[60] Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing, amounted to thirty-eight officers, forty-three serjeants, and six hundred and eleven privates.
I must here beg leave to add an extract from Admiral Sir J. Jervis's public letters to the Lords of the Admiralty on this subject. "The fate of Captain Lewis Robertson, who had distinguished himself highly, fills my mind with the deepest regret; he had long been a child of misfortune, although he possessed talents to merit every success and prosperity; and, as I am informed, has left a widow and infant family unprovided for. I beg leave to recommend them to the protection and good offices of their lordships, to obtain a suitable provision, which will be a great encouragement to officers in similar circumstances, to emulate so great an example."
The celebrated Brigadier General Arnold, being on business of a mercantile nature at Point à Pitre, was captured at the time the place fell into the hands of the republicans, and, being apprehensive of ill treatment, changed his name to Anderson. He was put on board a prison-ship in the harbour, and had considerable property in cash with him, of which, it is supposed, Fremont and Victor Hughes were informed, as he received an intimation from one of the French sentries, that he was known, and would soon be guillotined. On this alarming intelligence he determined to attempt an escape, which he effected in the following masterly manner. At night he lowered into the sea a cask containing clothes and valuables, with a direction on it, that if it floated to the shore of our camp at Berville, it might be known, and restored to him; he then lowered down his cloak bag to a small raft which he had prepared, on which also he got himself, and proceeded to a small canoe, in which he pushed for the British fleet, directed by the Admiral's lights. On his making towards the mouth of the harbour he was challenged by the French row guard, but by the darkness of the night escaped from them, and arrived on board the Boyne by four o'clock on Monday morning, the 30th of June.
During the whole time of this latter campaign the fever, which had been so destructive the preceding year, continued to rage in our army and navy with unabated violence. General Grey lost all the servants he brought from England by it, including two who had lived with him for many years. It first broke out with violence when the former campaign ended.
[61] Among the many causes of uneasiness that now bore hard upon the Commanders in Chief (by the failure of their well-concerted plans, the dreadful mortality among their troops, and the despair of reinforcements arriving from Europe) the misconduct of one high in estimation as an officer, and hitherto looked upon as a man of strict integrity, was not the least galling. The case was this: At the taking of St. Lucia, Colonel Sir Charles Gordon, who had repeatedly distinguished himself by his gallant conduct, was appointed governor of that island, and in the last promotion was advanced to the rank of brigadier general; soon after which some very unpleasant reports prevailed, of extortions and peculations by him, and taking bribes of the inhabitants, who were supposed to be disaffected, in order to suffer them to remain on the island, and then breaking his word with them. At length a regular complaint was laid before the Commander in Chief, who instantly ordered a court martial to be summoned, and sent an officer to St. Lucia to arrest Sir Charles Gordon, and convey him to Martinique, in order for trial. At this time the fever raged so violently that the two first courts-martial that met on this business, were dissolved by the death of a majority of the members. At length, in order to prevent the like accident from again interrupting the course of justice, the General appointed a greater number of officers than usual to attend, and the trial proceeded; the event of which was, that the prisoner was found guilty of the crimes laid to his charge, and was sentenced to refund the money he had extorted, and to be rendered incapable of serving his majesty again: but, in consequence of some favourable circumstances that came out on the trial, he was allowed to sell his commission. See Appendix, pages 42, 43, 48.
[62] The horses that were sent from America for the purpose of mounting the light dragoons, were so bad, that only three out of forty were sound, or fit for service, insomuch that Captain Hare was obliged to present a memorial to the Commander in Chief on the subject.
[63] Consisting of seventy rank and file only.
[64] I am sorry to add, that this officer soon afterwards fell a victim to the yellow fever.
[65] In one of these attacks Monsieur Vermont was shot through the body, his lieutenant, Monsieur De Lisle, was shot through his breast, and another of his officers killed; in this situation he beat off the enemy. This gallant, but unfortunate officer, was, at the beginning of the revolution, possessed of a good estate near Trois Riviere on Basse Terre, which soon made him an object of republican vengeance; his house was attacked, but he escaped into the woods, supposing that his amiable wife would be safe from their fury, being far advanced in her pregnancy; but the monsters, not regarding her situation, put her to death with circumstances of barbarity too dreadful to relate, and such as would fill, I trust, every Briton's breast with the utmost horror; his aged mother too, and beautiful sister, shared the same fate. He was taken and thrown into prison at Fort Matilda, to reserve him for a public spectacle on the guillotine, when we arrived, and released him from thence by the capture of the island.