Lesson plan
Colbert raid
The Colbert raid, also known as the Battle of Arkansas Post, was an unsuccessful British attempt to capture Fort Carlos III, garrisoned by a detachment of the Louisiana Fixed Infantry Regiment, and the Franco-Spanish village of Arkansas Post, Louisiana (present-day Arkansas), during the American Revolutionary War. During the early morning of April 17, 1783, a large party of British irregulars and Chickasaw led by Captain James Colbert of the 16th Regiment of Foot attacked the settlement and fort. It was one of the last battles of the American Revolutionary War, and the only one fought in present-day Arkansas. A surprise sally by the Spanish and Quapaw defenders caused Colbert's men to rout. The raid was a part of a series of small engagements fought between Great Britain and Spain in the Lower Mississippi River region from 1779, when Spain entered the American Revolutionary War on the side of the United States. The event took place three months after a treaty between Spain and Britain was signed on January 3, 1783, but word of it had not yet reached the Spanish settlement.
Article summary
The Colbert raid, also known as the Battle of Arkansas Post, was an unsuccessful British attempt to capture Fort Carlos III, garrisoned by a detachment of the Louisiana Fixed Infantry Regiment, and the Franco-Spanish village of Arkansas Post, Louisiana (present-day Arkansas), during the American Revolutionary War. During the early morning of April 17, 1783, a large party of British irregulars and Chickasaw led by Captain James Colbert of the 16th Regiment of Foot attacked the settlement and fort. It was one of the last battles of the American Revolutionary War, and the only one fought in present-day Arkansas. A surprise sally by the Spanish and Quapaw defenders caused Colbert's men to rout. The raid was a part of a series of small engagements fought between Great Britain and Spain in the Lower Mississippi River region from 1779, when Spain entered the American Revolutionary War on the side of the United States. The event took place three months after a treaty between Spain and Britain was signed on January 3, 1783, but word of it had not yet reached the Spanish settlement.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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