These ships joined us in Fort Royal bay during the siege of Forts Bourbon and Louis.
| Asia | 64 guns | Captain John Brown. |
| Santa Margarita | 36 | Eliab Harvey. |
| Assurance | 44 | Velters Cornwall Berkley. |
| Ceres | 32 | Richard Incledon. |
| Winchelsea | 32 | Lord Viscount Garlies. |
| Roebuck | 44 hosp. ship | Andrew Christie. |
The land force employed on this expedition was as follows. A detachment of white and a detachment of black light dragoons, three battalions of grenadiers, three battalions of light infantry, the sixth, ninth, fifteenth, thirty-ninth, forty-third, fifty-sixth, fifty-eighth, sixty-fourth, sixty-fifth, and seventieth regiments, with detachments from the second, twenty-first, and sixtieth regiments. The troops were divided into three brigades; the first commanded by Lieutenant General Prescott, the second by Major General Thomas Dundas, and the third by Major General his Royal Highness Prince Edward (till whose arrival from Canada the command of this brigade was given to Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles Gordon.) The total force that embarked for the attack of Martinique was six thousand and eighty-five, two hundred and twenty-four sick, and nine hundred and seventy-seven left sick at Barbadoes[4].
CHAPTER III.
THE FLEET SAILS FROM BARBADOES … ANCHORS ON THE SOUTH COAST OF MARTINIQUE … CAPTURE OF A BATTERY … GENERAL GREY LANDS WITH HIS ARMY … FLAG OF TRUCE FIRED ON BY THE ENEMY … THE COMMANDERS IN CHIEF ATTACK THE ISLAND AT THREE DIFFERENT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME.
On Monday, Feb. 3, 1794, the fleet of men of war, transports, storeships, &c. sailed from Carlisle Bay, and the next morning land was seen, which proved to be the island of St. Lucia, bearing west several leagues. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, we approached the island of Martinique on the south east coast, off the bay of Maran; two forts, one at Pointe du Jardin, the other at Pointe de la Borgnesse, which defended the entrance to that bay, began to fire on our ships as they approached; notwithstanding which, the Boyne and the rest of the fleet anchored by four P.M. not far from the battery on Pointe de la Borgnesse, Lieutenant Bowen having previously run along shore in a small schooner to sound the depth of water. Our troops were now preparing to land, and had filled several flat-boats which lay along-side the men of war, when the battery opened a heavy fire on them, which was quickly answered by the ships; the troops at the same time pushed in and landed, covered by the gun-boats: seeing which, and alarmed by some well-directed shot from the Boyne and Veteran, the enemy fled in disorder from the fort, which our troops immediately entered, and having hoisted the British colours, were saluted with three cheers from the fleet. A trench was found in the battery, communicating with the magazine, in which a train was laid, and a brand or match laid across it. Happily (by the exertions of the officers and men) this dastardly plot was prevented taking effect. The guns were immediately turned upon the enemy in their retreat, and against the town of St. Anne; but as this was a post of no great consequence, after they had spiked the guns and broke the carriages, the troops reimbarked[5].
In the evening the enemy in the battery on Pointe du Jardin burnt the sugar plantations near them, as we suppose, out of revenge for our success at Pointe de la Borgnesse; from the dryness of the canes the fire spread with great rapidity, and did much damage. Near us was the village of St. Luce, where a two-gun battery, directed by the curé of St. Luce, seeming disposed to trouble us, the Veteran opened her lower deckers on it, and soon drove the enemy from thence[6].—On Thursday morning, Feb. 6, our troops landed at Trois Rivieres, in the bay of St. Luce, without opposition, to the number of two thousand four hundred and eighty-four men, under the direction of Lieutenant General Prescott. Sir Charles Grey and his suite then landed, and the whole army moved off from the landing-place in two divisions; the first division began to march about twelve at noon, the second division at five in the afternoon. Lieutenant Rogers of the Boyne soon after landed at the curé's battery at St. Luce, and found the two cannon there to be twenty-four pounders, that had belonged to the Raisonable man of war, wrecked some time since on this island. They destroyed these guns, and returned on board without any loss. This evening a gun-boat and flat-boat with seamen, under the command of Lieutenants Rutherford and Ogle of the Boyne, and Mr. Johnson, midshipman, attempted to cut out some vessels in the harbour near Maran, where they were much exposed both to the great guns and musquetry of the enemy; but they succeeded so far as to bring off two American schooners; two others saved themselves by running ashore close under the guns of Fort St. Etienne.