House of Thunder is an HEC-TV documentary examining the causes and outcomes of the Battle of Saint Louis. One of the forgotten battles of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Saint Louis was a key turning point for the British in their attempt to seize the Mississippi River Valley.
The British and their Native American allies gathered a force of 1,000 men in April of 1780 preparing to come down the Mississippi River and capture St. Louis and Cahokia- both undefended according to their scouts. However, both the Spanish on the west side of the river and the Americans on the east side were warned of the impending attack and made preparations. Spanish Lt. Governor Fernando de Leyba with just a few Spanish regular soldiers, rallied local French inhabitants including free blacks and slaves, to defend St. Louis including building a 35 foot stone tower armed with cannon. Across the river at Cahokia, George Rogers Clark with some American troops, local French militia and some Kaskaskia tribal warriors, also prepared for the expected attack. The British struck both towns on May 26, 1780 and were defeated on both sides of the river frustrating their plan to conquer the entire Mississippi River valley.
Such a momentous battle should be remembered fondly by those who walk the grounds where the battle occurred. But if you ask any Busch Stadium-goers what they think of the Battle of Saint Louis, most of them will declare, “What battle?”
House of Thunder comes to DVD and HEC Media in 2021.
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