After the strong orders the Commander in Chief issued during the time he was preparing for the commencement of the campaign at Barbadoes, in which, among other things, he declared his determination to punish with the utmost severity any one who should presume to maraud or plunder the inhabitants, it is surprising that on the first day's march any soldier should have had the temerity to offend against that order: but we had a melancholy instance of it in William Milton of the tenth light dragoons, and Samuel Price of the black dragoons, who were tried and convicted of a robbery in the house of Jacques, an inhabitant of Sallée; and the General, being determined to put an early stop to such enormities, had the sentence put in execution, and they were both hanged in view of the whole army on February 8th[9].
On the capture of Islet aux Ramieres, or Pigeon Island, the Admiral sailed with the rest of his fleet from Ance d'Arlet on Wednesday, Feb. 12th, and anchored in Fort Royal Bay, off Pigeon Island, by which means he could co-operate with his colleague, and supply the army with ammunition and provisions at pleasure. As the ships worked into the bay, several shells were thrown at them from Fort Louis, but happily without doing any mischief.—It is impossible to conceive a more beautiful scene than presented itself on our entrance into this fine bay. On the north side we saw Fort Louis and the town of Fort Royal; and immediately behind it, on the top of a steep hill, was the strong fortification of Fort Bourbon, which, with the tri-coloured flag waving on its walls, formed a conspicuous object in the landscape; the parapet being built of white stone, strongly contrasted with the vivid glow of verdure on the surrounding hills. To the westward rose majestically prodigious mountains, called Les Pitons du Carbet, the hills on the side of which were cultivated, while the mountains themselves were covered with wood to their summits. Eastward the bay opens to several bays and harbours, into which some noble rivers discharge themselves, and pleasant islands of different dimensions and forms, embellish the whole. Pigeon Island, or Islet aux Ramieres, is situated on the south side of the bay of Fort Royal, about two hundred yards from the shore, and is a steep rock, inaccessible except on one side by a ladder fixed against a perpendicular wall. The summit is about thirty yards above the level of the sea, and is three hundred paces round. It contained the following ordnance, viz. Eleven forty-two pounders, six thirty-two pounders, four thirteen-inch mortars, and one howitzer, with an immense quantity of stores and ammunition, and a large stove to heat shot; it also had good barracks. It is famous for having prevented Admiral Rodney with twelve sail of the line from entering the bay in 1782.
On the 12th of February the fifteenth regiment, led by Major Lyon, and commanded by Captain Paumier, surprised several hundreds of the enemy, very strongly posted on the heights of le Grande Bouclain, killed several of them, and took all their ammunition and arms, with their cattle.[10]
Sir Charles Gordon with the third brigade had landed on the 8th instant to leeward, on the side of Cas de Navires, under cover of a division of the fleet commanded by Captain Rogers in the Quebec[11]. The enemy being masters of the grand road and the heights above it, he made a movement towards the mountains, and turning them (unperceived) with part of his force, gained the most commanding post in that part of the country. By day-break on the 9th instant Colonel Myers, descending the heights, took possession of la Chapelle, and a post established by the enemy above it; and on his return to the column, Sir Charles Gordon proceeded through most difficult ground to the heights of Berne, above Ance La Haye. The enemy, after having abandoned the battery of Cayman, and set fire to the village, still keeping a constant fire on him from the batteries of St. Catharine, he took a position which gave him an easy communication with the transports; when on the 12th he observed the battery and works at St. Catharine, and the posts which guarded the first ravine, abandoned by the enemy, on which he took possession of them, while Colonel Myers, with five companies of grenadiers and the forty-third regiment, crossed four ravines higher up, seizing all the batteries that defended them. This movement was completely successful, the enemy flying on every side, and our troops were soon in possession of the five batteries between Cas de Navires and Fort Royal. They then proceeded, and occupied the posts of Gentilly, La Coste, and La Archet, within a league of Fort Bourbon.
CHAPTER V.
GENERAL DUNDAS LANDS ON THE NORTH EAST SIDE OF THE ISLAND … TRINITE TAKEN … COLONEL CRADOCK ATTACKED, CAPTAIN M'EWEN killed … GENERAL DUNDAS FORMS A JUNCTION WITH SIR CHARLES GREY … MARCH TOWARDS ST. PIERRE … COLONEL CAMPBELL KILLED … ST. PIERRE ATTACKED BY SEA, AND TAKEN … DESCRIPTION OF THAT TOWN.
