Five French warships, seeking to escape the tightly enforced Royal Naval blockade in the colony of Saint-Domingue, were seized by British naval forces. This event took place against the backdrop of intense conflict during the Haitian Revolution, where various factions, including enslaved people led by figures like Toussaint L'Ouverture, fought for independence from colonial rule. The Royal Navy had established a blockade to prevent supplies and reinforcements from reaching French forces, which were struggling to maintain control over the colony amidst uprising and revolution.

The British navy's successful interception of these vessels not only signaled a decisive blow to French maritime operations but also confirmed Britain's dominance in Caribbean naval power during the period. The captured warships were part of an initiative by the French government to support their efforts to retain control in Saint-Domingue, which had become a central point of conflict amidst the broader Napoleonic Wars. The failure of the French ships to break through indicated the effective strategies employed by the British against their adversaries.

The implications of this event rippled through the ongoing struggles in Saint-Domingue. The British naval blockade reinforced the isolation of French forces and limited their capacity to counteract the revolutionary movements on the island. This naval engagement can be seen as a turning point, marking a significant step toward the eventual decline of French control and the rising wave of independence that culminated in Haiti's liberation.