Fort Charles is an abandoned British fort on the island of

Nevis Nevis is a small island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and ...

. It is now mostly in ruins.

History

Initial construction of Fort Charles began as early as the 1630s, with the aim of protecting Charlestown and its harbour.Machling, Tessa C. S. (2012). ''The Fortifications of Nevis, West Indies, from the 17th Century to the Present Day: Protected Interests?''. Archaeopress, Oxford, London. Mounting 26

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

, Fort Charles was the main

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

on the island, although there were numerous other, smaller gun emplacements. The reason for all of these fortifications was the protection of Nevis' lucrative sugar trade, which at one time was more profitable for

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

than all of the North American colonies combined. In 1706, the entire island was overrun by French forces under

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1706) or Sieur d'Iberville was a French soldier, explorer, colonial administrator, and trader. He is noted for founding the colony of Louisiana in New France. He was born in Montreal to French ...

. During this action, Fort Charles was outflanked and taken from the landward entrance. Many of the cannon on the island were disabled by the French prior to their leaving. In 1782, the fort elected to hold its fire when French Admiral Count François de Grasse passed within range on his way to

Saint Kitts Saint Kitts, officially the Saint Christopher Island, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis cons ...

; the French fleet was vastly superior to Nevisian defences. The entire island of Nevis subsequently surrendered to de Grasse without a shot, allowing him to lay siege to

Brimstone Hill Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a well-preserved fortress on a hill on the island of St. Kitts in the Federation of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean. It was designed by British ...

on Saint Kitts. Fort Charles was briefly manned by a small French garrison during this time, and all serviceable guns were removed for use against the British on Saint Kitts. Although de Grasse was successful in taking Saint Kitts, the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

returned both Saint Kitts and Nevis to the British. Two more attacks were made on Nevis in 1805 and 1806 by French forces led by Jérôme Bonaparte, but were repulsed. FortCharles

By 1854, all forts on Nevis were abandoned. Currently the site is largely overgrown; there remains an old wall, a cistern, a powder magazine, and several cannons.

References

*Machling, Tessa C. S. (2012). The Fortifications of Nevis, West Indies, from the 17th Century to the Present Day: Protected Interests? Archaeopress, Oxford, London. Charles, Nevis Charles, Nevis 1630s establishments in the British Empire 1630s establishments in North America 1630s in the Caribbean Buildings and structures in Nevis {{Mil-hist-stub