[41] Of this General Sir Charles Grey himself shared.
[42] During the time that Fort Bourbon was besieging we sent a summons to the town of St. Pierre, which was rejected with an uncommon degree of insolence, and Captain Mason (the General's aid de camp, who went with the flag of truce) was insulted. About a fortnight afterwards the place was taken by storm, without any capitulation, consequently subject to plunder by the custom of war; but so far from any irregularity being suffered, a drummer was hanged by order of General Dundas for attempting it; and such exact discipline and quiet behaviour was maintained among the troops, that the shops were opened the day after the capture. From the time of the refusal of the summons to the final capture, the republicans continued to load all the property and produce on board vessels under American colours, which they did constantly, in order to deprive the captors of their just rights, in case the place should be taken.—Interested American merchants were continually endeavouring to wrest the hard-earned prize money from the army and navy, while they were supplying the enemy with provisions and other necessaries.
[43] Consisting of four thousand six hundred and forty-two men.
[44] He was interred on the 4th of June, with all military honours, on one of the highest batteries in Fort Matilda, which, from that circumstance, was called Dundas's battery, and a stone with a suitable inscription was placed over his remains. The command of the forces, and the government of Guadaloupe, now devolved on Lieutenant Colonel Blundell of the forty-fourth regiment.
[45] This armament appears to have sailed from Rochfort about the 25th of April, and to have been forty-one days on the passage.
[46] Their success appears to have been greatly accelerated by the treachery or cowardice of several French royalists then in the fort, who offered their services to sally on the besiegers. Accordingly they marched out; but, on approaching the enemy, they were panic struck and fled, and few of them returned to Fleur d'Epée. The British merchants and sailors from the town of Point à Pitre had thrown themselves into this fort to assist the garrison, which was greatly reduced by sickness and death. This little band, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Drummond of the forty-third regiment, did all that gallant men could do; twice they repulsed the assailants; but at length, overpowered by numbers, and the royalists having demanded that the gates should be thrown open, and the enemy now pouring in from all sides, the few remaining troops were obliged to make the best retreat they could to Point à Pitre, which, not being tenable after the loss of Fleur d'Epée, was abandoned by them, and they crossed over to Basse Terre. In this affair, besides the loss of many others, Captain Suckling of the artillery was wounded at his gun by a bayonet, and left behind at Point à Pitre.—There were in Guadaloupe when taken by the French a larger proportion of troops than in either of the other conquered islands.
[47] Accompanied also by the Honourable Captain Stewart, brother to Lord Garlies; who having received permission to return to England, handsomely came forward at this time to offer himself as a volunteer.
In this second campaign (see Appendix, page 37) Colonel Symes, Colonel Francis Dundas, and Colonel Sir Charles Gordon, were promoted to the rank of brigadier general.
[48] See the Appendix, page 32.
[49] On the 18th of June, Lieutenant Colonels Coote and Cradock arrived from St. Christopher's, where they had been detained by the yellow fever, which they had caught on board a transport in which they were proceeding to England on leave of absence, and though not recovered from the baneful effects of that disease, they now came forward to offer their services to the Commanders in Chief, which were accepted in a manner highly honourable to both parties.