Charles Auger

After being released he embarked at the beginning of 1681 as a lieutenant aboard the king's frigate La Sorcière, commanded by his brother-in-law, the Marquis de Maintenon.

[1] The Nine Years' War lasted from 1688 and 1697 and was fought by a coalition of states including the Dutch and English who were opposed to Louis XIV of France.

[7][a] In July 1701 the governor general of the French West Indies, Charles Desnotz, came to Guadeloupe to consult with Auger, and to urge him to immediately start preparations for war.

[13] When he reached Martinique Machault found that the intendant François-Roger Robert was gathering reinforcements for Guadeloupe, which the English had invaded.

[15] 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.

[16] Auger charged the Dominican Jean Baptiste Labat with building a defensive tower at Pointe-des-Pères for the coastal battery to protect the town of Basse-Terre.

During his absence the sieur of Boissi Ramé commanded the colony, but he died soon after and Joseph d'Honon de Gallifet was named acting governor in his place.

[18] A royal decree of 1 May 1703 made Auger governor of Tortuga and the Coast of Saint-Domingue in place of Ducasse, squadron commander of the naval armies of America.

[5] Auger organized the defenses of Saint Domingue against the English, but quarrelled with one of his subordinates, the king's lieutenant (and former acting governor) Joseph d'Honon de Galiffet.