Charles-François de Machault de Belmont
He held office during the War of the Spanish Succession, when the French colony on Saint Kitts was lost to the English and the other islands were under constant threat.
[5] On 7 September Guitaud also died, and was replaced as interim governor by Nicolas de Gabaret, who held office until Machault reached Martinique.
[5] When he reached Martinique in late March 1703 Machault found that the intendant François-Roger Robert was gathering reinforcements for Guadeloupe, which the English had invaded.
Nine barques, two ships and a brigantine (Trompeuse, Union, and Samaritaine) were used for transport, and left in the morning of 31 March 1703 escorted by two warships and a frigate that Machault had brought to the West Indies.
The minister Count Jérôme Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain agreed with the proposal, obtained approval from the king, and asked Machault to provide a list of the newly promoted or created officers with details of their service.
[12] During the wartime conditions of Machault's term of office both privateering and illegal trade with the enemy seem to have been common given the shortage of adequate supplies from France.
[15] At one point Machault and intendant Nicolas François Arnoul de Vaucresson were given special permission to trade sugar from Martinique for salt beef and other provisions at Saint Thomas, Barbados.
[17] Machault seems to have been instructed by the court as governor general to prosecute the Comte de Gennes, but in such a way as not to besmirch his honour unless he was found guilty of excessive cowardice.
[17] When he reached Martinique the count was arrested and taken to Fort Saint Pierre, Major Coullet was told to start investigating his case and that of his lieutenants.
Everyone interviewed recalled that Saint Christophe had been considered indefensible, and that de Guitaut and the intendant had planned to send boats to transport its inhabitants to other islands.
After a short inquiry Gennes was tried in August 1704, found guilty of cowardice and condemned to be degraded from the nobility and stripped of all his title and positions.
[19] On 2 September 1705 Machault was asked to provide support to the mission against Nevis and Saint Christopher that had just been entrusted to Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville.
[15] One of Iberville's two squadrons left Brest on 15 December 1705 under Count Louis-Henri de Chavagnac and reached Martinique by the end of January 1706.
When he had heard of the proposed expedition he had written to Louis XIV asking for Martinique to be allowed to concentrate on agriculture rather than war preparations, since otherwise the impoverished inhabitants would be exposed to starvation.
It emerged that since the king could not afford all the costs of the campaign, Martinique and Guadeloupe were expected to provide armaments, transport and men, and to receive compensation in the form of spoils.
[20] In less than eight days Collart and du Buq had organized 400 volunteers, while three hundred buccaneers would accompany them once food had been collected, which was difficult in Martinique at that time.
[22] After some fighting, having caused considerable destruction, collected some slaves and other booty and now short of food, the force left on 28 February 1706 and returned to Martinique in March.
