An Account of the Campaign in the West Indies, in the Year 1794 Part 6

[60] Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing, amounted to thirty-eight officers, forty-three serjeants, and six hundred and eleven privates.

I must here beg leave to add an extract from Admiral Sir J.

Jervis's public letters to the Lords of the Admiralty on this subject. "The fate of Captain Lewis Robertson, who had distinguished himself highly, fills my mind with the deepest regret; he had long been a child of misfortune, although he possessed talents to merit every success and prosperity; and, as I am informed, has left a widow and infant family unprovided for. I beg leave to recommend them to the protection and good offices of their lords.h.i.+ps, to obtain a suitable provision, which will be a great encouragement to officers in similar circ.u.mstances, to emulate so great an example."

The celebrated Brigadier General Arnold, being on business of a mercantile nature at Point a Pitre, was captured at the time the place fell into the hands of the republicans, and, being apprehensive of ill treatment, changed his name to Anderson. He was put on board a prison-s.h.i.+p in the harbour, and had considerable property in cash with him, of which, it is supposed, Fremont and Victor Hughes were informed, as he received an intimation from one of the French sentries, that he was known, and would soon be guillotined. On this alarming intelligence he determined to attempt an escape, which he effected in the following masterly manner. At night he lowered into the sea a cask containing clothes and valuables, with a direction on it, that if it floated to the sh.o.r.e of our camp at Berville, it might be known, and restored to him; he then lowered down his cloak bag to a small raft which he had prepared, on which also he got himself, and proceeded to a small canoe, in which he pushed for the British fleet, directed by the Admiral's lights. On his making towards the mouth of the harbour he was challenged by the French row guard, but by the darkness of the night escaped from them, and arrived on board the Boyne by four o'clock on Monday morning, the 30th of June.

During the whole time of this latter campaign the fever, which had been so destructive the preceding year, continued to rage in our army and navy with unabated violence. General Grey lost all the servants he brought from England by it, including two who had lived with him for many years. It first broke out with violence when the former campaign ended.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE COMMANDERS IN CHIEF SAIL TO MARTINIQUE ... PROCEEDINGS THERE, AND AT GUADALOUPE ... CAMP BERVILLE TAKEN ... OCCURRENCES THEREUPON ... GENERAL PRESCOTT ENTERS FORT MATILDA, WHICH IS INVESTED BY THE FRENCH ... SIR JOHN VAUGHAN AND ADMIRAL CALDWELL ARRIVE IN THE WEST INDIES ... SIR CHARLES GREY AND SIR JOHN JERVIS RESIGN THEIR COMMAND, AND RETURN TO EUROPE.

Sir Charles Grey, after giving the necessary orders for erecting batteries to protect and secure the camp on Ba.s.se Terre, sailed with the Admiral to Martinique, and established his head-quarters at St.

Pierre;[61] having previously distributed the troops (which were not left under General Graham on Ba.s.se Terre) throughout the islands, where the Brigands began to be very troublesome; and even at Martinique, where the Commander in Chief resided, they had the audacity to shew themselves, encouraged by the sickness which raged in all quarters, and daily weakened our posts. At Grande Rivere and Calaba.s.s they appeared in some force; on which the Commander in Chief detached Captain Hare, at the head of a detachment of the Prince of Wales's light[62] dragoons, with Lieutenant Colonel De Soter and the island rangers, who attacked and routed them, taking three of their leaders prisoners, and dispersing the rest. At Guadaloupe no time was lost by Brigadier General Graham in preparing both for attack and defence; he erected gun and mortar batteries upon the banks of the river Sallee, in the different situations where it was most likely the enemy might attempt to cross it from Grande Terre; namely, at the gabarre or ferry, which heretofore was the point of communication between the two parts of the island; at Morne Savon and at St. Jean, both commanding the town of Point a Pitre and Morne Government. By these precautions the Commander in Chief hoped to prevent the enemy from crossing into Ba.s.se Terre till he could get a reinforcement from England, which he had expected for some time, and had now dispatched Brigadier General Francis Dundas to explain to government the absolute necessity there was for a supply of troops in the conquered islands. The head-quarters of the army in Guadaloupe were at Camp Berville, a very commanding ground, flanked by the sea on one side, and on the other by an impa.s.sable swamp and wood; about a league in front was the river Sallee, on the opposite banks of which stood the town of Point a Pitre; and at the rear, about a mile from the camp, was a narrow pa.s.s, by which alone it could be approached. The batteries under the direction of Captain De Rivigne, destroyed a great part of the town, so that the inhabitants were obliged to evacuate it, and encamp on the adjacent hills. The baneful effects of the climate, together with the neighbouring swamps, began now to be severely felt by our army, the officers and men died daily in numbers, and by the middle of August the list of sick and convalescents composed by far the majority in the camp.

Two frigates and two sloops of war were ordered by the Admiral to cruize off the harbour of Point a Pitre, to prevent supplies being carried to the enemy; notwithstanding which many American and other vessels from the neighbouring disaffected islands, contrived to elude their vigilance. Victor Hughes, the commissioner from the French convention, and now commander in chief of their troops in this island (the commanders of the army and navy that came out with him being dead), was indefatigable in gaining over the blacks and mulattoes to his interest; and, in consequence of his late success, they flocked in great numbers to his standard. As they came in he formed them into different corps, and had them instructed in the use of arms. The remains of the second battalion of grenadiers[63] were ordered about the latter end of August to Guadaloupe, to relieve the flank companies of the 15th and 64th regiments: they embarked at Fort Royal on board the Dictator, and landed at Pet.i.t Bourg, from whence they marched directly to the camp. During the month of September the troops in the different camps were, from sickness, inadequate to furnish guards for the different batteries.

