Welcome to Redcoats in Green Bay, a commemoration of the Fort Edward Augustus garrison from 1761-1763.
Unbeknownst to many citizens of the great state of Wisconsin, the British army had a garrison on the shores of the Fox River in what is now the city of Green Bay. The Garrison's stay in Green Bay was not long however. Turbulent times forced them to abandon their sylan abode. This website is dedictated to telling the story of Fort Edward Augustus.
In 1760, the English and the American Colonists had just finished fighting a war against the French and their allies of American Indians for the control of North America. It had started in 1754 in a place now known as Jumonville Glen in Pennsylvania with none other than one of our country's founding fathers, George Washington firing the first shots. For six years war raged on the eastern part of the United States and Canada finally in September of 1760 General Jeffery Amherst commander-in-chief of His Brittanic Majesty King George II's army in America converged with three armies upon France's last major installation of Montreal, Canada. The all important city of Quebec had been taken in a bold and daring attack the previous year by General James Wolfe and the sentinel to the St. Lawrence River, the Fortress of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia was taken in by the British in 1758. Soon after Amherst's host had surrounded Montreal, the French capitulated, surrendering Canada, the Ohio country, and the Great Lakes to the victorious British.
In October of 1761, the British army arrived at Green Bay leaving a small detachment of men to garrison the old French fort that had fallen into disrepair. The post was renamed Fort Edward Augustus, and Ensign James Gorrell of the Royal Americans was placed in command.
A re-enactor protraying one of the soldiers in James Gorrell's command. This picture was taken at Fort Michilimackinac.