When Commodore Thompson with his division (having on board Major General Dundas and the second brigade) parted from the fleet on their voyage from Barbadoes, he proceeded with the utmost expedition to the north east part of the island; and on Feb. 5th arrived off the bay of Gallion. Captain Faulknor in the Zebra led in, and placed himself along-side of the battery on Point a Chaux, from whence he soon drove the enemy. The Beaulieu, Captain Salisbury, and the Woolwich, Captain Parker, followed; and the troops were landed without further opposition about a league from the town of Trinité, which was situated on the further side of the isthmus that formed the bay of Gallion. Here General Dundas halted for that night. Early the next morning he began his march towards Trinité. As he moved off from the ground he had occupied during the night, the enemy annoyed him much by a brisk fire of musketry from the cane fields, where a large body of them were concealed; from thence however they were soon driven by the bayonet, which (as the Commander in Chief observed[12]) in the hands of a gallant British soldier is the first of weapons. In this business we had one artilleryman killed, and two officers and three privates wounded. The General then continued his march to La Bruen, a strong post situated on an eminence immediately over the town of Trinité. The light infantry drove the enemy from this post after an action of about fifteen minutes. We had two men killed and seven or eight wounded, among which were two officers. The enemy's loss was much greater. Early on the night of the 6th our troops took possession of Fort Louis (and changed its name to Fort Dundas), and Fort Bellgarde, a post that commanded the harbour of Trinité. Mons. Bellgarde, general of the army composed of people of colour, finding that we had taken possession of the forts, made a precipitate retreat towards the mountains, having previously set fire to the town of Trinité, the best part of which, together with a great quantity of stores of all kinds, was consumed; but Commodore Thompson took possession of the vessels in the harbour and road. In all these attacks the seamen (under command of Captain Salisbury) bore a part, and by their intrepidity and good conduct gained the esteem as well as applause of the army.
On the evening of the 7th General Dundas proceeded with his brigade to the attack of Gros Morne, where he was informed General Bellgarde was strongly posted in considerable force; but on his arrival he found the forts evacuated. Gros Morne is a situation of great importance, being strongly fortified, and commanding the principal pass between the northern and southern parts of the island, and famous for being the rendezvous of the democrats during the revolution, previous to our arrival. Besides the principal fort, there is a redoubt on either side, about a mile distant, commanding the road leading to the fort. A detachment of the queen's regiment and a party of the marines being left to garrison Trinité, under command of Major Skerret, and the battalion of the 64th to garrison Le Gros Morne, the remainder of the brigade marched early in the morning of the 9th instant, and on the evening of the same day took possession of a strong situation called Bruno, where there had formerly been a fort, some of the guns of which were still remaining: it lies about two leagues north east of Fort Bourbon, and from it our army could see the enemy in their out-posts from that fort[13]. After the troops had halted for some time, Colonel Cradock with three companies of the second battalion of grenadiers was ordered to advance and take possession of the post of Maltide, where a considerable number of the enemy were assembled with their colours flying; but on his approach they evacuated the place in haste. Of this post our troops had the quiet possession that night, and all the next day; but in the night between the 10th and 11th they were attacked by a party of the enemy, commanded by Mons. Bellgarde, amounting to about eight hundred men, who, having crept up under cover of the canes and underwood, commenced a heavy fire on our troops, who, though rather taken by surprise, charged the enemy in their turn with such vigour and determined bravery, as forced them sorely to repent their temerity, and retreat towards Fort Bourbon with considerable loss. In this action Captain M'Ewen of the thirty-eighth regiment and seven privates were killed, and nineteen wounded. Next day a great quantity of fire arms were picked up, which the enemy had left behind them in their precipitate retreat. In the evening of the 11th the post was reinforced by three companies of grenadiers and part of the second battalion of light infantry; but that night all was quiet. Early on the morning of the 12th the grenadiers were ordered back to Bruno, and the battalion of the sixth regiment, commanded by Major Scott, took their place at Maltide, and the wounded were sent on board the hospital ship.