Downloads:
Safety policies, schedule, clothing standards, registration information, and event expectations for participants.
The Siege of Fort New Richmond began on September 12 and lasted until September 21, 1779. The 9-day siege began after Governor-General Bernardo de Gálvez continued upriver from the capture of Fort Bute. The British had spent six weeks constructing the defensive field redoubts of Fort New Richmond, which were garrisoned by approximately 400 men, comprising mostly Waldeckers, the 60th Royal Regiment, and a Royal Artillery detachment. Using diversionary tactics, Gálvez was able to maneuver militia to a grove of trees nearby the British fort, drawing fire as he set up his artillery in place.
By the dawn of September 21, the Spanish artillery began to bombard the British fort at close range. Attempts by the British to retaliate against the artillery were unsuccessful, and after a 3-hour bombardment, the British forces surrendered. The terms of the articles of capitulation included the surrender of Fort Panmure (modern-day Fort Rosalie) in Natchez, which put the Spanish in a very advantageous position. Fort Panmure was a much better defensible position, and the surrender at Baton Rouge effectively gave Gálvez control of the entire Mississippi River area.
The Baton Rouge Campaign
Get in touch
Photographs provided by Eva Masrur, Richard Weaver, and Come and Take It Photography
Contact us today.