The History of the First West India Regiment Part 7

Whyte's, or the 1st West India, Regiment had remained at Martinique without any addition to its strength during the operations in St. Lucia and Grenada. It had, however, according to the muster rolls for 1796, transferred, on the 24th of March of that year, four sergeants and nine corporals to Malcolm's Rangers, probably in antic.i.p.ation of the speedy drafting of the whole of that corps into its own ranks. In the Monthly Returns of troops for March and April, 1796, Malcolm's Royal Rangers are shown as "under orders for drafting into the 1st West India Regiment,"

and in the May Return the corps ceases to be shown separately, and has no "state" of its own. As we have seen, however, it continued to act separately in St. Lucia in April and May, and in Grenada from June to December; and it was not until its return to Martinique on the 28th of December, 1796, that the drafting was finally completed. Of the Carolina Corps all the men fit for service were collected at Martinique, the remainder being formed into an invalid company at Grenada. It may be thought that the process of forming the 1st West India Regiment was being carried on very slowly, but it was more rapid than that of any other West India Regiment, except the 2nd; while the 3rd, even on the 24th of December, 1797, had no non-commissioned officers, no privates, and only two drummers.

No military event worthy of note took place in the year 1797, in which the Carolina Corps or the 1st West India Regiment took part, except the expedition to Porto Rico, in which the pioneers of the former corps were engaged. Sir Ralph Abercromby, with a force of 3000 men, sailed from Martinique on the 8th of April, and, after a delay at St. Christopher's, for the purpose of procuring pilots and guides, reached Porto Rico on the 17th and anch.o.r.ed off Cangrejos Point. Next day the troops disembarked, and, after a slight skirmish with the enemy, took up a position before the town. The siege continued for a fortnight without the British making any appreciable progress, while the force of the enemy, originally larger than that of the besiegers, was receiving continual accessions from various parts of the island. Sir Ralph Abercromby, therefore, determined to abandon the attempt, and the troops were accordingly re-embarked on the 30th of April.

In March, 1797, one company of the Carolina Corps that was at Martinique, 78 strong, was drafted into the 1st West India Regiment; and, on the return of the expedition from Porto Rico, the remaining company (Pioneer) was also drafted, and the Carolina Corps ceased to exist.

The following is the list of the officers who were serving in the 1st West India Regiment in 1797, and it may be observed that so many changes had taken place that, out of 43 officers who were gazetted to the regiment in 1795, only 22 were left in 1797:

Rank. Name. Rank in Regiment. Army.

Colonel John Whyte April 24, 1795 M.-G., Feb. 26, 1795.

Lt.-Col. Leeds Booth May 20, 1795 Major Charles Miller Nov. 30, 1796 Captains Edward Cotter July 1, 1795 Francis Costello July 1, 1795 William Powell Aug. 24, 1795 A.A. Nunn Feb. 2, 1797 November 17, 1795.

Robert Brown June 1, 1797 September 30, 1796.

James Maitland July 23, 1797 James Stewart July 24, 1797 Lieuts. William Graham Nov. 30, 1796 James Ca.s.sidy Dec. 1, 1796 -- M'Shee Dec. 2, 1796 -- Lightfoot Dec. 3, 1796 -- M'Callum Dec. 4, 1796 -- Froggart Dec. 5, 1796 -- M'Lean Dec. 6, 1796 John Egan Dec. 8, 1796 James Reed Dec. 9, 1796 W.J. Speed Jan. 11, 1797 -- Connor March 1, 1797 William Reid March 2, 1796 Thomas Byrne March 3, 1796 J.C. Roberts July 1, 1796 John C. M'Kay July 2, 1796 Ensigns Donald M'Grace July 1, 1795 -- Dalton Sept. 1, 1795 C.B. Darley Sept. 9, 1795 -- Horsford July 1, 1797 David M'William July 2, 1797 Morgan O'Meara July 3, 1797 Charles Marraud July 4, 1797 Niel Campbell July 5, 1797 Adjutant Thomas Holbrooke April 17, 1796 Qtrmastr. -- M'William Nov. 18, 1795 Surgeon John Lindsay Dec. 25, 1796

