Great Seige of Brimstone Hill in 1782 to be re-enacted in March

One of the mannequin at the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, St. Kitts.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JANUARY 23RD 2012 (CUOPM) – The Great Siege of Brimstone Hill in 1782 will be re-enacted for public viewing by the British Soldiers Fund.

The battle will be re-enacted twice daily on March 30 and 31, 2012 as part of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee celebrations, by the U.S.-based re-enactors at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm each day for a total of four times, according to the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.

Besides being fun for re-enactors, staged battles are often even more interesting for viewers since the battle is crafted for optimal dramatic effect.

The re-enactors will be dressed in full period regalia and use real weaponry, including authentic muskets, bayonets and cannons.

The French forces attacked St. Kitts with 8,000 soldiers and 31 warships, forcing local militia to retreat to Brimstone Hill Fortress where with the garrison (altogether numbering less than1,000) held out for four weeks of heavy artillery fire before they surrendered.

The British Soldiers Fund is said to be a charitable organization that is dedicated to providing lifetime aid and support for British allied soldiers and their families.

Admission to Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park during these two days will be $8 per person.

On January 5, 2012, Brimstone Hill Fortress was named one of “10 Great Places To Explore The World’s Best-Kept Secrets” by USA Today.

It is the only Caribbean attraction to be named to this list by the authors of the news article, who state, “It’s the most impressive of all the British forts I’ve seen in the Caribbean.”

Replica of the barrels of gunpowder at the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, St. Kitts.	Looking across from the Citadel to the open Caribbean Sea from the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. (Photos by Erasmus Williams).