In January 1791, during the French Revolution, the National Assembly sent four ''commissaires'' to St Lucia to spread the revolutionary philosophy. By August 1791, slaves began to abandon their estates and Governor de Gimat fled. In December 1792, Lt. Jean-Baptiste Raymond de Lacrosse arrived with revolutionary pamphlets, and the impoverished whites and free people of colour began to arm themselves as ''patriots''. On 1 February 1793, France declared war on England and Holland, and General Nicolas Xavier de Ricard took over as Governor. The National Convention abolished enslavement on 4 February 1794; however, on 1 April 1794, St. Lucia fell to a British invasion led by Vice Admiral John Jervis. Morne Fortune became ''Fort Charlotte''. Soon, a patriot army of resistance, ''L'Armee Française dans les Bois'', began to fight back, starting the First Brigand War.