Several companies could not produce a single man fit for duty; the 43d could not afford a corporal and three men at night, for the protection of their own camp, much less give their complement for the batteries.

The greater part of the town of Pet.i.t Bourg was converted into hospitals for our sick, besides great numbers ill in the camps; the officers were equal sufferers with the men, so much so, that field officers were obliged to mount captain's guard. The different islands were drained of their troops, in order to keep up some appearance in front of the enemy; and the royalists had taken the duty of the Gabarre for some time past, where they conducted themselves with much spirit in several attacks made upon them by the enemy from the opposite side of the river. The grenadiers that arrived last, were now reduced, in less than three weeks, to twenty men; and from the situation of the several camps on the verge of the swamps, a ground they were obliged to occupy, was truly deplorable. About this time General Prescott arrived at the town of Ba.s.se Terre, where he took the command, and no appearance of any reinforcement from England as yet cheered our drooping spirits. On Sat.u.r.day, the 26th of September, the enemy from Point a Pitre and Fort Louis embarked a large body of troops in small vessels, and pa.s.sing our s.h.i.+ps of war unperceived, under cover of the dark night, effected two different landings on Ba.s.se Terre; the one at Goyave, to the eastward of Pet.i.t Bourg, and the other at Lamantin, near Bay Mahault. As soon as it was known that this landing was effected, most of our sick were carried from Pet.i.t Bourg on board the s.h.i.+ps that lay near that place, and when the news was received at head-quarters, General Graham ordered all the troops from the different camps to join at Berville, as the strongest situation. Every exertion was made to fortify this post in the best manner possible: across the narrow pa.s.s by which alone it could be approached by land, a strong breast-work was thrown up, with embrasures for six field-pieces; on the flanks, and immediately in the rear of this, another was thrown up; and in front of both, on the brow of the hill, a strong abbatis was formed. The enemy that landed at Bay Mahault soon possessed themselves of that place; they then marched on to the Gabarre, where they had nearly surrounded the royalists before they were able to make their retreat to the camp. The possession of the Gabarre afforded them an easy conveyance for guns, ammunition, cattle, &c. from Grande Terre, and they now made their appearance in sight of our camp.

The enemy, who had landed on the opposite part of the island, as soon as day broke upon them, began their march to Pet.i.t Bourg. Lieutenant Colonel Drummond of the 43d regiment, with some convalescents from the hospital, and a party of royalists, advanced to meet them; but perceiving their great superiority of numbers, found it advisable to retreat through Pet.i.t Bourg, and took post at a battery upon the sh.o.r.e called Point Bacchus, between that village and Camp Berville. The enemy, on taking possession of Pet.i.t Bourg, exercised the most unheard of cruelties on the unfortunate sick in the hospitals, putting all they found to death; some of them were fortunate enough to be taken off by the boats belonging to the men of war lying there. Too much praise cannot be given to Captain Boyer[64] of the a.s.surance, for his humane exertions on this occasion. From the hospitals to the wharf was a continued scene of misery and horror, being strewed with the bodies of the sick, who were barbarously put to death as they were crawling to the sh.o.r.e, in hopes of being taken off by our boats. The next movement of the enemy was to Point Bacchus, where Colonel Drummond and his party, being surrounded, were made prisoners. The enemy keeping possession of this post, entirely cut off all communication between the camp and our s.h.i.+pping. They then proceeded to possess themselves of the surrounding heights, and formed a junction with the other party which landed at Bay Mahault; by which Camp Berville was completely surrounded on the land side. The utmost strength of Berville camp was now about two hundred and fifty regular troops, and three hundred royalists; but none of these could be called effective, being reduced to extremity by sickness and fatigue. The enemy instantly began to form batteries, one of which, on an eminence, in some measure commanded our camp. On the 29th of September, in the morning, the enemy in a large body attacked our advanced work; our field-pieces and musketry opened a heavy fire upon them, and an engagement ensued, which continued with equal fury for three hours; when, after having been charged the third time by our troops, the enemy retreated, leaving on the field in killed and wounded seven hundred men, our loss amounting to about twenty. In the forenoon of this day, the enemy had sent a number of gun-boats from Point a Pitre, some of which anch.o.r.ed off the sh.o.r.e at Berville, and others under Point Bacchus, with a view to stop the communication between our camp and s.h.i.+pping, and force the latter out of the harbour of Pet.i.t Bourg. Each of their schemes succeeded, so that now the camp (ill supplied with provisions and stores, which were left chiefly at Pet.i.t Bourg) saw no possibility of getting a further supply. This morning Major Irvine was killed by a twenty-four pounder from the enemy's gun-boat, as he was sitting in the cabin of the a.s.surance; in which he and a number of others had embarked. As soon as the news of these disasters reached the Commanders in Chief, the Boyne was got out of Trois Islet Bay, without loss of time; and, although the hurricane season was not entirely past, the Admiral embarked, and sailed on Tuesday, the 30th of September, from Martinique, and anch.o.r.ed off Grozier, in the bay of Point a Pitre, by 10 A.M. On Thursday, the 2d of October, the two-gun battery there, opened upon us with red-hot shot, and continued to fire for a considerable time, but without effect. This night the Admiral endeavoured to open a communication with Camp Berville, but was prevented by the vigilance of the enemy, who now occupied every avenue to it. On the morning of the 30th, the enemy renewed their attacks on General Graham's camp at Berville, and again on the 4th of October, still bringing (hydra like) greater numbers to the charge; their success, however, was the same as on the first attack, having lost during the three attacks, on a moderate computation, two thousand men. In the second attack General Graham was wounded by a musket-ball in the leg, and several of his officers fell.[65] After the third action the enemy sent in a flag of truce, offering terms of capitulation, which General Graham in a spirited manner refused; the officers, however, waited on the General, and stated, that the troops, reduced by sickness and fatigue, were no longer able to undergo the duty, which now pressed heavy on them, and were so hara.s.sed as to be incapable of withstanding another attack, which the enemy promised to make on them the following morning. General Graham therefore, reconsidering the matter, consented to send a flag to the enemy, and, after some time, the terms of capitulation were agreed to; but, alas!

