Battle of Saint Louis
Encyclopedia
The Battle of St. Louis (Spanish San Luis, also known as the Battle of Fort San Carlos) was an unsuccessful British
-led attack on St. Louis
(a French settlement in Spanish Louisiana that had been ceded by France to Spain in 1763
) on May 26, 1780, during the American Revolutionary War
. A force composed primarily of Indians and led by a former British militia commander attacked the settlement. The settlement's defenders, mostly local militia under the command of Lieutenant Governor of Spanish Louisiana Fernando de Leyba
, had fortified the town as best they could, and successfully withstood the attack.
A second simultaneous attack on the American outpost at Cahokia, Illinois
was also repulsed. The retreating Indians destroyed crops and took as captives civilians outside the protected area. The British failure effectively ended their attempts to gain control of the Mississippi River
during the war.
into the American Revolutionary War
in 1779, British
military planners in London
wanted to secure the corridor of the Mississippi River
against both Spanish and Patriot
activity. Their plans included expeditions from West Florida
to take New Orleans and other Spanish targets, and several expeditions to gain control of targets in the upper Mississippi, including the small town of St. Louis
. The expedition from West Florida never got off the ground, since Bernardo de Gálvez, the Governor of Spanish Louisiana, had moved rapidly to gain control of British outposts on the lower Mississippi, and was threatening action against West Florida's principal outposts of Mobile
and Pensacola
.
, the military governor at Fort Michilimackinac
in present-day Michigan
. Beginning in February 1780 he instructed fur traders to circulate through their territories, recruiting interested tribes for an expedition against St. Louis. The fur traders were offered the opportunity to control the fur trade in the upper parts of Spanish Louisiana as an incentive to participate.
Most of the force gathered at Prairie du Chien
, where they were placed under the command of Emanuel Hesse, a former militia captain turned fur trader. The force numbered about two dozen fur traders and an estimated 750 to 1,000 Indians when it left Prairie du Chien on May 2. The largest contingent of the force was about 200 Sioux
warriors led by Wapasha, with additional sizable companies from the Chippewa, Menominee
, and Winnebago
nations, and smaller numbers of warriors from other nations. The Chippewa chief Matchekewis
was given overall command of the native forces. When the force reached Rock Island
they were joined by about 250 men from the Sac
and Fox nations. These warriors were somewhat reluctant to attack St. Louis, but Hesse gave them large gifts to secure their participation in the venture.
, who was also a captain in the Spanish Army
. Leyba was warned in late March 1780 by a fur trader that the British were planning an attack on St. Louis and the nearby American-held post at Cahokia
. He began developing plans for the village's defense. He had only 29 regular army
soldiers of the Fijo de Luisiana Colonial Regiment and an inexperienced militia force of 168, most of whom were dispersed in the surrounding countryside.
Leyba developed a grand plan of defense that included the construction of four stone towers. Without funds, or the time to get them from New Orleans, Leyba asked the villagers to contribute funds and labor to the construction of these fortification
s, and paid for some of the work from his private funds. By mid-May a single round tower had been built that was about 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter and thirty to forty feet tall. The tower as dubbed Fort San Carlos and it provided a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. As there did not appear to be sufficient time to build more towers, trenches were dug between the tower and the river to the north and south of the village. Five cannon were placed on top of the tower, and additional cannon were placed along the trenches.
When Leyba learned that Hesse's force had reached Rock Island, he called in the outlying militia and summoned reinforcements from Ste. Genevieve
. By May 13 he recorded that he been reinforced by "about 150 men, all good shots". On May 15, Leyba was visited by John Montgomery
, the American commander at Cahokia, who proposed a joint Spanish-American force to counter Hesse's expedition, an idea that did not reach fruition. On May 23, Leyba's scouts reported that Hesse's force was only 14 miles (22.5 km) away, had landed their canoes, and were coming overland.
and 300 Indians across the river to attack Cahokia, while the remainder headed toward St. Louis, arriving about 1:00 pm. A warning shot was fired from the tower when they came in view, with the Sioux and Winnebagoes leading the way, followed by the Sac and Fox, and the fur traders, including Hesse, bringing up the rear. Leyba directed the defense from the tower, and opened a withering fire from there and the trenches when the enemy force came in range. On the first volley, most of the Sac and Fox fell back, apparently unwilling to fight, leaving many of the other participants suspicious of their motives in joining the expedition and complaining of their "treachery".
Wapasha and the Sioux persisted for several hours in attempts to draw the Spanish defenders out, going so far as brutally killing some captives they had taken in the fields. Although this angered some of the townspeople to the point where the militia requested permission to make a sortie
, Leyba refused, and the attackers eventually withdrew and headed north, destroying crops, livestock, and buildings as they went.
