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English Turn and Bienville’s Bluff
Royal Tours New Orleans • Apr 05, 2016
English Turn and Bienville’s Bluff
As you stand on the bank of the Mississippi River near Jackson Square in the French Quarter, no doubt having just enjoyed beignets at the nearby Cafe du Monde, you can see one of the last sweeping turns of the river before it heads south to the Gulf of Mexico. Just a few miles down-river is a place called English Turn which was the sight of an amazing gamble by Bienville…
Shortly after the explorer-brothers Iberville and Bienville arrived in what is now Louisiana in 1699, Iberville returned to France. During Iberville’s absence, Bienville, who had been stationed at a fort in Biloxi, took the opportunity to explore further west with a small band of men.
To his great surprise, as he was traveling down the Mississippi River, he came across the British ship, Carolina Galley. The ship had made it about 75 miles up river and was loaded with settlers. As Bienville approached the boat, a British officer, Captain Lewis Banks, asked for directions to the Mississippi River.
Now, this may seem like an odd question. But, you must realize that the mouth of the Mississippi River was not easy to find. Years earlier on his second visit to the area, the French explorer Robert de LaSalle went searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico and sailed right past it and ended up in what is now Texas. There were, and still are, dozens of false inlets and bayous that lead to nowhere, dead ends, or large lakes. So understandably, the British were not sure they had found the Mississippi.
Thinking quickly, Bienville told the British officer that the Mississippi River was much further west, and that he was in French territory, surrounded by heavily guarded forts, and was in great danger. Of course, this was not true. There were no forts nearby, and the only other French in the area were in the boat with him!
Bienville’s bluff worked. The British ship immediately turned around and sailed back to the Gulf. To this day, that point in the river is known as English Turn. Imagine how different the history of Louisiana would be had Bienville not chanced upon that British ship and convinced them to turn around!
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