the unfortunate royalists were not included, though the General endeavoured all he could to make terms for them: he succeeded however thus far, to have permission to send a covered boat to the Boyne, in which he embarked twenty-five officers of the royalists; their unfortunate brethren, to the number of three hundred, who had defended their posts to the last, with the most determined resolution, were doomed to suffer death by the hands of their republican countrymen in cold blood, in a manner hitherto, I believe, unheard of, at least unrecorded in the annals of the most savage and abandoned people.[66]

Humanity must shudder at the idea; the republicans erected a guillotine, with which they struck off the heads of fifty of them. Thinking, however, this mode of proceeding too tedious, they invented a more summary plan; they tied the remainder of these unhappy men fast together, and placed them on the brink of the trenches which they had so gallantly defended; they then drew up some of their undisciplined recruits in front, who firing an irregular volley at their miserable victims, killed some, wounded others, and some, in all probability, were untouched; the weight however of the former dragged the rest into the ditch, where the living, the wounded, and the dead, shared the same grave, the soil being instantly thrown upon them. The English troops were to be allowed to march out with the honours of war, and to be embarked on board French s.h.i.+ps, which were to sail for England within twenty-one days after the surrender,[67] on condition that they would not serve against the French during the war. A great quant.i.ty of arms and ammunition fell into the hands of the enemy at this camp, and at Pet.i.t Bourg. Immediately after the surrender of Berville, Victor Hughes moved towards the town of Ba.s.se Terre, now our last stake on this island, laying waste the plantations, and burning the beautiful seats of the royalists as he pa.s.sed along. Sir John Jervis, who had made every attempt to succour General Graham's camp at Berville, and had been an unwilling spectator from the fleet, of the surrender of that camp to the enemy, now made sail for Ba.s.se Terre, to render every a.s.sistance in his power to General Prescott;[68] and on the 9th of October, anch.o.r.ed within half a cable's length of the town. General Prescott instantly came on board to consult with the Admiral on the best mode of procedure in this critical state of affairs; and it was determined that the whole force which the General could collect, should go into the fort, and the Admiral, in the Boyne, would render every a.s.sistance in his power to the garrison; a promise he performed in a manner that drew the warmest thanks and approbation of General Prescott and his officers. At this time the French royalists had entirely abandoned us, and the militia, who had demanded arms, positively refused to enter the fort, and soon after deserted to the enemy: a party in the town seemed also ready to rise upon our people; but by the vigilance and activity of General Prescott they were overawed, and he continued to ride into the town unattended as usual. The fort was in a miserable state, nothing having been done to it since the peace of 1783; and Clairfontaine,[69] a royalist, who had been appointed administrateur general, wanting either influence or ability to procure negroes for the purpose, the fort was no way better than when it fell into our hands, except being cleaner, and supplied with provisions. On the 12th of October, a schooner bearing a flag of truce, arrived from Victor Hughes; in it came Captain Eiston, of the 35th regiment,[70] for a supply of money and baggage for our captured countrymen, with which he returned in two days to Point a Pitre. General Prescott had taken the precaution to order all the batteries along the coast, as well as those on the pa.s.ses of the Palmiste, to be destroyed, their guns spiked, and magazines blown up; but, owing to the shortness of the time allowed for it, and the weakness of the force employed, the enemy soon got them repaired to use against us. Captain Bowen, in the Terpsich.o.r.e, was dispatched to Trois Riviere, to destroy a battery there,[71] where he saw and fired on the enemy, who were marching in great force towards the heights of Palmiste. On which he returned, and informed the Admiral of this, by whom the intelligence was instantly forwarded to General Prescott, who had sent Captain Thomas of the 28th regiment (his aid-de-camp) to request some seamen to reinforce his garrison, which were most readily granted by the Admiral.