During the active operations of the year 1796 the West India colonists had offered no objection to the scheme of raising five new black regiments, but, in 1797, when the question of providing for them was brought before the various Legislatures, the plan met with the most determined opposition. When, on the 17th of January, Governor Ricketts communicated it to the House of a.s.sembly in Barbados, and requested the concurrence of that House, the Speaker, Sir John Gay Alleyne, immediately rose and moved:

"That the design of five regiments, etc. (as expressed in the message), will, as far as such a design is likely to affect this island, prove rather the means of its destruction than its defence."

This resolution was carried, with two others, without a dissenting voice.

"The a.s.sembly of Jamaica was no less decided and unanimous in its opposition to the measure. It refused to make any provision whatever for the subsistence of the 6th West India Regiment, which was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Whitelocke. In this decision it was sanctioned by the general voice of the white population. Meetings were held in almost every parish of the island, in all of which the scheme of raising black corps was heavily censured, as being, in the first place, unnecessary, the negroes being already compellable to serve in case of emergency; and, in the second place, as being of a nature to produce ultimately, and perhaps at no distant period, the most destructive effects to the persons and the property of the colonial proprietors."[27]

The British ministers were reluctant to abandon that which appeared to be a cheap and ready mode of recruiting in the western hemisphere, and consequently persevered in their project, even increasing the number of West India regiments in 1799 to twelve. That the fears of the colonists were groundless time soon showed. In 1801, at St. Martin's, the 8th West India Regiment, "composed of new negroes, who had never before faced a foe, behaved with the utmost gallantry." In 1803, the 3rd West India Regiment did good service at the capture of St. Lucia, as did the 6th at the reduction of Surinam in 1804. In 1809, at the Saintes, where the 3rd and 8th West India Regiments were engaged, "the black troops distinguished themselves by their discipline and valour." How the 1st West India Regiment remained true to its colours the succeeding chapters will show.[28]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 26: Bryan Edwards.]

[Footnote 27: Bryan Edwards.]

[Footnote 28: It is true that the 8th West India Regiment mutinied at Dominica, in 1802, but it was under conditions which, to a certain extent, extenuated it. For more than six months the men had been defrauded of their pay. Being utterly uneducated and all new negroes, they were ignorant of the proper methods of obtaining redress, and consequently showed their resentment by violence.]

CHAPTER X.

THE DEFENCE OF DOMINICA, 1805.

The 1st West India Regiment remained stationed at Fort Edward, Martinique, during the whole of 1797, and up to the month of December, 1798; its strength at no time during this period being above 350 men. In December, 1798, it was removed to St. Lucia, six companies being quartered at Vieux Fort and two at Maboya, in the same island. The strength then was 343, and the "state" shows 157 as wanting to complete the establishment. The regiment remained at St. Lucia until July, 1801, when it was moved to Port Royal, Martinique. In January, 1802, two companies were detached to St. Vincent, and, in July, the remainder of the regiment, with the exception of one company that remained in Martinique, followed them to that island, from whence a company was soon afterwards detached to Antigua. In October, these detachments rejoined head-quarters, but, in April, 1803, two other companies were sent to Grenada. In May, 1804, the regiment, with the exception of one company at Grenada and another sent to St. Vincent, was moved to Dominica. In this year the establishment of West India regiments was increased from 500 to 1000 men; and in December, 1804, the strength was 618.

The rupture of the Treaty of Amiens had, in 1803, led to fresh conflicts in the West Indies, in which, however, the 1st West India Regiment had taken no share; but in the spring of 1805, while it was still stationed at Dominica, the light company being with the 46th Regiment at Morne Bruce, and the remainder of the regiment (except the two detachments) at Prince Rupert's, its turn for active service came.

