After stopping two days at Barbadoes, during which time the land and sea commanders, General James Grant and Admiral Barrington arranged their plans of attack, the expedition arrived at St. Lucie on the 13th of December, and the reserve, consisting of the Fifth regiment, the grenadiers and light infantry being immediately landed under the command of Brigadier-General Medows, forced some heights occupied by a French force under the governor, the Chevalier de Micoud, and took a field-piece and a four-gun battery. On the following morning, the rest of the army being landed, the Fifth advanced and took possession of the town of Morne Fortuné, the governor's house, hospital and barracks; and from thence, after a short halt, proceeded to occupy an important post, called La Vigie, situated on a tongue of land commanding the north side of the Carenage harbour, and separated by that harbour from the rest of the army. In the mean time, the French fleet under Count D'Estaing arrived off the island, and disembarked a force of nine thousand men, by the whole of which General Medows' little band was attacked on the 18th. The enemy, commanded by MM. de Bouillé and Lavendahl, advanced in three columns; their first two attacks were made, to use the words of General Grant's despatch, "with the impetuosity of Frenchmen, and repulsed with the determined bravery of Britons." They made a third attempt, but were soon broken, and they retired in confusion.
The conduct of the Fifth regiment and its Lieutenant-Colonel on this occasion, was of the most distinguished description. Brigadier-General Medows, though severely wounded in the right arm early in the day, would not quit his post, but continued in the field, riding about and giving orders, till the attack was over. At one moment, finding his ammunition nearly expended, he drew up his little phalanx in front of their colours, and waving his sword in his hand, emphatically exclaimed, "Soldiers, as long as you have a bayonet to point against an enemy's breast, defend these colours." They did so, and secured the conquest of St. Lucie. It was in this action that the Fifth by its gallant conduct acquired the privilege of wearing a White Plume in the cap instead of the red and white tuft worn by the other regiments of the line; having taken from the bodies of the slain French grenadiers, the advance and élite of the enemy's force, as many white feathers as sufficed to equip every man in the regiment with the new decoration. The loss of the French amounted to about four hundred killed and eleven hundred wounded, while the killed on the side of the British was only ten, and one hundred and thirty wounded; amongst whom were Lieutenants Pratt and Harris. The sense General Grant entertained of the services of Brigadier-General Medows and the detachment under his command, was expressed in the following letter, dated from Morne Fortuné, the 19th of December, 1778:
"Sir,
"I cannot express how much I feel obliged to you, and the troops under your command, for repulsing, with so much spirit and bravery, so great a body of the enemy, and own it was just what I expected from you and them; and I am sure, under your command, they will always behave in such a manner as to do honour to you, themselves, their king, and their country; and I must beg of you to express my gratitude."
1779
1780
During the year 1779, the regiment was sometimes embarked on board ship, and at others employed on shore at St. Lucie and Antigua, and was engaged with the enemy on the 19th of June, 6th of July, and 7th and 8th of September. From January to July, 1780, it was occasionally in Gros Isle Bay, St. Lucie, at Martinique, St. Kitt's, and Carlisle Bay, Barbadoes, and was engaged on the 17th of April, and on the 15th of May. It was then ordered home, and after a boisterous passage, landed on the 16th of September at Portsmouth, from whence it embarked again for Ireland in December, and arrived at Cork in January, 1781.
1781
1782
Towards the end of 1781, a detachment was employed at the mouth of the Shannon, in protecting a foreign vessel, stranded on the coast, from plunder by the natives. The regiment was afterwards quartered at Kilkenny, where its conduct was such that, on its being ordered to a different part of the country, the inhabitants petitioned the Government successfully for its return; at Limerick also, and several other places, its soldier-like and orderly behaviour received the official thanks of the civil authorities. With the volunteers of Ireland, at that time in the height of their popularity and the heyday of their zeal, the Fifth was on the best footing; whenever it marched through any town, the volunteers turned out to receive it with all due honours, and so great was their respect for the regiment and confidence in its then commander, Lieutenant-Colonel (afterwards Lord) Harris, who had served in the corps from the rank of Ensign upwards, that when, on the report of an intended landing of the French near Cork, the Fifth was marched to Youghal, several volunteer corps offered to join it in case a landing was effected by the enemy.
1783
In March, 1783, the regiment was marched from Kilkenny to Dublin, and at the first installation of the newly-founded order of St. Patrick, its grenadier company furnished the guard of honour at the Cathedral. A detachment was about the same time sent, under the command of Major Battier, to Carlow, in support of the fencibles, who had been insulted by the volunteers at Kilkenny.
1784