Musket and Cannon fire to ring out at Brimstone Hill Fortress

Operations Manager at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Leonard Stapleton

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March21, 2012 (SKNIS): The walls of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park will reverberate from the sounds of cannon and musket fire once again when a pivotal battle for control of St. Kitts is re-enacted.

On Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30, professional re-enactors from the British Soldiers Fund Inc. will dramatize segments of events from the Great Siege of 1782 when French forces aided by allies from America, invaded the prosperous colony to take control from British forces.

During an interview on this week’s SKNIS radio programme Perspectives, Operations Manager at the national park, Leonard Stapleton, revealed that great attention has been paid to the historical details of the battle to ensure accuracy.

“They are going to actually do battle against each other capturing, shooting …,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting and it is going to be realistic because these guys are professional and they have been doing it around the world. What you see them wearing is exactly what they were wearing in the colonial days and so it is going to be something historical.”

Mr. Stapleton was sure to highlight the contributions of the enslaved Africans who fought valiantly against the invading land forces. He noted that this should conjure up a sense of pride in locals to know that their ancestors possessed the skill to construct such a massive structure that lies on approximately 38 acres, 750 feet above sea level, and fought bravely to defend it.

The St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force was thanked for its assistance in facilitating the safe transport of gunpowder to be used during the re-enactment. The operations manager encouraged persons to come to Brimstone Hill to witness this important piece of history.

“We want everybody to come out especially the young people,” he stressed. “When you’re older and you try to cast your mind back several years and say what can I remember when I was five? Usually it is something like this and if it could live on in their minds then of course we are in good hands for the future.”

On the flip side, Mr. Stapleton stated that persons who don’t have children yet can relive the battle and share it when they do have children. As for those who have not been to the Fortress in years.

“Now is the chance to come out.”

A reduced fee of EC $10.00 for adults and EC $5.00 for children is offered to ensure that residents can witness the event. Visitors will be charged US $8.00.

A historical account of the Great Siege of 1782