108:
122:
901:
36:
913:
Your lordship will pardon my mentioning an instance of an elevated mind in a
British tar, which amazed the Spaniards, and gave them a very high idea of English valour: not content with one cutlass, he scrambled up the walls with two; and meeting a Spanish officer without arms, who had been roused out
879:
Gálvez immediately began planning a counterattack. On the 25 November his forces began besieging the fort, now under
Dalrymple's control, engaging in regular exchanges of cannon fire. Gálvez, whose force was smaller than Dalrymple's, magnified its apparent size by setting extra campfires around the
866:
On the night of the 20 October, a small number of
British attackers climbed into the fort and opened one of the gates. After a brief exchange of small arms fire, Desnaux surrendered. Among the spoils the British won when they gained control of Omoa were two Spanish ships, anchored in the harbour,
846:
John
Luttrell, in command of three ships and 250 men, had intended an attack on the Santo TĂłmas, but his force was inadequate for an attack on Omoa. Even when he and Captain William Dalrymple arrived at Omoa on the 25 September with 500 men, they were forced to retreat after a brief exchange of
908:
Though a fairly small engagement and a short lived victory, the storming of the fortifications at Omoa was the scene of an event that would be repeatedly depicted by
British engravers for years to come. Captain William Dalrymple, in his letter to Lord George Germain dated the 21 October 1779,
222:
747:
The
British forces managed to overwhelm and capture the Spanish garrison, consisting of 365 men. The British only held the fort until November 1779. They then withdrew the garrison, which tropical diseases had reduced, and which was under threat of a Spanish counter-attack.
880:
fort. He then attempted an assault on the 29 November but difficulties with his artillery caused him to call it off. Still, Dalrymple, whose forces were significantly reduced by tropical diseases, withdrew his men from the fort and evacuated them that same day.
215:
488:
208:
481:
474:
1395:
862:, which ran aground but was eventually refloated. Although Desnaux was badly outnumbered, he refused an offer for surrender in the hope that Gálvez would be able to send reinforcements.
855:
The
British established some batteries to fire on the fort, and supported them with fire from three ships. SimĂłn Desnaux, the fort's commander, returned fire. He succeeded in damaging
1079:"Extract of a Letter from Capt. Dalrymple, Commander of the loyal Irish Volunteers, to the Right Hon. Lord George Germain, one of his Majesty's principal Secretary's of State".
788:
in
September 1779, before the British were able to marshal any kind of significant defensive force in the area. The British sought to gain control over Spanish colonies in
1410:
1148:"Gallant behavior of an English sailor in offering a sword to an unarmed Spaniard to defend himself, at the taking of Fort Omoa, in the Bay of Honduras, October 20th 1779"
728:
on the
American side. On the 16 October 1779, following a brief attempt at siege, a force of 150 British soldiers and seamen assaulted and captured the fortifications at
1346:
888:
The
British continued to make attacks on the Central American coast but were never successful in their goal of dividing the Spanish colonies and gaining access to the
892:. Equally, the Spanish were unsuccessful in driving out the British settlements in Central America, most of which the British had recaptured by the war's end.
918:
This incident was first put into print by William Humphrey in 1780, and later by John Thornton in 1783, John Record about 1785, and an unknown engraver for
1095:
914:
of his sleep, had the generosity not to take any advantage; but presenting him with one of his cutlasses, told him, "You are now on a footing with me."
1390:
232:
138:
834:. It became of the largest defensive fortifications in Central America, and one of the Guatemalan Captaincy General's principal Caribbean ports.
1303:
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1405:
637:
381:
290:
1415:
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773:
733:
386:
65:
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830:. The Spanish had started building San Fernando de Omoa, principally with African slave labour, in the 1740s during the
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cannon fire. The British returned with a force of more than 1,200 men and twelve ships in early October.
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1299:
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1216:
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552:
843:
741:
517:
1277:
Wars of the Americas: a chronology of armed conflict in the New World, 1492 to the present
801:
789:
1321:
466:
868:
253:
988:
720:
was a short siege and battle between British and Spanish forces fought not long after
1379:
904:
18th century print depicting a British sailor offering a sword to an unarmed Spaniard
889:
765:
781:
768:
and Spain had been planning for the possibility of hostilities for some time. King
1121:
816:
505:
1361:
1348:
1267:
1220:
1232:. Vol. VII. Madrid, Spain: Est. tipográfico "Sucesores de Rivadeneyra".
