Bernardo de Galvez- Biography

Bernardo de Gálvez-The Forgotten Hero

Everything started in 1761 with the “Bourbon Family Compact” between France and Spain, this agreement stated that any nation, which attacked either nation, attacked both; and that when one of the countries was at war, it could call upon the other for military or naval aid. This formed an alliance and friendship between France and Spain.

Bernardo de Gálvez was born from a poor noble family in Macharaviaya in the province of Malaga, Spain on July 23, 1746. Soon the young Gálvez joined the Spanish army and in 1764, at the age of 16 he became a captain and continued advancing. In 1776, he came as colonel to Louisiana to subdue the Apaches who preyed on Spanish settlements in the area. He was wounded twice in these battles, but later in the same year, at 29 years of age he became governor of Louisiana.

Even before Spain entered the war against Great Britain, Gálvez was secretly providing guns, clothes, food, money, supplies, and munitions to George Washington’s Continental Army and others as well. He also eliminated British influence from the Mississippi River and secured it, allowing French, Spanish and American ships to travel safely with supplies for the war. When Spain officially declared war on the British, Gálvez was ordered to attack and capture British forts and settlements in west Florida and to provide more help to the colonists.

Immediately, Gálvez led a multinational army made up of Native Americans, French, Spanish, Mexican, Hispanic, free slave soldiers and with it he drove the British out. Furthermore, Thomas Jefferson sent Gálvez letters thanking for his help and requesting more supplies. He defeated the British and conquered all of West Florida, the territory lost to England after the French and Indian War. One of his biggest achievements was the conquest of Pensacola, in Florida, in May 1781, where he fought a fortified fort with large enemy fire from Native American and British soldiers.

At the end of the war, he returned to Spain as a hero and early in 1785, Gálvez was appointed captain-general of Cuba, Louisiana and the Floridas by Spanish King Carlos 3. Upon the death of his father, Don Mathias de Gálvez, Bernardo was named Viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) where like in the war; spent his money in helping its poor people. On November 30, 1786, Gálvez resigns on his occupation because of sickness and on October 15, 1786, Gálvez sadly dies (historians think from malaria) a month later at Tacubaza, aged 38.

Greatest Achievement- Battle of Pensacola, 1781

One of Gálvez’s most important accomplishments to the American Revolution was the capture of Pensacola, the capital of West Florida in 1781. During the revolution, Great Britain occupied Canada and Florida, where they could get munitions and soldiers to fight back the Americans. The Battle of Pensacola marked the end of Spain's conquest of Florida (after Spain traded Florida for Cuba after the end of The French and Indian War) during the American War of Independence.

During this conflict Field Marshal, and Governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez entered in action with a positive attitude and mind, by commanding an international army made up of French, Spanish, Native Americans, African Americans, Cubans, Mexicans, and more to capture and recover the land British, and Native American soldiers plus German mercenaries fiercely defended. Before the battle, Gálvez led successful campaigns against British settlements that attacked Spanish and American goods. He then decided that to stop the British conflict once and for all he had to attack them at their heart, the city of Pensacola.

He sailed to Cuba to ask for more soldiers and munitions to invade Pensacola and the same day his troops left the port, a hurricane destroyed his ships and killed some of his men, so they were forced to return to the port. He had to wait months to reorganize his troops, and in February 1781, he recruited 1,315 men onboard 20 ships, a fraction of his lost 4,000 men on 64 ships. In addition, he had another army at Mobile waiting for orders after they stopped a British invasion by General John Campbell.

The campaign started on March 9, where Gálvez landed and occupied the west part of Santa Rosa Island. The British discovered their invaders when Gálvez attacked them and Gálvez personally led the ship Galveztown. The British defenses were just north of the town of Pensacola, and consisted of three forts: Fort George (the strongest and important one), the Prince of Wales (or Central) Redoubt, and the Queen’s (or Advanced) Redoubt, from south to north.

After some skirmishes, both armies received reinforcements, first the British from the Royal Navy and then Gálvez from New Orleans and Mobile. In most of the skirmishes, the Spanish fought fierce Native Americans using trenches and Gálvez had to make a fort defended by large trenches to attack the Queen’s redoubt. On April 19, a mixed Franco-Spanish fleet arrived from Havana with more reinforcements, bringing Gálvez’s army up to almost 7,500 compared to Campbell’s 1900 soldiers.

The main objective was located at Fort George where the Spanish, in their new positions attacked the British Queen’s Redoubt, where they could attack the other forts. After a brief assault, the Spanish returned to work on their fort, and on May 7, Gálvez decided that it was time to launch a fatal assault on the Queen’s Redoubt from that location. On the eighth, Gálvez’s men were in position to attack while their artillery cleaned the target’s house.

At first, the British commander John Campbell fought with hope and courage inside the powerful defenses of Fort George until Spanish artillery luckily set fire to the British powder on May 8 at 9:30 am to the Queen’s redoubt. The Spanish were quick to take advantage and quickly occupied the fort. As this was the highest ground in the neighborhood, and it dominated the other two British positions, General Campbell knew there that the end ended. With no more hope, before 3:00 pm, British General John Campbell surrendered West Florida to Gálvez and Spain.

On mid-afternoon on May 10, 1781, the British army formally surrendered. The battle casualties for the Spanish resulted in 100 killed and about 200 wounded. The British lost just over 200 killed, wounded, and deserted soldiers, with just over 1,100 prisoners. The Spaniards also took possession of the war material the British had left and all of the British were allowed full military honors, and then were evacuated from Havana to New York.

This battle was very significant in history because it freed the Gulf of Mexico and the west of the Appalachian Mountains form British influence.