Fort New Richmond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort New Richmond |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Town or city | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 30°27′15″N 91°11′18″W / 30.4542°N 91.1884°W |
| Completed | 1779 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Earthen |
Fort New Richmond was a fort built by the British in 1779. It was located on the east side of the Mississippi River in what is now Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Later that same year, the Spanish took control of the fort. They renamed it Fort San Carlos.
Building a Strong Fort
The British built Fort New Richmond during the American Revolutionary War. Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Dickson was the British Army commander in the Baton Rouge area. He realized that an older fort, Fort Bute, built in 1765, was not strong enough. It couldn't defend against big cannons.
So, he decided to build a new, stronger fort. This new fort was built on land that used to be plantations owned by Watt and Flower. It was finished in just six weeks, right before fighting started in the area.
Fort Defenses
Fort New Richmond was designed to be very tough. It had a wide ditch, about eighteen feet (5.5 meters) across and nine feet (2.7 meters) deep. Inside the ditch was a strong earthen wall. On top of this wall were sharp wooden stakes, called palisades. These stakes were arranged like chevaux de frise, which means they pointed outwards to stop attackers.
The fort also had thirteen cannons ready for battle. About 400 regular British soldiers from the 16th and 60th Regiments of Foot were stationed there. There was also a company of special soldiers called grenadiers from Waldeck. About 150 Loyalist Militia also helped defend the fort. Loyalists were American colonists who stayed loyal to the British king.
The Battle for Baton Rouge
The fort was captured on September 21, 1779. Bernardo de Gálvez was the leader of the Spanish Louisiana colony. He had already captured Fort Bute. Then, he led his army of about 1,000 men towards Baton Rouge. His soldiers were tired from a long, tough march from New Orleans.
Even so, Gálvez and his forces were successful. They attacked Fort New Richmond and forced the British to surrender. With the capture of Fort New Richmond, the British were made to leave the important Mississippi River area. This was a big win for the Spanish during the Revolutionary War.