On the 22nd of February of that year, the island was attacked by a French combined naval and military force, under Admiral Missiessy and General La Grange, which force had been despatched from France specially for the reduction of Dominica. The enemy's flotilla consisted of the following vessels:

Guns.

Majestueuse 120 Magnanime 74 Suffren 74 Jemmappes 74 Lion 74 Armide 44 Gloire 44 Infatigable 44 Lynx 16 Acteon 16 --- 580

The French regular troops employed were:

26th Regiment 1600 2nd Battalion Piedmontese 2000 Dismounted Cavalry 250 Artillery 250 Detachments of Corps 500 ---- 4600

Exclusive of the marines of the various s.h.i.+ps.

The enemy's force sailed from Martinique on the afternoon of February 21st, 1805; and, flying the British flag, arrived off Dominica between 3 and 4 a.m. on February 22nd. The British commander-in-chief, Brigadier-General Prevost, deceived by the colours of the s.h.i.+ps, sent the captain of the fort, an artillery officer, on board the _Majestueuse_, to conduct the supposed British admiral and his fleet to a safe anchorage.[29] Shortly afterwards the boats pushed off with the troops, and the squadron changed its colours to French.

Directly this was perceived, the grenadier company of the 46th, with the light company of the 1st West India Regiment (107 rank and file), under Captain O'Connell, and a company of militia, marched from the garrison at Morne Bruce to Point Mich.e.l.l, about three miles distant. At this spot the enemy concentrated, and effected a landing under a heavy fire from the fleet. Two thousand eight hundred troops having been landed at the extremity of a cape within a short distance of Point Mich.e.l.l, they advanced towards that place in column of subdivisions, the only formation which the restricted s.p.a.ce would admit, the point being bounded by inaccessible heights on the right, and a broken and rugged sh.o.r.e on the left.

The two companies of the 46th and the light company of the 1st West India Regiment were posted behind the walls of some ruined buildings in the village of Point Mich.e.l.l, which afforded excellent cover, and where they were entirely sheltered from the fire of the enemy's s.h.i.+pping; while the French had to advance on a narrow front, entirely exposed to their fire.

The attack commenced about 5 a.m. Four times the enemy were led to the a.s.sault, and as many times they were repulsed. At about 6.30 a.m. the remainder of the 46th and some local militia arrived, and the struggle continued; but not without loss on our side, Major Nunn and Captain O'Connell, 1st West India Regiment, being wounded, the former mortally, and four men killed. At last, the enemy, finding all his endeavours to force the position were ineffectual, landed the remainder of his troops to leeward of the town of Roseau, on the British right, and attacked Fort Daniel, a small redoubt mounting a six-pounder gun, and defended by 2 artillerymen, and 1 sergeant and 5 men of the 1st West India Regiment.

These were all made prisoners in the work, which the enemy had attacked with 500 men. Brigadier-General Prevost then retired with the militia to the heights of Woodbridge Estate; and, the British right being now turned, the regulars, some 200 in number, who had been so gallantly defending the left, retired to effect a junction with the garrison at Fort Rupert, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Broughton, 1st West India Regiment. This was effected by Captain O'Connell, although wounded, in four days, by the mountain paths, while Brigadier-General Prevost arrived at the same place by the Carib Trail.[30]

In the meantime the town of Roseau had been set on fire, and the whole of it destroyed, except a few small houses belonging to free negroes.

The French, after blowing up the fortifications, embarking some guns and spiking others, re-embarked; taking with them such of their prisoners as were regulars, and levying a contribution of 5500 upon the inhabitants, and on February 27th the force set sail for Guadaloupe.

