The fake Indian war cries that fooled the attackers of Arkansas Post

Spain’s Desperate Bluff That Fooled British Raiders

Arkansas Post National Memorial marks the spot where quick thinking beat superior numbers in 1783.

British Captain James Colbert led eighty raiders in a predawn attack on this Spanish trading post, the only Revolutionary War battle fought in Arkansas.

After capturing most villagers, Colbert demanded surrender from the fort.

Spanish Captain Jacobo du Breuil had just fourteen men left, but he ordered them to charge out screaming Quapaw war cries. The bluff worked perfectly – Colbert’s forces panicked and fled down the Arkansas River.

This forgotten battle shows how one desperate gamble changed everything at America’s most remote Revolutionary War site.

Captain Colbert Took A Year To Plan His Arkansas Post Attack

James Colbert, a Scottish trader who married into the Chickasaw tribe, spent almost a year planning his attack on Arkansas Post. By 1783, the British fought in small groups against Spanish ships on the Mississippi River.

Colbert chose Arkansas Post because it sat where the Arkansas River met the Mississippi. He held the rank of Captain in the 16th Regiment and ran operations from across the Mississippi.

Taking the post would let his men attack Spanish boats with little risk.

Rum And Lies Tricked The Local Quapaw Chief

On April 16, Colbert sent Chickasaw scouts to check out the Quapaw village called Osotouy.

These scouts told Chief Angaska, who was friendly with the Spanish, that they were just going upriver “with a dozen Americans to shake hands with Captain Du Breuil.

They gave the chief some rum as a gift to make their story more believable. The trick worked.

Angaska didn’t suspect anything and never warned Du Breuil about any danger.

Leather-Wrapped Paddles Kept Their Midnight Approach Quiet

Around midnight on April 17, the British reached the shore near the post. Colbert wrapped their boat paddles with leather to keep them quiet.

He landed slightly downriver from the village and left seven men to watch their canoes. About 80 British fighters and Chickasaw warriors got ready for their surprise attack.

The Spanish had just 33 men from the Louisiana Fixed Infantry Regiment and four Quapaw warriors to defend the post.

The Village Fell At 2:30 AM While Most Residents Slept

Colbert’s men raided the village around 2:30 in the morning, quickly taking control while most people still slept. Four families escaped to nearby Fort Carlos III, but Colbert’s forces caught most villagers.

Among the prisoners were Lieutenant Luis de Villars and his family, along with Sergeant Alexo Pastor. Captain Jacobo du Breuil and his Spanish soldiers woke up to the sounds of the attack and rushed to respond.

Du Breuil’s Men Failed To Save The Captured Villagers

Captain du Breuil led his men to try to rescue the captured villagers.

During the fighting, the Spanish lost two men, but Sergeant Pastor escaped from the British and made it back to the fort.

The Spanish tried a quick rescue mission to free Lieutenant de Villars and the other civilians, but Colbert’s forces pushed them back easily.

After this failed attempt, du Breuil and his remaining men pulled back to Fort Carlos III without taking more fire.

Both Sides Traded Shots For Six Hours Without Results

By 3:00 AM, Colbert’s attackers dug into a ravine just outside the fort. For six hours, both sides shot at each other from a distance, with nobody getting hurt.

The fort’s strong wooden walls protected the Spanish inside, while the ravine kept Colbert’s men safe from the Spanish 4-pounder cannons.

Neither side could gain an advantage as they continued their standoff through the early morning.

The Wife Of A Spanish Officer Delivered Colbert’s Surrender Demand

At 9:00 AM, Colbert tried to end the standoff by sending a surrender message to the fort under a white flag. He sent one of his officers to deliver the demand, but the man felt too scared to approach alone.

Marie Luisa de Villars, the captured lieutenant’s wife, walked with him to make sure the Spanish wouldn’t shoot.

The message was clear: “M. Le Capitaine Colbert is sent by his superiors to take the post of the Arkansas and by this power Sir, he demands that you capitulate.

Spanish Commander Refused To Give Up The Fort

Du Breuil got the surrender demand, written in French, from Madame de Villars after Colbert’s nervous officer ran away before reaching the fort. The Spanish commander quickly decided not to surrender.

Instead, he told Sergeant Pastor to gather nine soldiers and four Quapaw warriors for a bold move.

Du Breuil worried that the British might be setting up cannons to break through the fort walls and knew he needed to act fast.

Thirteen Men Charged Out Yelling Fake War Cries

Sergeant Pastor led his small group of ten Spanish soldiers and four Quapaw allies in a brave charge straight out of the fort’s front gate.

As they ran toward the British position, they all shouted loudly, copying Quapaw war cries.

The Spanish soldiers tried to sound like a much larger group of native warriors, mixing their yells with gunfire as they rushed forward in what looked like a suicide mission.

British Raiders Shouted The Indians Are Upon Us As They Fled

The small Spanish force caused total panic among Colbert’s men. The attackers scattered in confusion, racing back to their canoes with their prisoners.

According to Captain du Breuil’s report, the British fighters shouted “Let’s go! Let’s go!

The Indians are upon us! ” as they ran away.

The simple bluff worked perfectly.

Colbert’s entire force left their positions and paddled away down the Arkansas River, taking several village prisoners with them.

The Battle Happened Three Months After Peace Was Declared

The entire fight turned out to be pointless. The battle took place three months after Spain and Great Britain had already signed a preliminary peace treaty on January 20.

News traveled slowly to the frontier, and neither side knew the war was officially over. Only three people died in the battle that never needed to happen.

On May 16, Spanish Louisiana governor Esteban Miró wrote to Colbert about the peace treaty and asked him to return all property and prisoners he had taken during the raid.

Visiting Arkansas Post, Arkansas

Arkansas Post National Memorial at 1741 Old Post Road in Gillett tells the story of the Colbert Raid, when Spanish defenders scared off British attackers with a clever bluff.

The visitor center opens daily 8am to 5pm with free admission everywhere. You can watch a 20-minute film about the post’s history and walk 2.5 miles of paved trails through the old townsite and Civil War trenches.

Musket and cannon demonstrations happen regularly throughout the year.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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