On Feb. 7th the Admiral sent (with a flag of truce) Lieutenant Miln of the Boyne, accompanied by Lieutenant James of the fifteenth regiment, and the Chaplain of the Boyne, with a letter for the municipality or governor of Maran. As they approached the town they perceived hostile preparations making in the fort of St. Etienne; but, in hopes of preventing a flag of truce being insulted, Mr. Miln boarded one of the American ships that had been run aground the day before, intending, in case the captain of it was on board, to take him in his company. Being now within half gun-shot of the fort, the enemy began to fire on the boat, notwithstanding the flag of truce, and continued to do so, although Mr. Miln endeavoured to proceed towards the shore: but the enemy seeming determined to oppose his landing, and several of their shot falling close by the boat, he at length judged it most prudent to return. As he passed Pointe du Bourgnesse he perceived some negroes near the fort, and sent the two gentlemen who accompanied him armed, to endeavour to cut off their retreat, and to give them the papers which were to have been delivered to the commander at Maran; but the negroes, on perceiving them land, immediately made off towards the town: they however found a wounded man, whose leg had been broken by a cannon ball, with whom they left the papers, adding a note to express their surprise and indignation at a flag of truce being fired on[7].
In the afternoon Mr. Miln went with the gun-boats against Maran, to form a diversion in favour of Lieutenants Rutherford and Rogers, who had landed with two companies of seamen to carry fresh provisions to Sir Charles Grey's army. This had the desired effect, as soon after a large body of troops came down from the hills to the town and fort, which might otherwise have fallen in with the seamen on their march.
The next day, Feb. 8, the Admiral sent another flag of truce by the same officer to the town of St. Anne. He took with him an American captain of a ship, in addition to his former complement; and having been so roughly handled the day before, he also ordered a gun-boat to attend. St. Anne's was entirely deserted. The American then proceeded a mile up the country to the house of a planter, who had left it; but finding his mulatto mistress there, he left the papers with her, to forward to the commanding officer at Maran. On this estate the American told us he saw three hundred slaves, and every thing in perfect order; from whence we judged the owner of it had been a friend to the revolution, the houses and plantations of the royalists being universally destroyed. The enemy now entirely evacuated this part of the country, to throw themselves into Fort Bourbon; and in their retreat burnt several fine plantations, and murdered many slaves of the royalists with circumstances of the most horrid cruelty.
I should have mentioned that, on our approach to this island, the Commanders in Chief dispatched General Dundas with Commodore Thompson to the attack of Trinité, and another division under the command of Colonel Sir Charles Gordon, assisted by Captain Rogers of the Quebec, to Case de Navirre; while Sir Charles Grey, assisted by Lieutenant General Prescott, and under cover of the Boyne, &c. made good his landing at Trois Rivieres: thus, by making three attacks upon distant parts of the island at the same time, the force and attention of the enemy was divided; and by that spirited conduct, which animated all parties, more particularly by the unanimity which prevailed between the army and navy, they all happily succeeded. And here I must beg leave to observe, that where the commanders are united in friendship, and equally inspired with an earnest desire to serve their king and country, their example will always have such influence on the conduct of those under their command, that the same friendly intercourse will be sure to subsist between the subordinate ranks of the two services; and, from the Commanders in Chief to the private soldier and sailor, they will join hand and heart, and form a phalanx that nothing can withstand.
CHAPTER IV.
MARCH OF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF FROM TROIS RIVIERES TO SALLEE … OCCURRENCES ON THE MARCH … GENERAL WHYTE DETACHED … TAKES PIGEON ISLAND … THE ADMIRAL ANCHORS OFF PIGEON ISLAND … DESCRIPTION OF THE BAY OF FORT ROYAL … THE THIRD BRIGADE LANDS AT CAS DE NAVIRES.
I have already said that his Excellency Sir Charles Grey, with Lieutenant General Prescott, and that part of the army which landed at Trois Rivieres, marched from thence on Feb. 6th across the country to La Riviere Sallée, a distance of two leagues, over very mountainous roads, and that evening they reached the town of the same name, situated on its banks, where the troops were lodged. They met with no opposition on their march, and lost only one man (a sergeant), who died of fatigue and heat. On the march the Commander in Chief detached Brigadier General Whyte, with the second battalion of light infantry commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Close, with two amuzettes, to force the batteries of Cape Solomon and Point a Burgos, in order to get possession of Pigeon Island, as our shipping could not go into the bay of Fort Royal till that was accomplished; nor indeed could our boats with provisions and ammunition go with safety round to the army at Riviere Sallée. On Feb. 7th General Whyte took two small pieces of cannon loaded, at a village in the bay of d'Arlet (one hundred and fifty mulattoes having fled at his approach); and immediately marching to the attack of the two posts above mentioned of Point Solomon and Burgos, the enemy surrendered at discretion, their retreat being cut off. In the interim the Commander in Chief received intelligence of a body of the enemy having crossed the bay from Fort Royal, and landed near Morne Charlotte Pied, where they took post to intercept the communication between General Whyte and head quarters at Sallée: on which he instantly dispatched Adjutant-General Colonel Dundas, with the seventieth regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Johnson, with two howitzers, to dislodge them. This was executed that night with great spirit, and the post taken possession of early the next morning, the enemy being completely defeated at the first charge. In this action Captain Nares of the seventieth regiment distinguished himself so as to gain the notice of the Commander in Chief in public orders[8].
Brigadier General Whyte (being now reinforced with a detachment of the royal artillery, some ordnance, mortars, &c.) Colonel Symes, with a detachment of the fifteenth regiment and two hundred seamen from the Admiral, armed with pikes and pistols, under the command of Lieutenants Rogers and Rutherford, ascended the heights on the 9th instant, and got possession of Mount Matharine, which commanded Pigeon Island, at the distance of not more than four hundred yards, where they erected their batteries. On this day his Excellency the Admiral sailed from Maran Bay, and anchored in Petite Ance d'Arlet, from whence he could send succours of men and ammunition to General Whyte; who accordingly instantly landed two companies of seamen, with several cannon, which they in vain attempted to drag over the hills to General Whyte's post, a distance of four or five miles; for the steepness and ruggedness of the roads, rendered every effort ineffectual. However he sent him a plentiful supply of shot and other ammunition, with one howitzer; and in the evening Lieutenant Miln was dispatched with a party, carrying provisions and spirits for the army. We found the country on the march from Ance d'Arlet to General Whyte's camp beautiful in a high degree, but the roads almost impassable: a succession of steep roads, through thick woods, at length brought us to the summit of a hill (on which our seamen were posted), commanding a fine view of the bay of Fort Royal, with Islet aux Ramieres, or Pigeon Island, in front; and on each side rose hills finely clothed with wood, on one of which our little army was posted. During the time we were there, the enemy on Pigeon Island annoyed us with their shells and shot, by which one of our seamen was killed, and another mortally wounded. The two five and a half inch howitzers, brought by the seventieth regiment from head quarters, being now placed in a battery under the direction of Captain de Rivigne of the royal artillery, so as to take the island in reverse, and Colonel Dornford having also joined with a company of artificers, the batteries were completed during the night of the 10th instant, and opened on Tuesday morning, February 11th, under the conduct of Major Manley, who kept up so incessant and well-directed a fire upon Pigeon Island, that in two hours the garrison struck their colours, and surrendered at discretion, having fifteen killed and twenty-five wounded. When our batteries opened, it consisted of two hundred and three men.