On the other side of the river, Ducharme's attack on Cahokia was easily repulsed. The timely arrival of George Rogers Clark
to lead its defense played a role; Clark's reputation as a frontier fighter made the Indian force reluctant to pursue the attack.
The village of 700 lost between 50 and 100 killed, wounded, and captured, virtually all civilians. A year later the Spaniards from St. Louis raided Fort St. Joseph
, bringing the captured British flag back to St. Louis.
Fernando de Leyba died the following month, the subject of local criticism because he never formal recognized the efforts made by the citizenry in the town's defense. His valor earned him a promotion to lieutenant colonel from King Charles
, who did not know that he had died.
(pictured).
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
-led attack on St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(a French settlement in Spanish Louisiana that had been ceded by France to Spain in 1763
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
) on May 26, 1780, during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. A force composed primarily of Indians and led by a former British militia commander attacked the settlement. The settlement's defenders, mostly local militia under the command of Lieutenant Governor of Spanish Louisiana Fernando de Leyba
Fernando de Leyba
Don Fernando de Leyba was a Spanish officer and politician who served as the third governor of Upper Louisiana from 1778 until his death.Little is known of De Leyba's life until his appointment to the position of governor on June 14, 1778...
, had fortified the town as best they could, and successfully withstood the attack.
A second simultaneous attack on the American outpost at Cahokia, Illinois
Cahokia, Illinois
Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 16,391. The name is a reference to one of the clans of the historic Illini confederacy, who were encountered by early French explorers to the region.Early European settlers also...
was also repulsed. The retreating Indians destroyed crops and took as captives civilians outside the protected area. The British failure effectively ended their attempts to gain control of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
during the war.
Background
Following the entry of SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
into the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
in 1779, British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
military planners in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
wanted to secure the corridor of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
against both Spanish and Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
activity. Their plans included expeditions from West Florida
West Florida
West Florida was a region on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico, which underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history. West Florida was first established in 1763 by the British government; as its name suggests it largely consisted of the western portion of the region...
to take New Orleans and other Spanish targets, and several expeditions to gain control of targets in the upper Mississippi, including the small town of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The expedition from West Florida never got off the ground, since Bernardo de Gálvez, the Governor of Spanish Louisiana, had moved rapidly to gain control of British outposts on the lower Mississippi, and was threatening action against West Florida's principal outposts of Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
and Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
.
British expedition
The British expeditions from the north were organized by Patrick SinclairPatrick Sinclair
Lieutenant-General Patrick Sinclair was a British Army officer and governor in North America. He is best remembered for overseeing the construction of Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island in what was to become the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Sinclair was born in Lybster, Scotland, and enlisted...
, the military governor at Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th century French, and later British, fort and trading post in the Great Lakes of North America. Built around 1715, it was located along the southern shore of the strategic Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, at the northern tip of the lower...
in present-day Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Beginning in February 1780 he instructed fur traders to circulate through their territories, recruiting interested tribes for an expedition against St. Louis. The fur traders were offered the opportunity to control the fur trade in the upper parts of Spanish Louisiana as an incentive to participate.
Most of the force gathered at Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census. Its Zip Code is 53821....
, where they were placed under the command of Emanuel Hesse, a former militia captain turned fur trader. The force numbered about two dozen fur traders and an estimated 750 to 1,000 Indians when it left Prairie du Chien on May 2. The largest contingent of the force was about 200 Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
warriors led by Wapasha, with additional sizable companies from the Chippewa, Menominee
Menominee
Some placenames use other spellings, see also Menomonee and Menomonie.The Menominee are a nation of Native Americans living in Wisconsin. The Menominee, along with the Ho-Chunk, are the only tribes that are indigenous to what is now Wisconsin...
, and Winnebago
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Winnebago, are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what is now Wisconsin and Illinois. There are two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska....
nations, and smaller numbers of warriors from other nations. The Chippewa chief Matchekewis
Matchekewis
Matchekewis was a tribal leader of the Ojibwe people. His people were home to Michigan country, migrating to avoid pioneer expansion. In 1763, he took part in Pontiac's Rebellion in the capture of Fort Michilimackinac from the Kingdom of Great Britain. But in 1780 he commanded his tribes in the...
was given overall command of the native forces. When the force reached Rock Island
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
they were joined by about 250 men from the Sac
Sac (tribe)
The Sacs or Sauks are a group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture group. Their autonym is The Sacs or Sauks are a group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture group. Their autonym is The Sacs or Sauks are a group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture...
and Fox nations. These warriors were somewhat reluctant to attack St. Louis, but Hesse gave them large gifts to secure their participation in the venture.