While Captain Thomas was on board the Boyne, the enemy, to his great astonishment, were seen on the heights of Palmiste. As there were a few royalists about the General, some of whose slaves were with the enemy, of course he ought to have received earlier information of their approach; but this shews how all intelligence was withheld from us. For ten days after the General had withdrawn the whole of his force into the fort, he occasionally sent parties into the town, as the Boyne still kept the enemy quiet there; but in a short time they got some guns up to an eminence, named by us the White-house Battery, that obliged the Admiral to weigh anchor: but he still continued to hover about the coast, occasionally sending reinforcements and provisions, and keeping up a constant intercourse with General Prescott in the fort. In the course of this business the Boyne was frequently engaged with the different batteries, and was exposed to great danger from the mortars, which the enemy began to play upon us with much judgment. On the 20th of October, the battery on Houelmont opened on the Terpsich.o.r.e, but without effect. Our garrison in the fort threw some sh.e.l.ls which drove them from thence; they, however, soon returned again to their guns. The next day they again attacked the frigate, and hit her; which obliged Captain Bowen to get near the land, out of the direction of their guns. On the 23d, the White-house Battery, having several heavy guns mounted, began a smart fire on the Boyne, which was returned from her lower deckers; afterwards we engaged a battery, into which the enemy had just come, at the N. W. end of the town, from whence we drove them; but being obliged to haul off sh.o.r.e occasionally, they at length completed their purpose, but not so as to be able to hinder us from approaching the land to keep up an intercourse with the garrison. On this service (as on every other) Captain Bowen eminently distinguished himself, having anch.o.r.ed the Terpsich.o.r.e, within a short distance of the fort, in a bay under Houelmont. On the 25th the Quebec, Captain Rogers, Beaulieu, Captain Riou, and Zebra, Captain Vaughan, arrived from a cruise. The enemy now increased their forces daily in this part of the island, pressing into their service all the negroes who were on the different estates; and if from timidity or any other cause they demurred, they were instantly shot: from the s.h.i.+p we saw them firing on some negroes of their own, who, from fear, were endeavouring to get off. On the night of the 26th, Lieutenant James, with a party of seamen, marched out of the fort to the military hospital, which he set on fire, being a place that the enemy would soon have made a considerable post against us. On the 29th, the Boyne, as usual sailing towards the fort, was becalmed by the high land of Houelmont, and being within a short distance, was cannonaded from that battery for several hours. From the height of its situation none of our guns could be brought to bear against it; however, after considerable danger, the s.h.i.+p got out of the bay without any damage. On the 5th of November, the enemy opened ten batteries against the fort at the same instant, and a party of them, with a field-piece, under cover of the night, had taken post on the brow of the hill under which the Terpsich.o.r.e and Experiment were anch.o.r.ed. As soon as the seamen were arranged at day-break, to wash the decks as usual, they were surprised by a heavy shower of musketry from over their heads. The Experiment endeavoured to get away, but being totally becalmed, it was some time before she could accomplish it. (Captain Miller had gone on board the Vanguard, and Captain Skynner was then in the Boyne, receiving his commission.[72]) Captain Bowen, with a presence of mind that never forsook him, ordered up all the muskets that could be procured, and, encouraging his men with great spirit and some effect, returned the fire of the enemy, who now brought their field-piece to bear on the s.h.i.+p; he was therefore obliged to weigh anchor, and get out of the bay as well as he could, his great guns being totally useless from the elevated situation of the enemy: two or three only of our people were wounded, though the deck was studded with musket-b.a.l.l.s. The fort[73] was now closely invested by land; by the sea a communication was continued the whole siege, Captain Bowen, in the Terpsich.o.r.e, never relaxing for a moment in his exertions to serve and a.s.sist the garrison. The water in the tank being bad (the enemy having cut off the aqueduct that supplied it), General Prescott ordered an armed party every morning and evening to the river Galion, to protect those sent thither for water. This was continued during the whole siege; cohorns and grape-shot being fired into the ravines and woods beyond the river, and other precautions taken, these parties met with little molestation. All the buildings in the fort being destroyed by the fire of the enemy, the garrison was obliged to take shelter in the Bomb-proof, a close and unwholesome confinement in this climate. On the 6th of November, Victor Hughes sent an insolent summons to General Prescott, to surrender the fort in two hours, which if not complied with, no further terms would be offered, and the whole garrison would be put to the sword. To this the General made a short answer, "that he would defend it as a soldier to the last extremity." The instant the hour was expired that the General allowed the French officer to return to Victor Hughes, he opened a heavy fire from all his batteries against the republicans, and continued it through the day without any return from them. Some stores and provisions were about this period sent to the garrison from Dominica, and the merchants of St. Pierre also made a welcome present of refreshments; the enemy at the same time began to supply their advanced batteries with necessaries by sea in small boats, that, keeping close in sh.o.r.e, evaded our cruisers, and landed at the town of Ba.s.se Terre. On the 12th of November, the Boyne was exposed for some time to a heavy fire from several batteries; one sh.e.l.l burst immediately over her, but without doing any mischief. At nine A. M. on the 14th of November, the Beaulieu, being then off Vieu Fort, made a signal to the Admiral, of an enemy of superior force being in sight. Immediately all hands were ordered to quarters, and every preparation made to give them a warm reception; at length three line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps hove in sight, which, to our great joy, proved to be a reinforcement from England; the Majestic, Captain Westcott, with Vice Admiral Caldwell's flag on board; the Theseus, Captain Calder; and Bellona, Captain Wilson: by them we were informed that Sir John Vaughan had arrived at St. Pierre, and Sir Charles Grey had given up the command to him. Sir John Jervis, worn down by long and severe exertions, the fatigues of which were augmented by his anxiety for the welfare of the service, that not all his exertions could promote without the arrival of a strong reinforcement, together with the unhealthiness of the climate, found himself no longer able to continue on this station, and therefore, to the great grief of General Prescott, was obliged to give up his command to Admiral Caldwell, and embarking his seamen (under Lieutenant James) from Fort Matilda, sailed for St.

