Siege of Fort St. Philip (1815)
The siege of Fort St. Philip was a ten day long distance bombardment of exploding bomb shells - by two Royal Navy bomb vessels, mounting a total of four mortars - against the American garrison of Fort St. Philip. The fort was unable to retaliate at the start, as the bomb vessels were out or the range of its solid shot cannon, and its mortar did not have ammunition. This was remedied by supply boats, whereby the fort counter-attacked the bomb vessels with its mortar on January 17, and the British duly withdrew. This riverine engagement took place during the concluding hostilities of the War of 1812.
Fort St. Philip, overgrown in the mid 20th century
Route of British after the Battle of New Orleans
Attack on Fort St. Philip
A British bomb vessel, similar to the two bomb vessels engaged in the bombardment
Fort St. Philip is a historic masonry fort located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, about 40 miles (64 km) upriver from its mouth in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, just opposite Fort Jackson on the other side of the river. It formerly served as military protection of New Orleans, some 80 miles (130 km) up the river, and of the lower Mississippi River.
Fort St. Philip in the U.S. Civil War
Fort St. Philip 1898
Fort St. Philip from the air in 1935.