entirely dependent on the stocks of rations held on board the fleet lying off the coast.

By the end of April, disease began afflicting the soldiers ashore and even Codrington was evacuated when he too fell ill. Much of the territory was still dominated by the French who had succeeded in landing some 800 reinforcements to the east. The French then attempted to relieve the siege of Fort Charles, but failing to do so they blew the magazine, abandoned the fort to the British and dispersed to the jungle-covered hills to the east. However, the British were no longer in a position to defeat the French and seize Guadeloupe, so Codrington’s commanders continued to burn, destroy and generally lay waste to as much of the territory as they were able to before the expedition began to withdraw over the two-week period beginning 7 May 1703. Basse-Terre town was set ablaze as the fleet, taking captured guns, sailed on to St Christopher’s Island.