Pierre; when, every thing being arranged and settled between the several commanders, Sir Charles Grey and his suite embarked once more with Sir John Jervis on board the Boyne; on the 27th of November they sailed for England, and after a tedious voyage (being for near a month tossed about in the Channel by contrary winds) arrived at Spithead the 21st of January 1795.

[61] Among the many causes of uneasiness that now bore hard upon the Commanders in Chief (by the failure of their well-concerted plans, the dreadful mortality among their troops, and the despair of reinforcements arriving from Europe) the misconduct of one high in estimation as an officer, and hitherto looked upon as a man of strict integrity, was not the least galling. The case was this: At the taking of St. Lucia, Colonel Sir Charles Gordon, who had repeatedly distinguished himself by his gallant conduct, was appointed governor of that island, and in the last promotion was advanced to the rank of brigadier general; soon after which some very unpleasant reports prevailed, of extortions and peculations by him, and taking bribes of the inhabitants, who were supposed to be disaffected, in order to suffer them to remain on the island, and then breaking his word with them. At length a regular complaint was laid before the Commander in Chief, who instantly ordered a court martial to be summoned, and sent an officer to St. Lucia to arrest Sir Charles Gordon, and convey him to Martinique, in order for trial. At this time the fever raged so violently that the two first courts-martial that met on this business, were dissolved by the death of a majority of the members. At length, in order to prevent the like accident from again interrupting the course of justice, the General appointed a greater number of officers than usual to attend, and the trial proceeded; the event of which was, that the prisoner was found guilty of the crimes laid to his charge, and was sentenced to refund the money he had extorted, and to be rendered incapable of serving his majesty again: but, in consequence of some favourable circ.u.mstances that came out on the trial, he was allowed to sell his commission. See Appendix, pages 42, 43, 48.

[62] The horses that were sent from America for the purpose of mounting the light dragoons, were so bad, that only three out of forty were sound, or fit for service, insomuch that Captain Hare was obliged to present a memorial to the Commander in Chief on the subject.

[63] Consisting of seventy rank and file only.

[64] I am sorry to add, that this officer soon afterwards fell a victim to the yellow fever.

[65] In one of these attacks Monsieur Vermont was shot through the body, his lieutenant, Monsieur De Lisle, was shot through his breast, and another of his officers killed; in this situation he beat off the enemy. This gallant, but unfortunate officer, was, at the beginning of the revolution, possessed of a good estate near Trois Riviere on Ba.s.se Terre, which soon made him an object of republican vengeance; his house was attacked, but he escaped into the woods, supposing that his amiable wife would be safe from their fury, being far advanced in her pregnancy; but the monsters, not regarding her situation, put her to death with circ.u.mstances of barbarity too dreadful to relate, and such as would fill, I trust, every Briton's breast with the utmost horror; his aged mother too, and beautiful sister, shared the same fate. He was taken and thrown into prison at Fort Matilda, to reserve him for a public spectacle on the guillotine, when we arrived, and released him from thence by the capture of the island.

[66] Their conduct prior to, and since the enemy had attacked the camp, deserved a far better fate: finding themselves excluded from terms of capitulation, they wished permission to cut their way through the enemy's army, by which a few of them, at least, might escape, and the rest meet an honourable death; but this request, it is said, was refused; perhaps it was believed that on their capture the enemy would relent, and not put their sanguinary threats into execution. Two of these unfortunate men hastened to the sh.o.r.e, in hopes of getting on board the covered boat; but being disappointed, and aware of the fate that awaited them, they instantly shot themselves on the beach. On hearing of this melancholy business, General Grey published an order that did equal honour to his feelings and his mind. See Appendix, page 53.

[67] This part of the agreement, however, was not complied with, as they remained prisoners for more than a year afterwards, during which time many of them died.

[68] General Prescott had so small a force in that quarter, that he could not possibly afford any material a.s.sistance to General Graham; but he had made an effort by sending a detachment from the 35th regiment to support some royalists at St. Marie, which however proved ineffectual; and the numbers at Martinique being now too small for the defence of it, General Grey was unable to afford any a.s.sistance from thence; however he ordered the flank companies of the 4th battalion, of the 60th regiment from St. Vincent's, and part of the 21st from St. Christopher's, to reinforce Brigadier General Graham. Fortunately, however, they arrived too late, as their numbers were inadequate to save it, and they afterwards made part of the garrison at Fort Matilda.

[69] This gentleman, after having enjoyed a lucrative post, was unwilling to lose the fruits of it, and, instead of rendering any a.s.sistance to General Prescott, he took French leave, not forgetting to carry with him a chest well lined, in order to render his residence at Antigua comfortable.

