You may be surprised to learn that one of the final actions of the Revolutionary War took place right here at our state’s first European settlement, Arkansas Post. Known as Colbert’s Raid, the brief but intense battle serves as a reminder that even as peace was being negotiated an ocean away, conflict still took place on the American frontier.
In the early morning hours of April 17, 1783, British Captain James Colbert led a force of approximately 100 men, including British soldiers and Chickasaw warriors, against Fort Carlos III and the small village clustered around it at Arkansas Post. Ironically, the attack came months after a peace treaty had been signed between Spain and Britain on January 3, 1783. However, news of that agreement had not yet reached the residents of Arkansas Post.
The Spanish garrison stationed at Arkansas Post was quite small. In fact, it only consisted of 33 soldiers from the Louisiana Fixed Infantry Regiment, supported by four Quapaw warriors and a handful of officers, including Captain Jacobo du Breuil and Lieutenant Luis de Villars. Despite their limited numbers, they would soon be forced to defend both the fort and the civilian population that relied upon it.
Colbert’s men began their attack at approximately 2:30 a.m., which caught those at the settlement off guard. Colbert and his soldiers quickly swept through the village and captured Lieutenant de Villars, his family, and several other residents before most of the townspeople could flee to the safety of the fort. With hostages secured, the attackers turned their attention to Fort Carlos III, hoping to seize control of the strategic post.
What followed was a determined defense. From behind the fort’s walls, Spanish soldiers and their Quapaw allies mounted a counterattack, using both their defensive position and coordinated resistance to hold off the assault. The fighting lasted for several hours, but Colbert’s men were ultimately unable to breach the fort’s defenses. Facing mounting resistance and limited success, they withdrew. Spanish losses were light, with just two men killed and one wounded, while Colbert’s force suffered at least one dead and one injured.
The aftermath came swiftly. One week later, a combined Spanish and Quapaw force of around 120 men tracked down Colbert’s camp. In a decisive move, they overtook the raiders and freed the prisoners taken during the attack, which effectively ended the ordeal.
Colbert’s Raid holds a unique place in both Arkansas and American history. It is recognized by historians as the only Revolutionary War battle fought in Arkansas and one of two engagements of the war that took place west of the Mississippi River. Though small in scale, it underscored the strategic importance of Arkansas Post as a gateway for controlling river traffic and regional trade.
The raid also reflects the broader geopolitical landscape of the time. Spain had entered the war in 1779, as an ally of the American colonists, successfully capturing British-held posts along the Mississippi, including Manchac and Baton Rouge. By 1783, British forces in the region had been largely pushed out, leaving them to rely on smaller operations like Colbert’s Raid in an effort to disrupt Spanish authority and commerce.
Ultimately, Colbert’s Raid stands as a final clash of the Revolutionary War that highlights the complex relationships between European powers, native allies, and colonial forces in the western reaches of the conflict. Even in its closing days, the war’s reach extended far beyond the better-known battlefields located in eastern United States, touching remote places like Arkansas Post.
To learn more about Colbert’s Raid and the history of Arkansas Post, consider visiting Arkansas Post National Memorial. Managed by the National Park Service, the site is located near Gillett (Arkansas County) in the heart of southeastern Arkansas. Inside the park’s visitor center, guests can watch a 20-minute film that brings the settlement’s story to life. The center also houses a collection of artifacts and exhibits that trace the long and significant history of Arkansas’s first settlement and its earliest days as Arkansas’s first territorial capital. For more information, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/arpo.
And as I close out this week’s All Around Arkansas, I’d like to wish you and yours a very happy Easter.
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