Battle of St. George's Caye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of St. George's Caye
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Date 3–10 September 1798 Location Saint George's Caye, off the coast of Belize 17°33′11″N 88°04′26″W / 17.5531°N 88.0739°W / 17.5531; -88.0739 Result British victory
Belligerents
Spanish Empire	Great Britain  British Honduras Former slaves
Commanders and leaders
Don Arturo O'Neill Tirone	Capt. John Moss Lt. Colonel Thomas Barrow
Strength
35 vessels 2,500 soldiers and sailors	13 vessels (4 sloops, 2 schooners, 7 gunboats) 700 troops
Casualties and losses
None known	None known

The Battle of St. George's Caye was an important fight that happened from September 3 to 10, 1798. It took place near what is now Belize. People usually remember September 10 as the main day of the battle.

Before this, the Spanish had tried six times to take over the area. The last time was in 1779. The battle on September 10, 1798, was the final time Spain tried to claim the land. Today, September 10 is a national holiday in Belize, called St. George's Caye Day.

Why the Battle Happened

This battle was fought between Spanish forces from Mexico and a small group of British settlers. These settlers were known as the Baymen. They were woodcutters who lived in the area. They fought to protect their homes and jobs. They were helped by enslaved people who also lived there. After a two-and-a-half-hour fight, the Spanish forces left. Many of their soldiers were sick.

Britain and Spain both wanted control of the land that is now Belize. This disagreement started in the mid-1750s. Spain believed the area was part of its Central American lands. These lands included parts of modern Mexico and Guatemala. The British had first come to the area in 1638. They came to cut logwood and later mahogany.

Spain did agree to this trade in the Treaty of Paris in 1763. But they did not fully give up their claim to the land. From 1779 to 1782, the settlement was empty. The Baymen and their African slaves moved to Havana, Cuba. This happened after a Spanish attack.

In the 1500s, the Spanish tried to control the Yucatán coast, which includes Belize. In the mid-1600s, some British sailors were shipwrecked nearby. They settled there and became known as the Baymen. These adventurers started cutting logwood in Belize. They then sent it to Europe. Spain never stopped claiming the Belize territory.

In 1798, Spain returned with 32 ships, 500 sailors, and 2,000 soldiers. They wanted to take over the area. The battle began on September 3, 1798, and ended on September 10. The Baymen won this important victory. After this defeat, the Spanish never returned to Belize.

Treaties and Agreements

In 1783, fighting stopped for a while with the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty gave the Baymen rights to cut wood between the Belize and Hondo rivers. This area was made larger in the 1786 Convention of London. It then reached the Sibun River.

The settlers could cut wood, but they had to agree that the land belonged to Spain. A leader named Col. Edward Marcus Despard was sent to make sure the treaty rules were followed. However, he had problems with the settlers and left his job.

The Treaty of Versailles in 1783 confirmed the boundaries for cutting logwood. The Convention of London in 1786 made these boundaries even bigger. In these agreements, Spain allowed the British to cut mahogany and logwood. This was from the south all the way to the Sibun River. But Spain strictly said the British could not set up a formal government. They also could not do any other economic activities besides cutting wood.

The Convention of London also said that in return for these rights, the British had to leave all their other settlements in the area. This included the Mosquito Shore and the island of Roatan. So, the people living in those areas had to move. The British brought them to Belize.

Britain and Spain were no longer at war. They signed the peace Treaty of Versailles on September 3, 1783.

Ships in the Battle

British ships were sent from Jamaica to help the Baymen. These ships included Merlin, Teazer, and Tickler.

On the morning of September 10, fourteen large Spanish ships came close. They stopped about one mile from HMS Merlin. The Merlin was the main British ship. Captain John Moss, who commanded the Merlin, thought the Spanish would wait until the next day to attack. But the attack started at 2:30 p.m. The fight lasted about two and a half hours. Then the Spanish ships quickly cut their anchor ropes and left. They sailed towards Caye Chapel. The Merlin could not follow them because the water was too shallow.

Getting Ready for Battle

In 1796, a Spanish official named Juan O'Sullivan visited the area. He said the British were cutting wood too close to Spanish land in Mexico. When he went back to Spain, a war started between Great Britain and Spain. This was part of the Napoleonic Wars. Spain decided it was serious and wanted to remove the British settlers.

The settlers asked the Jamaican Lieutenant Governor, Alexander Lindsay, 6th Earl of Balcarres, for help. Even though he was busy with the Maroon Wars, Balcarres sent guns and bullets to the settlement. More supplies arrived in December 1796 on Commander Thomas Dundas' ship HMS Merlin. But when Dundas arrived, he saw that the settlers were panicking. They were sending enslaved people to cut logwood instead of preparing to defend the settlement.