[70] The republican officer who came with him informed us that he saw the execution of the unfortunate royalists, and that twenty-seven heads were struck off in seven minutes and a half!

[71] On the 19th of October the Admiral sent Lieutenant Skynner with a party of seamen to a battery at the N. W. end of the town, from whence he brought off some cannon and mortars.

[72] On the 2d of November, Captain Miller was promoted to the command of the Vanguard, Captain Sawyer being removed to the a.s.surance, vice Captain Bryer, deceased; and Lieutenant Launcelot Skynner of the Boyne, was appointed commander of the Experiment, vice Captain Miller.

[73] Fort Matilda, formerly Fort Charles, was at first a battery only, erected to command the road; afterwards it was enclosed as a depot for arms and ammunition in case of insurrection among the slaves; and during the last war the French added to its outworks, which were now totally in ruins, but served the enemy, particularly those on the opposite side of the Galion river, as trenches, and effectually covered their musketry that commanded the princ.i.p.al works of the besieged: in short, the fort was completely commanded on the three sides by land, so that not a man in it could move without being seen by the enemy.

As we left General Prescott in a perilous situation, it may be proper to give an account of the conclusion of the siege, though it comes not within the original plan of my work, which professed only to relate the events that took place under the immediate command of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis. This I am enabled to do from the communication of a brave and intelligent friend who was there during the whole siege. On the 29th of November, Captain c.o.c.kburne, aid-de-camp of General Sir John Vaughan, was sent by his Excellency to Fort Matilda, with the unwelcome news that no more men could be sent thither. On the 5th of December, General Prescott dispatched Captain Thomas, his aid-de-camp, to the Commander in Chief, with an account of the fort being almost in ruins; this officer returned thither on the 7th, and found that the bastion towards the river Galion was totally silenced, and so completely commanded by the enemy's musketry, that not a man could approach it; the adjoining curtain was much in the same state; the bastion towards the town was giving way, and expected to tumble into the ditch every moment.

General Prescott no longer thought of defence, but to secure his small garrison, now highly necessary for the defence of the other islands, the unparalleled mortality having left them almost without troops. The pestilential fever had been, in proportion, more fatal to the officers than the men; in the garrison, for instance, there was no officer of intermediate rank between the General and his aid-de-camp Captain Thomas, who was second in command. On the 9th of December, this officer was dispatched to Admiral Thompson, and after the plan of embarkation was settled, he returned to the fort, and the evacuation commenced at nine o'clock on the 10th of December, and was conducted with so much skill, that not a man was lost. In the morning two of the garrison deserted to the enemy; but the General had concealed his intentions so well, that not the least intelligence of it seems to have been given by them. There was no interruption to the retreat except a few musket-shots on the beach, from one of which that active officer Captain Bowen was badly wounded in the face. The enemy, unconscious of this movement, cannonaded and bombarded the fort as usual, until two o'clock the next morning, though the embarkation had been completed by eleven the preceding night. The whole force that marched out of Fort Matilda, was between four and five hundred: some of them were sent to the Isle de Saintes and Antigua, and the remainder to Martinique. Thus concluded a siege of eight weeks and two days, during the whole of which General Prescott evinced the most perfect coolness and true soldierly resolution, neither appalled by the tremendous and well-directed fire constantly, both night and day, kept up against the fort, nor by the insolent and threatening summonses of Victor Hughes.[74] In the handsomest manner he bore testimony to the zeal and activity of Sir John Jervis, who relaxed not in his attention to the wants of the garrison, till he was obliged to quit the station; leaving however, in Captain Bowen, a man whose existence seemed to be preserved, amidst the greatest dangers, for the service of his country. Admiral Thompson had his share of praise too for the manner in which he had conducted the embarkation.

During the siege seventeen were killed, and seventy-nine were wounded.

General Prescott immediately repaired to Saint Pierre, at Martinique, where he received the well-earned thanks and congratulations of all ranks, for his spirited and gallant defence of Fort Matilda. Victor Hughes,[75] on taking possession of the fort, ordered the monument that had been erected over General Dundas, to be destroyed, and his remains thrown into the river Galion; a conduct as mean and brutal, as it was undeserved. I cannot conclude without mentioning the death of that gallant officer, Captain Faulknor, commanding the Blanche frigate of thirty-two guns, who, on the 5th of January, fell in with the republican frigate, La Pique of thirty-eight guns, off the harbour of Point a Pitre; the action was maintained with the greatest fury and obstinacy for five hours, during which Captain Faulknor fell by a musket-ball as he was a second time las.h.i.+ng the bowsprit of La Pique to the capstern of his own s.h.i.+p. The loss of this brave man must be deplored by every friend to the service; his courage and determined bravery had been often tried, and always with success, as in the course of this work I have frequently had occasion to mention. On his death the command devolved on the first lieutenant, Mr. Watkins, who continued the action in a manner that did him immortal honour. The French s.h.i.+p having lost her main and mizen sails, the Blanche took her in tow, still continuing the engagement, when the stern ports not being large enough, they blew the upper transom beam away, and fired into her bows for three hours. The marines under Lieutenant Richardson, kept so well directed a fire, that not a man could appear on her forecastle until she struck; sixty-seven of her crew were dead on the decks; many had been thrown overboard; one hundred and ten wounded were landed at the Saintes; and one hundred and seventy-four were taken to Martinique. The Blanche had ten killed, including the Captain, and twenty-four wounded. Captain Faulknor's exertions in forwarding the service on every occasion, both during, and since the campaign, were unremitting. Indeed the English cause in the West Indies, at this instant, could hardly have received a deeper wound than it did by the death of this brave and zealous man.