1335:
784:. His forces seized the initiative in North America, where they rapidly
777:
737:
69:
1192:
Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783, Volume 6
1147:
1173:
The Gentleman's and London Magazine: Or Monthly Chronologer, 1741-1794
40:
Exterior view of the fort at San Fernando de Omoa. Photo taken in 2006
1323:
Memoir of Robert, Earl Nugent, with Letters, Poems, and Appendices
1203:
Spain and the Independence of the United States: An Intrinsic Gift
899:
757:
721:
121:
1230:
Armada Española desde la unión de los reinos de Castilla y Aragón
1122:"A British Sailor offering a Sword to an Unarmed Spanish Officer"
842:
The decision by Gálvez to withdraw to Omoa upset British plans.
827:
822:
Then, anticipating a British attack against the nearby port of
470:
204:
1250:
Trans-Atlantic Dimensions of Ethnicity in the African Diaspora
804:
of Guatemala, called "the key and outer wall of the kingdom".
920:
The Gentleman's and London Magazine: Or Monthly Chronologer
234:
Battles involving Spain in the American Revolutionary War
1296:
Fuerzas militares en Iberoamérica siglos XVIII y XIX
989:
Journal of Rear-Admiral Bartholomew James, 1752-1828
807:
However, the Spanish struck first. In September the
811:gave them possession of the British settlement at
1396:Amphibious operations involving the Great Britain
20:
1248:Lovejoy, Paul E; Trotman, David, eds. (2003).
1197:Contains surrender agreement (pp. 163ff).
1195:(2nd ed.). Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme.
963:
961:
482:
216:
165:885 regulars, marines, militia, & natives
8:
1062:
1060:
1038:
1036:
1034:
1032:
1340:Contains reports of Dalrymple and Luttrell.
1007:
1005:
786:captured the British outpost at Baton Rouge
88:The fortress was later reoccupied by Spain.
489:
475:
467:
223:
209:
201:
17:
1411:Battles of the American Revolutionary War
85:Subsequent withdrawal on the 29 November.
826:, Gálvez withdrew the garrison there to
776:as one of his highest priorities in the
1298:. México: El Colegio de Michoacán A.C.
1240:A History of the British Army, Volume 3
930:
1326:. Chicago: Herbert S. Stone. p.
7:
1175:. London. August 1789. p. 393.
867:that held more than three million
14:
371:Louisiana and Northwest Territory
1279:. Santa Barbara, USA: ABC-CLIO.
1237:Fortescue, John William (1902).
1228:Fernández Duro, Cesáreo (1902).
1054:Lovejoy and Trotman, pp. 124–129
815:(off the coast near present-day
780:, after the conquest of British
186:additional casualties to disease
120:
106:
34:
1391:Battles involving Great Britain
1294:Ortiz Escamilla, Juan (2005).
774:Captaincy General of Guatemala
734:Captaincy General of Guatemala
718:Battle of San Fernando de Omoa
66:Captaincy General of Guatemala
21:Battle of San Fernando de Omoa
1:
792:, and their first target was
638:2nd Demerara & Essequibo
603:1st Demerara & Essequibo
1066:
1042:
1023:
1011:
976:
52:16 October–29 November 1779
1437:
1401:Invasions by Great Britain
1094:Humphrey, William (1780).
762:American Revolutionary War
726:American Revolutionary War
170:365 regulars & militia
28:American Revolutionary War
1201:Chávez, Thomas E (2004).
1096:"The British Tar at Omoa"
513:
244:
176:
159:
132:
98:
44:
33:
25:
1406:18th century in Honduras
1189:Beatson, Robert (1804).
1146:Record, John (c. 1785).
1416:Battles involving Spain
1120:Thornton, John (1783).
955:Ortiz Escamilla, p. 104
896:The British Tar at Omoa
824:Santo Tomás de Castilla
772:set the defence of the
1320:Nugent, Claud (1898).
1275:Marley, David (1998).
946:Fernández Duro, p. 283
916:
905:
809:capture of Cayo Cocina
133:Commanders and leaders
1421:1779 in North America
1362:15.77389°N 88.03639°W
1252:. London: Continuum.
911:
903:
177:Casualties and losses
1083:. December 18, 1779.
