[CHAP. X.]
In consequence of the heavy losses sustained at Carthagena, and the mortality which still continued to rage after their arrival at Jamaica, the transit between the Regiments of Foot and Marines was rapid and immediate. Upon this service promotions were established by rotation in the whole line. Within the short period of five weeks, the Corps, originally Douglas's, numbered amongst its casualties, three Colonels, two Lieutenant Colonels, and two Majors.
It was not until the beginning of July that the fleet and army were in a state of readiness to renew their operations, when it was resolved to proceed against the Island of Cuba, where they anchored upon the 18th of July, in Walthenham Bay, immediately named Port Cumberland, in honor of his Royal Highness the Duke, about eighteen leagues to windward of St. Jago, the first object of their intended attack, and properly speaking, the Capital, although it was not then the seat of the Governor. The troops were all landed upon the 24th, consisting nearly of four thousand men, including one thousand chosen negroes, levied by the Island of Jamaica, with a view to sustain the laborious duties of this service. Having established a position upon the side of the river, nearly three leagues from the mouth of the harbour, the General on the 25th pushed some detachments into the country, which every where beat back the outposts of the enemy, and in a few days returned to the Camp, with plentiful supplies of provisions.
It was originally the intention of the Commanders in Chief to have made a joint attack upon St. Jago, but the want of unanimity which had sometime past, and now existed to a fatal degree, ruined every purpose.—Contentious debates, and dilatory measures, took place of cordial co-operation and pushing enterprize, while the Country's interests and the lives of the Soldiery were daily sacrificed to the bitterest feuds.
About the middle of August the General stated the impracticability of advancing into the interior country with his present force, and expressed a wish to await the arrival of fresh levies from America, and the expected reinforcements from Europe, which now became essential to complete the skeleton Corps of his Army. The first resource was planned at the outset of the West India expedition, and instructions had been early given to the Commander in Chief to avail himself of it, when compelled by emergency.
Accordingly, recruiting parties were sent to New England to raise volunteers, and General Wentworth, by a personal appeal to the Governor of that province, urged the necessity of their being seconded with public spirit and public liberality. Similar steps were adopted in the State of New York, to fill up the American Regiments of Marines; and the Governors, by an impressive address to the Legislative Houses of both, strongly recommended their energies, not only on the ground of patriotism, but of political expediency. Bounties of forty shillings were offered to volunteers, and the alluring inducements of conquered territory.—America then saw her interests in the subjugation of the Spanish dependencies in that quarter of the globe.
During a long interval nothing was attempted, even towards a partial reduction of Cuba, at the close of which, sickness, the never-failing result of total inactivity in these climes, began his ravages. It was therefore determined to evacuate the island, which was effected upon the 20th of November, when the regimental returns were as follow:
| Serj. | Corp. | Drum. | Priv. | ||
| General | Harrison's Foot | 22 | 23 | 8 | 172 |
| Wentworth's ditto | 22 | 17 | 8 | 172 | |
| Colonel | Wolfe's (Marines) | 20 | 23 | 6 | 132 |
| Frazer's | 22 | 21 | 6 | 109 | |
| Lowther's | 22 | 24 | 8 | 183 | |
| Wynyard's | 23 | 20 | 11 | 123 | |
| Cochran's | 15 | 11 | 7 | 158 | |
| Cotterell's | 24 | 26 | 10 | 151 | |
| First Battalion, Gooch's (American) | 16 | 11 | 3 | 129 | |
| Second ditto | 10 | 7 | 3 | 90 | |
| Third ditto | 10 | 7 | 3 | 79 | |
| Fourth ditto | 6 | 7 | 1 | 107 | |
| ———————————— | |||||
| 212 | 197 | 74 | 1610 | ||
| Sick in all | 39 | 47 | 15 | 465 | |
| 251 | 244 | 89 | 2073 | ||
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