The Battle of Pensacola marked the culmination of Spain's conquest of the British province West Florida from Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War in 1781.

Background

When Spain entered the American Revolutionary War in 1779, Bernardo de Gálvez, the energetic governor of Spanish Louisiana, immediately began offensive operations to gain control of British West Florida. In September 1779 he gained complete control over the lower Mississippi River by capturing Fort Bute and then shortly thereafter obtaining the surrender of the remaining forces following the Battle of Baton Rouge. He followed up these successes with the capture of Mobile on March 14, 1780, following a brief siege.

Gálvez began planning an assault on Pensacola, West Florida's capital, using forces from Havana, with the recently-captured Mobile as the launching point for the attack. However, British reinforcements arriving in Pensacola in April 1780 delayed the expedition, and when an invasion fleet finally sailed in October, it was dispersed by a hurricane a few days later. Gálvez spent nearly a month regrouping the fleet at Havana.Bense (1999), p. 36

British defenses

thumb|left|7 (Johnstones) Company, 4th Battalion Royal Artillery at the Queens Redoubt during the defence of Pensacola 1781 20 Battery Royal Artillery, UK
Following the outbreak of hostilities with Spain 1779, General John Campbell, concerned over the condition of the defenses, requested reinforcements, and began construction of additional defenses. By early 1781, the Pensacola garrison consisted of the 16th Regiment, a battalion from the 60th, and 7 (Johnstones) Company of the 4th Battalion Royal Artillery (Present day 20 Battery Royal Artillery, 16 Regiment Royal Artillery). These were augmented by the Third Regiment of Waldeck and several companies of Loyalist militia.Proc. Miss. Valley Hist. Assoc (1915), p. 114

Gálvez had received detailed descriptions of the state of the defenses in 1779 when he sent an aide there under the guise of discussions concerning the return of escaped slaves, but Campbell made numerous changes in the intervening years. Pensacola's defense works in early 1781 consisted of Fort George, an earthen works topped by a palisade that was rebuilt under Campbell's directions in 1780. North of the fort he had built the Prince of Wales Redoubt, and to its northwest was the Queen's Redoubt, also built in 1780.Kaufmann (2004), p. 131 Campbell also erected a battery called Fort Barrancas Colorada near the mouth of the bay.

Sailing to Pensacola

Gálvez and the Spanish fleet, under the command of Captain José Calbo de Irazabal, sailed from Havana on February 13 with about 1,300 men. Gálvez had ordered additional troops from New Orleans and Mobile to assist. Arriving outside Pensacola Bay on March 9, Gálvez landed some troops on Santa Rosa Island, the barrier island protecting the bay. When the island turned out to be undefended, he landed and emplaced some artillery, which was then used to drive away the British ships in the bay.

Getting the Spanish ships into the bay turned out to be difficult, as it had been in the previous year's capture of Mobile. Some materials were unloaded onto Santa Rosa Island to raise some of the ships, but Calbo, the fleet commander, refused to send any ships through the channel after the first one, the San Ramon, grounded in its attempt, citing that danger, and some British guns that seemed to have range to the bay entrance.

A 1763 map depicting Pensacola Bay

Gálvez then used his authority as Governor of Louisiana to commandeer those ships in the fleet that were from Louisiana. He then boarded the Gálveztown and on March 18 sailed her through the channel and into the bay; the other three Louisiana ships followed, under ineffectual British cannonfire. After sending Calbo a detailed description of the channel, the captains under his command all insisted on making the crossing, which they did the very next day. Calbo, claiming that his job, to deliver Gálvez' invasion force, was complete, sailed the San Ramon back to Havana.Dupuy (1977), p. 151
Over the next several days, the portions of the Spanish invasion force came together on the mainland. They cautiously moved toward Pensacola and studied its fortifications. The approach was interrupted on April 19 by the unexpected arrival of unknown ships. These turned out to be a combined Spanish-French fleet under the command of José Solano y Bote and François Aymar, the Baron de Monteil, bringing Spanish Field Marshal Juan Manuel de Cagigal, 1,600 Spanish troops, and 725 French troops.Dupuy (1977), p. 152 These additional forces were sent from Havana in response to reports (likely inaccurate) had reached Havana that a British fleet had been sighted.

Siege

A 1783 engraving depicting the exploding magazine

On April 28, siege operations finally got underway. By May 1 they had emplaced a battery of cannons overlooking the Queen's Redoubt, and begun digging trenches toward an even more advantageous position. On May 4 the British made a sortie, in which they temporarily occupied the second position, and spiked the cannons the Spanish had placed there before retreating back behind their defenses.

Four days later the Spanish cannons found their lucky mark, when they hit the magazine in one of the British redoubts. The explosion killed at least 85 men and left the redoubt in ruins. The Spanish quickly occupied the position and began using it to shell Fort George itself. At 3 pm, the fort's garrison raised the white flag.

Aftermath

José Solano y Bote in front of Santa Rosa Bay coming to the rescue of General Gálvez

The terms of capitulation included the entirety of British West Florida. The Spanish captured, in addition to the British garrison, large quantities of war material and supplies. Gálvez had the batteries and Fort Barancas Coloradas moved closer to the bay entrance, and also built a similar battery on Santa Rosa Island as defenses against future British attempts on Pensacola.

The British troops were first taken to Havana, and then returned to the British in New York, an action that drew protest from the United States. (Gálvez probably believed that Spain was at war with Britain, rather than being allied with the United States.)

José Solano y Bote was later recognized by King Carlos III for his efforts in coming to aid Gálvez with the title Marquez de Socorro. A painting showing Solano with his recognitions with Santa Rosa Bay in the background recorded this accomplishment. The painting is now in the Museo Naval of Madrid.