Sidney Godolphin was captured by a French cavalry patrol in 1695 during the Nine Years' War, a conflict between France and a coalition of European powers including England. At the time, Godolphin was serving as a soldier in the English army. The capture occurred due to the fluid and often unpredictable nature of military engagements during the war, where patrols and skirmishes were common. His capture was a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as these patrols were tasked with gathering intelligence, disrupting enemy movements, and capturing enemy soldiers when possible.