Action of August 1702

The action of August 1702 was an inconclusive naval battle of the War of the Spanish Succession fought between 19 and 25 August 1702 O.S.. An English squadron under Vice-admiral John Benbow engaged in a running battle with a smaller French squadron under Admiral Jean-Baptiste du Casse off Santa Marta, but insubordination from Benbow's captains prevented him from inflicting significant damage on du Casse's squadron, which escaped almost fully intact.

Benbow had been sent to the West Indies with a small squadron to prevent the French from capturing Spanish colonies there. At the same time, du Casse had sailed for Cartagena to force it to swear allegiance to Philip V. Benbow had set out to intercept du Casse's squadron upon receiving word of their movements. His squadron cited the French on 19 June, but many of the English captains refused to fully engage du Casse's ships, and one came aboard Benbow's squadron to plead with him to abandon the chase. The French squadron was able to escape with the loss of only a single galley.

Benbow lost a leg during the engagement and died of illness roughly two months later. Two of the English captains, Richard Kirkby and Cooper Wade, were convicted of cowardice and shot. Benbow's resolution to pursue the French, in what proved to be his last fight, proved irresistible to the English public imagination. The events of the fight inspired a number of ballads, usually entitled Admiral Benbow or Brave Benbow, which were still favourites among British sailors more than a century later.