The French in their attack on Point Mich.e.l.l had lost over 300 men, and in selecting that spot for landing they had displayed a most astonis.h.i.+ng ignorance of the locality, for, if a force had at once been put ash.o.r.e between Point Mich.e.l.l and Fort Young at Roseau, the British could hardly have ventured upon a serious defence. The loss sustained by the British regulars was 21 killed, 21 wounded, and 8 prisoners. The loss of the militia is not stated, but was considerable, the French accounts fixing it at 200.

The following despatch addressed to Earl Camden, K.G., one of His Majesty's Princ.i.p.al Secretaries of State, by Lieutenant-General Sir William Myers, Bart., commanding the troops in the Windward and Leeward Islands, gives the official account of this affair:

"BARBADOES, _March 9th, 1805_.

"MY LORD,

"I have the honour to enclose to your Lords.h.i.+p a copy of a despatch from Brigadier-General Prevost, dated Dominica, 1st of March, 1805.

The details contained therein are so highly reputable to the Brigadier-General and the small portion of troops employed against so numerous an enemy, that I have great satisfaction in recommending that their gallant exertions may be laid before His Majesty.

"The zeal and talent manifested by the Brigadier-General upon this occasion, it is my duty to present for the Royal consideration, and at the same time I beg to be permitted to express the high sense I entertain of the distinguished bravery of His Majesty's troops and the militia of the colony employed on that service.

"The vigorous resistance which the enemy have experienced, and the loss which they have sustained in this attack, must evince to him, that however inferior our numbers were on this occasion, British troops are not to be hostilely approached with impunity; and had not the town of Roseau been accidentally destroyed by fire, we should have little to regret, and much to exult in.

"Your Lords.h.i.+p will perceive by the Returns that our loss in men, compared to that of the enemy, is but trifling; but I have sincerely to lament that of Major Nunn, of the 1st West India Regiment, whose wound is reported to be of a dangerous kind; he is an excellent man, and a meritorious officer.

"I have, etc., (Signed) "W. MYERS, "Lieutenant-General."

"Copy". "HEAD QUARTERS, PRINCE RUPERT'S, "DOMINICA, _March 1st, 1805_.

"SIR,

"About an hour before the dawn of day on the 22nd ultimo, an alarm was fired from Scot's Head, and soon after a cl.u.s.ter of s.h.i.+ps was discovered off Roseau. As our light increased, I made out five large s.h.i.+ps, three frigates, two brigs, and small craft under British colours, a s.h.i.+p of three decks carrying a flag at the mizen. The frigates ranging too close to Fort Young, I ordered them to be fired on, and soon after nineteen large barges, full of troops, appeared coming from the lee of the other s.h.i.+ps, attended and protected by an armed schooner, full of men, and seven other boats carrying carronades. The English flag was lowered, and that of the French hoisted.

"A landing was immediately attempted on my left flank, between the town of Roseau and the post of Cachecrow. The light infantry of the 1st West India Regiment were the first to march to support Captain Smart's company of militia, which throughout the day behaved with great gallantry; it was immediately supported by the grenadiers of the 46th Regiment. The first boats were beat off, but the schooner and one of the brigs coming close on sh.o.r.e to cover the landing, compelled our troops to occupy a better position in a defile leading to the town. At this moment I brought up the grenadiers of the St.

George's Regiment of militia, and soon after the remainder of the 46th Regiment, and gave over to Major Nunn these brave troops with orders not to yield to the enemy one inch of ground. Two field-pieces (an amuzette and a six-pounder) were brought into action for their support under the command of Sergeant Creed of the 46th Regiment, manned by additional gunners and sailors. These guns, and a twenty-four-pounder from Melville battery, shook the French advancing column by the execution they did.

"I sent two companies of St. George's Militia, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Constable, and a company of the 46th, to prevent the enemy from getting into the rear of the position occupied by Major Nunn.

"On my return I found the _Majestueuse_, of 120 guns, lying opposite to Fort Young, pouring into the town and batteries her broadsides, followed by the other seventy-fours and frigates doing the same.