794:San Fernando de Omoa
730:San Fernando de Omoa
62:San Fernando de Omoa
1367:15.77389; -88.03639
1358: /
1152:Library of Congress
1126:Library of Congress
832:War of Jenkins' Ear
764:in June 1779, both
321:Strait of Gibraltar
248:Europe and Atlantic
906:
796:, a fortress that
345:Lake Pontchartrain
1386:Conflicts in 1779
1305:978-968-12-1161-5
1286:978-0-87436-837-6
1259:978-0-8264-4907-8
1212:978-0-8263-2794-9
813:St. George's Caye
711:
710:
598:Dutch West Indies
501:Revolutionary War
464:
463:
199:
198:
188:1 frigate damaged
139:William Dalrymple
94:
93:
81:British victory
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967:Fortescue p. 309
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798:MatĂas de Gálvez
742:Gulf of Honduras
698:Turks and Caicos
693:17 February 1783
688:15 February 1783
573:12 December 1779
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195:2 ships captured
146:MatĂas de Gálvez
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1314:Further reading
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790:Central America
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678:6 December 1782
673:18 October 1782
623:15 January 1782
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393:Central America
382:Fort St. Joseph
286:Cape Finisterre
254:English Channel
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238:1779–1783
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1081:London Gazette
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937:Marley, p. 324
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838:British forces
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683:2 January 1783
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578:1st Martinique
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593:Fort San Juan
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543:Saint Vincent
541:
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538:2nd St. Lucia
536:
534:
533:1st St. Lucia
531:
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419:Fort San Juan
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150:SimĂłn Desnaux
147:
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142:John Luttrell
140:
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114:Great Britain
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1243:. Macmillan.
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1183:Bibliography
1172:
1167:
1155:. Retrieved
1151:
1141:
1129:. Retrieved
1125:
1115:
1103:. Retrieved
1099:
1089:
1080:
1074:
1050:
1019:
995:
984:
972:
951:
942:
933:
919:
917:
912:
907:
887:
878:
864:
858:
854:
841:
821:
806:
782:West Florida
760:entered the
755:
746:
724:entered the
717:
715:
658:Mona Passage
568:San Fernando
567:
409:San Fernando
408:
326:Cape Spartel
193:360 captured
154:Juan Dastiex
99:Belligerents
80:
26:Part of the
1365: /
1157:October 29,
1131:October 29,
1105:October 29,
871:of silver.
817:Belize City
663:Black River
653:The Saintes
633:Frigate Bay
563:Cayo Cocina
553:2nd Grenada
548:1st Grenada
506:West Indies
451:17 February
435:West Indies
429:Black River
414:12 December
404:Cayo Cocina
360:The Village
350:Baton Rouge
301:25 February
291:St. Vincent
281:20 November
1380:Categories
1353:88°02′11″W
1350:15°46′26″N
926:References
859:Lowestoffe
770:Carlos III
752:Background
703:3rd Nassau
668:2nd Nassau
643:Montserrat
613:Fort Royal
583:Guadeloupe
518:1st Nassau
456:2nd Nassau
446:1st Nassau
441:15 January
355:1st Mobile
333:Gulf Coast
184:14 wounded
1268:475624274
1221:149117944
884:Aftermath
857:HMS
844:Commodore
740:) on the
558:RĂo Hondo
399:RĂo Hondo
377:St. Louis
365:Pensacola
340:Fort Bute
266:Gibraltar
191:2 wounded
1069:, p. 153
1045:, p. 152
1014:, p. 151
979:, p. 158
922:in 1789.
778:Americas
738:Honduras
528:Dominica
523:Barbados
499:American
259:Plymouth
182:6 killed
167:12 ships
160:Strength
70:Honduras
57:Location
1336:3653651
1026:, p. 11
732:in the
316:Minorca
172:2 ships
1334:
1302:
1283:
1266:
1256:
1219:
1209:
909:wrote:
851:Battle
800:, the
648:Roatán
618:Tobago
424:Roatán
306:Málaga
276:Lisbon
271:Azores
111:
77:Result
758:Spain
756:When
736:(now
722:Spain
311:1 May
127:Spain
1332:OCLC
1300:ISBN
1281:ISBN
1264:OCLC
1254:ISBN
1217:OCLC
1207:ISBN
1159:2017
1133:2017
1107:2017
828:Omoa
716:The
49:Date
1328:296
819:).
1382::
1330:.
1262:.
1215:.
1150:.
1124:.
1098:.
1059:^
1031:^
1004:^
960:^
744:.
64:,
1338:.
1308:.
1289:.
1270:.
1223:.
1161:.
1135:.
1109:.
503::
490:e
483:t
476:v
224:e
217:t
210:v
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