Balcarres then made Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Thomas Barrow the new leader of the settlement. Barrow was an experienced soldier. He immediately started training the Baymen. On February 11, 1797, martial law was declared. This meant all normal activities in the settlement stopped. On March 18, leaders like Thomas Potts asked Barrow if more help was coming from Jamaica. Barrow said more help would arrive soon to calm their fears.

Deciding to Fight

The Baymen were impatient with the defense plans. So, they held a public meeting on June 1, 1797. At this meeting, the Baymen voted 65 to 51 to defend the settlement. They also agreed to work with Barrow. However, this support changed as they heard how big the Spanish fleet was. Don Arturo O'Neill Tirone, the Governor of Yucatán and leader of the Spanish forces, had gathered many ships and soldiers.

The Spanish fleet was very large. It included two big warships, a smaller armed ship, and two sloops. These ships carried powerful cannons. There were also several other armed vessels. They gathered at Campeachy and picked up about 300 soldiers. Then they sailed to the island of Cozumel. Some of the larger ships then returned to La Vera Cruz. A schooner with 22 guns became the lead ship. All the smaller ships were sent to Bacalar to pick up more soldiers. There were said to be 12 companies of 100 men each.

However, many Spanish soldiers became sick with yellow fever. This greatly reduced the size of their army. Still, it was enough to scare the Baymen. They set up lookouts near the borders of their territory.

Baymen's Preparations

In 1798, Captain John Moss commanded Merlin. He was a good planner, like Barrow. By July 18, the Spanish fleet had reached Cozumel. This made the settlers agree to arm their enslaved people. This decision helped win the battle. The enslaved people knew a lot about fighting. Some settlers, like Potts, were still worried and wanted to leave. But Balcarres ignored them. He declared martial law on July 26.

The British forces were ready. They had Merlin. They also had two sloops, Towzer and Tickler. Each sloop had one 18-pounder gun and 25 men. These were led by merchant captains, Mr. Gelston and Mr. Hosmer, who brought some of their own crew. There was also Mermaid, with one 9-pounder gun and 25 men. The schooners, Swinger and Teazer, each had six guns and 25 men. Swinger had four 6-pounder guns and two 4-pounders. Teazer had six 4-pounders. There were also eight gun-flats. Each had one 9-pounder and 16 men. Most of the crews were 354 volunteers from the "Colonial Troops." In addition, 700 soldiers were ready to fight on land.

The Battle

From September 3 to 5, the Spanish tried to get through the Montego Caye shoal. The defenders blocked their way. The military leaders, Moss and Barrow, disagreed on where to focus their efforts next. Barrow thought the fight would move to land. Moss decided to defend St. George's Caye. Moss arrived in time to stop the Spanish. This set the stage for the main battle on September 10.

At 1:00 p.m. that afternoon, the Spanish and British ships lined up near St. George's Caye. The Spanish ships rushed through the channel. At 1:30 p.m., they began fighting the British. The battle lasted two hours. The Spanish became confused and were defeated. Moss reported that no one was killed on the British side. The Baymen were in good spirits. Barrow arrived at the end of the battle. He stopped the enslaved men from boarding the enemy ships. By September 13, the Spanish were fully retreating. Barrow agreed to send ships to push the Spanish further back.

Remembering the Battle

On the 100th anniversary of the battle, the government made September 9 and 10 national holidays. A special committee organized the celebration. This was part of a plan by Creole people in Belize Town. They wanted to show they were true natives and equal partners to the white people in the colony.

The main people in this committee were Henry Charles Usher, Wilfred A. Haylock, Benjamin Fairweather, and Absalom Hyde. They said the battle showed the brave actions of the Baymen and enslaved people. They fought "shoulder to shoulder" for the colony. They argued that if not for them, British Honduras might have become like Cuba or the Philippines. They pointed out that the enslaved people could have escaped, but they stayed and defended the settlement.

Today, the event is celebrated as St. George's Caye Day on September 10. It is a national and historic event. It honors the efforts of the Baymen and enslaved people, who are seen as ancestors of Belize. In 1998, Belize made three coins to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the battle. These included a $2 coin, a silver $10 coin, and a gold $100 coin. The front of the coins shows a three-masted sailing ship from the national coat-of-arms. The back shows HMS Merlin and two of the oar-powered flat boats.

See also

• Knocking Our Own Ting

Images for kids

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  Map St. George's Caye in 1764