[21] As it was my lot to be much in the society of this excellent young man, having from the time we arrived in the West Indies enjoyed his friendship, and on several occasions accompanied him on service, afterwards attending him from the camp at Point Negro to the hospital at St. Pierre, and remaining with him at intervals till the time of his death: these circumstances will, I trust, plead my excuse for detaining the reader from more important events of the campaign while I pay the tribute of respect to the memory of my gallant but ill-fated friend. Mr. James Miln was a native of Arbroath in Scotland, and after serving for near thirteen years with credit in the navy, was promoted to a lieutenancy on board the Blanche frigate by Admiral Sir John Laforey, and was afterwards taken on board the Boyne as fifth lieutenant by Sir John Jervis on his arrival at Barbadoes. His general good conduct as a man and officer soon attracted the notice of the naval Commander in Chief (than whom no man is more quick sighted to discern merit, and happy to reward it). By him no doubt he would have been much employed on the most active service, had not that melancholy event taken place, which deprived the service of a good and brave officer, and left me only the sad task of deploring, while I commemorate the death of a friend, from the excellency of whose heart and understanding I was in hopes of reaping future entertainment and improvement.
[22] Since writing of this, news has arrived from the West Indies of the capture of a ship belonging to Victor Hughes (the present republican tyrant of Guadaloupe) loaded with wealth amassed by this plunderer to the amount of half a million sterling. Such has been the general conduct of the French Commanders, while ours have been vilified for claiming even the legal bounty for their suffering and exhausted followers.
[23] See Appendix, page 24.
[24] See Appendix, page 25.
[25] The same officer who distinguished himself by his gallantry in saving his Majesty's ship the Guardian at the Cape of Good Hope in the year 1789. See Gent. Mag. vol. lx. page 465.
[26] See Appendix, pages 26 and 27.
[27] Monsieur de Tourelles, the ancient lieutenant of the fort, either through fear, ignorance, or treachery, refused to run the ship in under pretence of shoals.
[28] The whole fleet, witnessing this gallant action, instantly saluted the British colours with three hearty cheers.
[29] The gallant defence made by General Rochambeau and his garrison was strongly manifested on our entering Fort Bourbon, as there was scarce an inch of ground untouched by our shot or shells; and it is but justice to say, it did them the highest honour.—Among the casualties that happened during the siege, the following deserves notice. A party of the besieged were in one of the chambers of the Bomb-proof in the Traverse, when a shell from one of our batteries fell into the arched way, and rebounding, burst the door of the chamber, and killed the whole party.
[30] It is much to the credit of the officers, who served on shore from the landing on the island till the reduction of Fort Bourbon, a period of forty-seven days, that they shared the same hardships as the privates without a murmur, sleeping in their clothes the whole time; and being so situated that they seldom could have the benefit of tents or any kind of hovel, they were exposed continually to the heavy rains and nocturnal damps which in a tropical climate so severely try the constitution; but, owing (as it was imagined) to the flannel shirts which were invariably worn by all ranks, they, as yet, suffered less from sickness than could have been expected.