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The Gibraltar of the West Indies
Original Official Site of the
St. Kitts & Nevis
Department of Tourism
In February of 1782, a French fleet of
nearly 50 ships appeared on the horizon off
St. Kitt's and Nevis. Headed by Admiral Count François de Grasse,
whose flagship was the exceptionally imposing 130-gun Ville
de Paris, the fleet had been dispatched to force the British
from the rich sugar colonies of St. Kitts & Nevis--and that
meant dislodging them from Brimstone Hill, otherwise known as The
Gibraltar of the West Indies.
Situated almost 800 feet above sea level, this remarkable fortress
is one of the most dramatic spots in the entire Caribbean, both
historically and aesthetically. It commands astounding views
of the Caribbean, including Nevis, Montserrat, Saba, St. Martin
and St. Barts. Brimstone Hill sprawls over 38 acres, and its
massive Fort George citadel is defended by seven-foot-thick walls
of black volcanic stone--then better known as brimstone. In 1782
Brimstone Hill had been under nearly continuous construction
(by slave labor) for almost nine decades.
The 8,000-man French siege force, supported by de Grasse's substantial
fleet, calmly set to its task. After a month of almost continuous
bombardment, and despite staunch resistance by Brimstone's 1,000
British troops, the French succeeded finally in punching 40-foot
holes in the citadel's thick walls. Knowing their situation finally
to be without hope, the British surrendered. The French seige
commander, the Marquis de Bouille, paid tribute to their heroic
defense by allowing the British garrison to leave Brimstone Hill
as an undefeated force, in full uniform and with standards held
aloft. One year later, when the Treaty of Versailles returned
St. Kitts to British rule, the same honor was accorded to the
Brimstone Hill was abandoned in 1851, and the fort suffered
neglect and vandalism for the next century. In 1965, when the
site became a national park, intensive restoration returned the
imposing fortress perched atop the hill to its original grandeur.
Tours of Brimstone Hill are conducted daily, and highlights include
the hospital, ammunition stores, artillery officer's quarters,
the Prince of Wales Bastion, and the Citadel of Fort George.
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