Eighteen thousand three hundred and fifty-five Marines were again voted as the establishment for 1761.
A secret expedition was prepared early in this year, which was committed to the joint conduct of Major-General Hodgson and Commodore Keppel, and was subsequently directed against the island of Belleisle.
Eleven battalions of Foot, four troops of the 16th Light Dragoons, under Lieutenant-Colonel Burgoyne, a detachment of the Royal Artillery, and a corps of 1000 Marines formed into two battalions, commanded by Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel John Mackenzie, amounting nearly to 10,000 men, composed the strength of the Army upon this service. The whole were escorted and spiritedly seconded by ten ships of the line, eight frigates, three bomb ketches, and two fire ships; which set sail upon the 29th of March from St. Helens, but did not gain sight of their wished for object until the 6th of April. This force was afterwards augmented by troops and men of war.
In addition to the natural strength of this island, no means of defence had been neglected by the enemy, who, aware of the attack, had constructed works, and placed guns on every spot, that afforded a possibility of descent.
Upon the 7th the Fleet stood along the South end of Belleisle, with a view to reconnoitre its strength, and to ascertain a proper quarter for debarkation. Coming to anchor in the road of Palais on the noon of that day, the principal Officers of both services, accompanied by some of the Engineers, proceeded to the Northward, in order to finish their observations upon the general state of the coast. The final result convinced all, that great obstacles were to be surmounted every where, and that the sacrifice of many lives was unavoidable in attaining the first object of their views.
After mature deliberation, it was resolved to effect a landing early in the morning of the 8th of April, for which purpose the flat-bottomed boats were hoisted out, and the troops placed in them ready to advance towards Port Andro, on a signal being made. They were preceded by his Majesty's ships Dragon and Achilles, commanded by the Hon. Captains Harvey and Barrington, whose orders were to silence the battery, which protected the entrance into this Bay. These gallant Officers soon accomplished the duty, and intimated that no opposition to the landing of our forces was to be dreaded from that point of defence.
The boats having proceeded under the immediate superintendance of Commodore Keppel, who had shifted his pennant from the Valiant into the Prince of Orange, were then ordered to row towards the shore, arranged in three divisions, under the direction of Captain Barton, of the Royal Navy. Notwithstanding a prodigious fire of musquetry, our brave Soldiers made good their landing, and evinced a series of valour that must have conquered any thing within the power of man.
The French were intrenched to the chin on a steep hill, the base of which they had cut into a perpendicular form, which prevented our gallant fellows from ascending their works without scaling-ladders, of which there were unfortunately none. After a heavy loss, and a contest which did them honor, a retreat became the only alternative.