When you first start to think about notable battles of the American Revolutionary War, you’re probably imagining fights going on throughout Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other states that started out as the 13 original colonies. More than likely, Alabama is not the first place that comes to mind when talking about Revolutionary War battles. However, this area was the site of a few notable conflicts in America’s early days. In fact, many of the most popular Dauphin Island historical landmarks have to do with the Revolutionary War! During your stay in our Dauphin Island rentals, consider checking out the historical sites that held some of the nation’s most important battles.
Battle of Fort Charlotte
The Battle of Fort Charlotte took place over two weeks in March of 1780. This battle was part of an effort by the Spanish General Bernardo de Galvez fighting the British, who were guarding the port of Mobile. At the time, this area was considered part of West Florida, which was a province belonging to the British.
Spain had entered the Revolutionary War the year prior, in May 1779. De Galvez began a series of military operations known as the Gulf Coast campaign in an effort to take West Florida back from the British. By the time the Battle of Fort Charlotte came around, de Galvez had already pushed the British troops away from the lower Mississippi River, so his sights were next set on overtaking Mobile and Pensacola.
The Spanish left from New Orleans in January 1780 and arrived near Fort Charlotte (about 45 minutes away from Dauphin Island) in mid-February. Upon their arrival, the Spanish learned that Fort Charlotte (also known as Fort Conde) was garrisoned by around 300 men. De Galvez wrote a letter to Captain Elias Durnford, the garrison commander, offering to accept surrender. On March 1, the letter was delivered to Dunford, who politely declined to surrender.
The two men continued to correspond for the next 10 days; all the while, Spanish troops were moving artillery into position to prepare for a siege. They opened fire on the fort on March 10. During the battle, Durnford actually destroyed many houses and businesses throughout Mobile in an attempt to deny the Spanish any coverage for an attack. The battle raged on for three days until Durnford surrendered to de Galvez on March 13.
Fort Charlotte today is once again known as Fort Conde and sits in downtown Mobile. Some of the fort has been restored and serves as a major tourist attraction and Mobile’s official welcome center. This destination is an important part of our U.S. history and is even included on the National Register of Historic Places.
By the time the Battle of Fort Charlotte came around, de Galvez had already pushed the British troops away from the lower Mississippi River, so his sights were next set on overtaking Mobile and Pensacola.
Battle at the Village
After the Battle of Fort Charlotte, the British tried to recapture Mobile from the Spanish, resulting in a conflict we know as the Battle at the Village or the 2nd Battle of Mobile. This battle took place in early January 1781, nearly a year since the original siege.
British General John Campbell decided his men should recapture Mobile when a hurricane hit the Pensacola area in the fall of 1780, severely disadvantaging de Galvez’s troops. Campbell sent Waldecker Captain Johann von Hanxleden and a group of over 700 men to the outpost on January 3, and they arrived on January 6.
In the early hours of January 7, 1781, Hanxleden’s men attacked the outpost. The Spanish tried to capture an anchored boat nearby but were stopped by the British. Hanxleden and 19 of his men were killed by the Spanish troops, and the remainder of the British men quickly retreated, making no further attempts on Mobile.
More War Trivia
The Battle of Fort Charlotte left just one major destination to be secured during the Gulf Coast campaign: Pensacola. Once de Galvez had successfully taken Fort Charlotte, he didn’t move on to Pensacola right away. He didn’t want to wait too long, though, since the British were busy supporting Mobile. Upon learning that more British troops had arrived in Pensacola, de Galvez went to Cuba to gather more supplies and troops, and he finally launched a successful attack on the city in spring 1781.
Finally, the Revolutionary War wasn’t the only time this region saw conflict. It was also home to an important Civil War battle: the Battle of Mobile Bay. This famous battle occurred on August 5, 1864. We’ve already done an extensive blog post detailing the entire event, but one of the biggest takeaways is that the Battle of Mobile Bay led to this famous phrase from Rear Admiral David G. Farragut: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
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See History Up Close
A trip to historical destinations like a Mobile or Dauphin Island fort is a great way to make these past events come to life. Don’t miss out on seeing Fort Conde in person while you’re staying in our Dauphin Island lodging! Dauphin Island history presents important stories from America’s heritage in a way that is sure to interest anyone, even if you don’t consider yourself a history buff. Of course, the historical sites are certainly not all there is to see here! Book one of our Dauphin Island rentals today to discover our local things to do and area attractions!