Spanish and American defenses
The village of St. Louis was primarily a trading hub on the Mississippi River, but it was also the administrative capital of upper Spanish Louisiana, and it was governed by Lieutenant Governor Fernando de LeybaFernando de Leyba
Don Fernando de Leyba was a Spanish officer and politician who served as the third governor of Upper Louisiana from 1778 until his death.Little is known of De Leyba's life until his appointment to the position of governor on June 14, 1778...
, who was also a captain in the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
. Leyba was warned in late March 1780 by a fur trader that the British were planning an attack on St. Louis and the nearby American-held post at Cahokia
Cahokia, Illinois
Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 16,391. The name is a reference to one of the clans of the historic Illini confederacy, who were encountered by early French explorers to the region.Early European settlers also...
. He began developing plans for the village's defense. He had only 29 regular army
Regular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
soldiers of the Fijo de Luisiana Colonial Regiment and an inexperienced militia force of 168, most of whom were dispersed in the surrounding countryside.
Leyba developed a grand plan of defense that included the construction of four stone towers. Without funds, or the time to get them from New Orleans, Leyba asked the villagers to contribute funds and labor to the construction of these fortification
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
s, and paid for some of the work from his private funds. By mid-May a single round tower had been built that was about 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter and thirty to forty feet tall. The tower as dubbed Fort San Carlos and it provided a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. As there did not appear to be sufficient time to build more towers, trenches were dug between the tower and the river to the north and south of the village. Five cannon were placed on top of the tower, and additional cannon were placed along the trenches.
When Leyba learned that Hesse's force had reached Rock Island, he called in the outlying militia and summoned reinforcements from Ste. Genevieve
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve is a city in and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,654 at the 2000 census...
. By May 13 he recorded that he been reinforced by "about 150 men, all good shots". On May 15, Leyba was visited by John Montgomery
John Montgomery (pioneer)
Colonel John Montgomery was an early American soldier, settler, and explorer. He is credited with founding the city of Clarksville, Tennessee, and the county of Montgomery County, Tennessee is named for him....
, the American commander at Cahokia, who proposed a joint Spanish-American force to counter Hesse's expedition, an idea that did not reach fruition. On May 23, Leyba's scouts reported that Hesse's force was only 14 miles (22.5 km) away, had landed their canoes, and were coming overland.
Battle
On May 25, Hesse sent out scouting parties to determine the situation at St. Louis. These parties were unable to get close to the village due to the presence of workers, including women and children, in the fields outside the village. The next day Hesse sent Jean-Marie DucharmeJean-Marie Ducharme
Jean-Marie Ducharme was a fur trader and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Lachine, Quebec in 1723, the son of a farmer there who also was involved in the fur trade. He entered the fur trade in the southwest. He helped establish the French establish Fort Duquesne near the current...
and 300 Indians across the river to attack Cahokia, while the remainder headed toward St. Louis, arriving about 1:00 pm. A warning shot was fired from the tower when they came in view, with the Sioux and Winnebagoes leading the way, followed by the Sac and Fox, and the fur traders, including Hesse, bringing up the rear. Leyba directed the defense from the tower, and opened a withering fire from there and the trenches when the enemy force came in range. On the first volley, most of the Sac and Fox fell back, apparently unwilling to fight, leaving many of the other participants suspicious of their motives in joining the expedition and complaining of their "treachery".
Wapasha and the Sioux persisted for several hours in attempts to draw the Spanish defenders out, going so far as brutally killing some captives they had taken in the fields. Although this angered some of the townspeople to the point where the militia requested permission to make a sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
, Leyba refused, and the attackers eventually withdrew and headed north, destroying crops, livestock, and buildings as they went.
On the other side of the river, Ducharme's attack on Cahokia was easily repulsed. The timely arrival of George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
to lead its defense played a role; Clark's reputation as a frontier fighter made the Indian force reluctant to pursue the attack.
Aftermath
Fort St. Joseph (Niles)
Fort Saint Joseph was a fort established on land granted to the Jesuits by King Louis XIV; it was located on what is now the south side of the present-day town of Niles, Michigan. Père Claude-Jean Allouez established the Mission de Saint-Joseph in the 1680s...
, bringing the captured British flag back to St. Louis.
Fernando de Leyba died the following month, the subject of local criticism because he never formal recognized the efforts made by the citizenry in the town's defense. His valor earned him a promotion to lieutenant colonel from King Charles
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
, who did not know that he had died.
Legacy
The site where Fort San Carlos stood is at the corner of Fourth and Walnut Streets in St. Louis. A local organization annually commemorates the battle by reading the names of 21 people who lost their lives in the battle. The battle is also remembered in a mural and diorama located in the Missouri State CapitolMissouri State Capitol
The Missouri State Capitol is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Housing the Missouri General Assembly, it is located in the state capital of Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue. The domed building was designed by the New York architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout and completed in 1917...
(pictured).
External links
- Fort San Carlos from the National Park Service
- Commemorators of the battle