Siege of Calvi
- When
- 1794
- Where
- Siege of Calvi, Corsica; Fortress of Calvi, Corsica; Corsica
- Episodes
- 3
During the British-led siege of Calvi in Corsica in July 1794, Captain Horatio Nelson was struck by flying stone splinters from French counter-battery fire on 12 July and eventually lost the sight in his right eye. The siege, part of the Invasion of Corsica in the French Revolutionary Wars, ended with the fortress's capture and Corsica becoming a British colony.
Episodes
- British investment and capture of Calvi
After taking San Fiorenzo and besieging Bastia, Stuart's force besieged Calvi, the last French-held fortress, capturing it before malaria and dysentery forced an urgent end.
- Corsica becomes a British colony
With the conclusion of the siege, Corsica became a British colony and remained a British base of operations for two years, under arrangements negotiated with the Corsican leadership.
- Nelson loses the sight of his right eye
Nelson was severely injured by flying stone splinters during French counter-battery fire on 12 July 1794, eventually losing the sight in his right eye.
Background and detail
Background. The Corsicans had risen against the French garrison in 1793 and sought help from Lord Hood's Mediterranean Fleet. A deal was struck whereby, in exchange for British military support against San Fiorenzo, Bastia and Calvi, Corsica would become a self-governing part of the British Empire, giving Hood a base against the French coast.
Course of the Siege. After the capture of San Fiorenzo and the siege of Bastia, General Charles Stuart's British force turned to Calvi, the last French-held fortress in Corsica. French counter-battery fire proved dangerous: Serocold was killed manning a battery, and Nelson was severely injured by flying stone splinters on 12 July, eventually losing the sight in his right eye.
Aftermath. British battle casualties were 30 killed and 58 wounded, but malaria and dysentery swept the camp so severely that only 400 men were fit for duty at the surrender. Generous terms allowed 300 French soldiers and 247 Corsican supporters safe passage to France, and Corsica became a British colony for two years.
People involved
- Horatio Nelson · British naval captain wounded during the siege
- Charles Stuart · British general commanding the land forces
- Raphaël de Casabianca · Pro-revolutionary Corsican leader of the French garrison
Sources
- Siege of Calvi Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.