[74] During the siege a cannon ball took off the fore part of the General's hat. He coolly observed, "that a miss was as good as a mile!"

[75] So much having been said of this man, it may be agreeable to the reader to be informed of his origin, and pursuits in the former part of his life.--Victor Hughes was originally a petty inn-keeper at Ba.s.se Terre, Guadaloupe; from whence he was driven for some misdemeanor, and became master of a small trading vessel at St.

Domingo; then a lieutenant in the French navy; and afterwards a deputy in the national a.s.sembly: from whence he came out to the West Indies as commissioner, with controlling powers over the commanders of the army and navy. His abilities were certainly good, his courage and perseverance undoubted; but, from the ferocity of his character, he was both feared and hated. Colonel Drummond, who with his small party was taken at Point Bacchus, relates that the republicans put to death all the sick they found in the hospital at Pet.i.t Bourg, many of the women, and some children, cutting off heads, and otherwise mutilating the bodies; that, as the men who surrendered with him at Point Bacchus, fainted in their march, they were instantly bayonetted; the Colonel himself was, by particular directions from Victor Hughes, ordered to clean the prison s.h.i.+p in turn with the others; but from this disgrace he was relieved by the dutiful attachment of his men, who would not permit it: his food and lodging were the same as the rest, no attention being paid to his rank; but from the respect and good behaviour of his men, not one of whom would desert from him. A great number of people of all ages, s.e.xes, and conditions, were condemned to the guillotine by this inexorable tyrant, all of whom were conducted in boats round the prison s.h.i.+p, in order to distress and intimidate the British prisoners.

APPENDIX.

_Head Quarters, Barbadoes, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 1794._

Parole, ST. DOMINGO. C. S. WILLIAMSON.

The Commander in Chief, having nearly finished all his arrangements to open the campaign with vigour, thinks it necessary, during the few days the troops remain at Barbadoes, to give out the orders proper for the regulation and conduct of the troops; and he anxiously calls upon every commanding officer of brigades, regiments, and corps, to support him in the due and strict observance thereof. The object of the campaign is to complete the conquest of the French West India Islands. Great sufficiency of provisions and a numerous train of artillery are provided. The General is so thoroughly convinced of the zeal and intelligence of the officers and soldiers under his command, that he knows many orders upon the present occasion are unnecessary; yet, to shorten orders in future, it may not be improper to explain to the soldiers the fatal consequences of straggling ever so little away from camp in quest of plunder; it is next to a certainty they will fall ign.o.bly by the hands of the country people: or if they should escape, they may depend upon suffering the severe punishment due to disobeying military orders; as the General will never allow (while he has the honour to command such troops) practices of that nature to gain ground, as that alone, in time, will defeat the bravest army in the world, and render all their efforts useless. The British soldiers cannot be ignorant of the high reputation they have always acquired for obedience, attention, and expertness, in arms; and consequently they must be sensible how much their king and country expect from them: and the General is impressed with every a.s.surance, that the troops will not disappoint them upon this occasion. The General takes the liberty to a.s.sure them, that they are able to fight any troops upon earth; and he will be answerable that it would not be a contest of ten minutes between this army and the best troops of France, whether the affair was to be decided by fire or bayonet. This last method is always to be preferred, but much more so when acting against such bad troops as the army we are now to be opposed to, the enemy being made up chiefly of negroes and mulattoes, with a very small proportion of regular troops; to be beat by whom would be so disgraceful, that he cannot entertain the most distant thought of it. The present distracted state of France makes it impossible to support them, therefore it only requires the usual perseverance and gallantry of British soldiers to conquer the first island that an attack is made upon, which will certainly decide the fate of the whole, shorten the campaign, and put an honourable end to the labour and exertion of the troops. The General thinks it a duty inc.u.mbent on him, and which he doubts not will be taken well, to point out further what he thinks necessary, either for their own particular good, or that more n.o.ble object, the good of their king and country. The General desires the soldiers will consider what hards.h.i.+ps must attend their profession; that there is as much true honour in bearing them with manly fort.i.tude, as in forcing the cannon of an enemy; patience under difficulties being one of the first virtues in a military character, and without which no man, however brave, will ever be a soldier. In times like the present some sacrifice of convenience must always be made to necessity; at the same time the soldiers may be a.s.sured that every attention will be paid by the Commander in Chief, and every other officer, to have them well supplied with every article that the nature of the service will admit. On the other hand, he hopes the soldiers will be so thoroughly convinced of this, that not one of them will be so lost to honour and virtue, and the service of their country, as not readily and most cheerfully to put up with every inconvenience, and even to the scarcity of provisions, if it should so happen. The General means to carry the business through with as little loss as possible, and with the strictest attention to the preservation of the troops: to this end he expects that every duty required will be carried forward by the troops without the least unsoldier-like behaviour or complaint, and that all orders will be strictly obeyed. The army is sent to carry on honourable war against the French colonies, and by their conduct, in preserving the persons and properties of the peaceable inhabitants, to conciliate the minds of the people to the British government; therefore the General determinately a.s.sures the troops, that he will allow of no drunkenness or licentious behaviour, no burning of churches, houses, or edifices of any description, without orders, or plundering in any shape whatever.

