Battle of Fort Riviere
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Fort Riviere was the most remembered battle of the United States
occupation of Haiti
in 1915. U.S Marines and sailor
s fought at Fort Riviere
against rebel Caco
s.
in the 18th century. It was held by over 200 Cacos in November 1915 during their rebellion against the Haitian government. No artillery
remained at the fort, but the defenders were armed with rifles, machetes, swords, knives and other things. Cacos were described as poor marksmen, so when the marine Captain Smedley Butler
arrived to take the fort, rebel resistance crumbled. The Captain commanded three 24-man companies of veteran marines which he chose himself, along with a few lieutenant
s and a small detachment of sailor
s from the battleship sailing off the coast.
Ross Iams and Private
Samuel Gross, entered the tunnel and went into the fort, followed by Butler carrying his pistol.
When the three men exited the tunnel on the other side of the wall, they opened fire with their weapons on 60-75 rebels. Once the first wave of marines entered the stronghold, the rest of the marines and sailors attacked. Combat lasted for 10-15 minutes before the Cacos fled. Over 51 were killed and none were taken prisoner. Over 20 of the rebels were killed when they fled the fort by jumping over the parapet
under heavy fire. Like at the Battle of Fort Dipitie
, Smedley defeated a superior enemy force with a loss of only one man wounded. The casualty was wounded by a rock when a Caco struck him in the face with it, knocking out two of the marine lieutenant
's teeth. The Cacos not knowing what the gunsight was used for typically threw down their weapons and armed themselves with stones when closely encountered by marines.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
occupation of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
in 1915. U.S Marines and sailor
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
s fought at Fort Riviere
Fort Riviere
Fort Riviere was a mountain fort on the summit of Montagne Noire, on the north coast of Haiti, located to the south of Grande-Rivière-du-Nord and 20 miles south of Cap-Haïtien...
against rebel Caco
Caco
Caco or CACO can refer to:* Cacosternum, a genus of frogs* Cacos , a historical military group from Haiti* Caco, a Puerto Rican slang term for a listener of Reggaeton music or a young hoodlum...
s.
Background
Fort Riviere was an old masonry fort built atop the steep Montagne Noire by the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the 18th century. It was held by over 200 Cacos in November 1915 during their rebellion against the Haitian government. No artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
remained at the fort, but the defenders were armed with rifles, machetes, swords, knives and other things. Cacos were described as poor marksmen, so when the marine Captain Smedley Butler
Smedley Butler
Smedley Darlington Butler was a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps, an outspoken critic of U.S. military adventurism, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in U.S...
arrived to take the fort, rebel resistance crumbled. The Captain commanded three 24-man companies of veteran marines which he chose himself, along with a few lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
s and a small detachment of sailor
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
s from the battleship sailing off the coast.
Battle
Confident that his force could capture the fort, Smedley Butler prepared his men for battle at about 19:00. The Americans surrounded the fort without raising the alarm and waited for Butler to blow his whistle. At 19:30, Butler blew his whistle and a surprise assault was launched against the fort from the south. Butler and 26 men advanced while the remaining marines and sailors provided covering fire. Along the forts southern wall was a small tunnel leading into the fortification. The 26 men advanced and the Cacos opened fire. First SergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Ross Iams and Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
Samuel Gross, entered the tunnel and went into the fort, followed by Butler carrying his pistol.
When the three men exited the tunnel on the other side of the wall, they opened fire with their weapons on 60-75 rebels. Once the first wave of marines entered the stronghold, the rest of the marines and sailors attacked. Combat lasted for 10-15 minutes before the Cacos fled. Over 51 were killed and none were taken prisoner. Over 20 of the rebels were killed when they fled the fort by jumping over the parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
under heavy fire. Like at the Battle of Fort Dipitie
Battle of Fort Dipitie
The Battle of Fort Dipitie, or the Battle of Grande Riviere, was fought in October 1915 during the United States occupation of Haiti. U.S...
, Smedley defeated a superior enemy force with a loss of only one man wounded. The casualty was wounded by a rock when a Caco struck him in the face with it, knocking out two of the marine lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
's teeth. The Cacos not knowing what the gunsight was used for typically threw down their weapons and armed themselves with stones when closely encountered by marines.