All persons that with their property remain in their habitations, shall be treated with humanity. No violence to be offered, particularly to women, on any pretence whatever. The strictest subordination and discipline to be preserved throughout the whole army; and the commanding officer of brigades, regiments, and corps, must be responsible accordingly to the Commander in Chief.--The commanding officer will be careful that these orders, and every other that comes out, are distinctly read to their men by an officer, and be clearly understood by both officers and soldiers.--However it may hurt the General's feelings, he is determined to make immediate examples of all those who shall presume to disobey his orders; more particularly that part of them relative to plundering, ill treatment of peaceable inhabitants, or firing of houses, &c. And Captain Vipond, provost marshal, has his orders to execute upon the spot every offender caught in such horrid acts, without trial.--It may be necessary here to acquaint all officers'

servants (not soldiers), and followers of the army of every description, that they are subject to military law, and liable in like manner with the troops to the punishment of death, or corporal punishment, according to the nature of the offence. Each regiment and corps will apprize them of this, that ignorance may not be pleaded as an excuse. The success of this army totally depends upon a proper and strict degree of order and discipline being maintained; the General therefore again calls upon officers of every rank to a.s.sist him in enforcing it; for the whole are not to suffer by a disorderly few, who, if allowed to go on, would be the destruction of the whole army.

The provost marshal's guard to mount to-morrow morning at six o'clock, consisting of one sergeant, two corporals, twelve privates; and Captain Vipond will direct patroles to go out as he judges necessary, for the purpose of preserving order and regularity.--William Allen, sergeant major, of the forty-eighth regiment, is appointed deputy to the provost marshal; Captain Scott, of the sixth regiment, to act as major to that regiment; and Quarter Master William Haugh to do the duty of adjutant till further orders.--Carpenters are much wanted to expedite the equipment of hospital s.h.i.+ps, and other necessary work on board the fleet; returns to be given in by each corps to-morrow of the number of carpenters they have, and such as they can furnish; to be supplied on the application of Captain Armstrong, a.s.sistant to the quarter master general, who will receive and take care to return them on board their respective transports. Working parties from the troops afloat are necessary for the same purpose, and will be supplied in rotation, by corps, with a proper proportion of non-commissioned officers, on the application of Captain Armstrong to the officers commanding regiments or battalions. The sixth regiment, and such of the flank companies not yet completed with camp equipage, will receive it on board the Sincerity brig to-morrow morning at six o'clock. The quarter masters of the respective battalions will attend to receive it.--Lieutenant Geyer of the sixty-seventh regiment to do duty with the sixth regiment.--Provost's guard, first battalion grenadiers. One sergeant, nine privates of the ninth regiment on board the army brig to be landed this evening, and to march to St. Ann's, where they are to remain till further orders. The light companies at St. Ann's Castle will fire ball this evening, &c. &c.

Lieut. Colonel Gomm was left to command at Barbadoes.

FURTHER ORDERS BEFORE EMBARKATION.

ORDERS. _Barbadoes, January 24, 1794._

EXTRACT.

The safety of an army depending in a great measure upon the guards and out-posts, they cannot be too vigilant; therefore the Commander in Chief expects, that whatever post or guard an officer is ordered to take, he will first visit his situation and ground around it, and post his centinels so as to render it out of the power of the enemy to surprise him. It is the greatest disgrace that can possibly befall an officer; and so much so in the General's opinion, that any officer, or non-commissioned officer, who shall suffer himself to be surprised, must not expect to be forgiven.--All out-posts to fortify themselves as well as they can, to prevent any insult from parties of the enemy. The troops always to form two deep; and, the roads being so narrow in the island, it will be necessary for them to march by files: if there is room to do otherwise, the commanding officer will be the best judge.--The soldiers will bear in mind the use of the bayonet, which in possession of, they can have no excuse for retreating for want of ammunition, the bayonet being the best and most effectual weapon in the hands of a gallant British soldier; in which mode of attack (the General a.s.sures them) no troops upon earth are equal to them. In case of a night attack, ammunition and firing are totally out of the question, and the bayonet is ever to be preferred and made use of. Every reason is in favour of this system; amongst many others the following, viz. It conceals you and your numbers from the enemy; the enemy direct their fire wherever they see or hear fire, consequently fire upon each other, whilst you are concealed, and they fall an easy prey. The General a.s.sures the troops of this from his own repeated experience; and the soldiers may rely in confidence upon him, that if it is strictly adhered to, it will seldom, if ever, fail of success.--As it may be necessary at particular times to order the grenadiers, light infantry, and advanced corps, to retire, in order more effectually to secure the defeat of the enemy, the Commander in Chief thinks it necessary to apprize the army of this, to prevent any alarm such an appearance might otherwise occasion amongst the soldiers.--Weak and sickly men are not to embark with their regiments or corps; proper measures will be taken to get those men to their regiments as soon as they are in a state fit for duty. No women to come on sh.o.r.e till particularly ordered, &c.