Bastia was afterwards besieged by sea and land, and surrendered on the 22nd of May. An assembly of the Deputies afterwards agreed to unite the island to Great Britain, which was performed with the solemnities customary on such occasions. But Calvi, a fortified town thirty-three miles from the capital, and situated on a tongue of land which forms one of the most beautiful harbours in the island, still held out; and the Royals formed part of the land force commanded by Lieut.-General Stuart selected for the siege of this place. The battalion accordingly embarked from Bastia, and, having landed near Calvi on the 19th of June, took post on a ridge of mountains three miles from the town. Owing to the numerous rocky heights and steep mountains before the town, the soldiers and seamen had to make roads along difficult precipices, to drag the guns up the mountains, and to carry up materials for erecting the batteries, which they performed with cheerful alacrity. The fire of the heavy artillery having made a practicable breach on the west side of the Mozello, on the 18th of July the light infantry and Royals, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Moore, "proceeded with a cool, steady confidence, and unloaded arms, towards the enemy, forced their way through a smart fire of musketry, and, regardless of live shells flung into the breach, or the additional defence of pikes, stormed the Mozello; while Lieut.-Colonel Wemyss, with the Royal Irish Regiment, and two pieces of cannon, under the direction of Lieutenant Lemoine, equally regardless of opposition, carried the enemy's battery on the left, and forced the trenches without firing a shot."[104] The capture of these posts proved of great importance, and, the siege being continued with vigour, the garrison surrendered on the 10th of August. The loss sustained by the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment was very trifling, viz., about four men killed and Captain Colin M'Donald and seven men wounded. The battalion was afterwards stationed in garrison at Calvi, where it remained nearly two years.
1st Batt.
The republican principles which produced the revolution in France soon extended to the French West India settlements; and the inhabitants of colour in the island of St. Domingo (now the black empire of Hayti), having imbibed the doctrine of equality, rose in arms against the whites, and carried fire and bloodshed through the settlement. Many of the planters having, from the distracted state of France, no hope of relief from that country, were desirous of placing themselves under the protection of Great Britain: a body of troops was accordingly sent to their aid, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Whitelocke; and while the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment was engaged in the defence of Toulon and the capture of Corsica, the 1st battalion embarked from Jamaica and sailed to St. Domingo.
Much resistance was met with from the republican troops and revolted negroes on the island. In February, 1794, the light company of the Royals advanced against the fortress of L'Acal, in the vicinity of Leogane. Part of the force designed for this service was embarked in transports, and the remainder, including the light company of the Royals, proceeded by land. The wind proving unfavourable, the troops in transports could not disembark; the remainder, however, advanced against the fort,—ascended the hill, which was rendered difficult by trees placed in all directions,—and, attacking the enemy with fixed bayonets, drove them from their works. After obtaining possession of the fort, two officers and thirteen private men were killed by the explosion of a magazine, which was fired by a negro recently from Africa, who did not know the use of gunpowder. One of the officers thus killed was Captain Morshead, of the light company of the Royals, who was wounded in the assault of the fort. Captain Hutchinson,[105] of the Royals, who was doing duty with the artillery, was wounded at the commencement of the attack, but he continued at his post of duty until the fort was carried.
Part of the battalion was afterwards engaged in an unsuccessful attack on Bombarde, in which service sixteen men were killed and twenty-six taken prisoners. The attack was made before day-break in the morning, and, the retreat being sudden, Ensign John Garston, of the Royals, with eight men of his company, became separated from the detachment, and, losing the road, wandered in a wrong direction. Towards mid-day he fell in with a patrol of six men of the enemy, and was called upon to surrender; but this brave young officer answered by a threat to fire upon them if they attempted to interrupt him. He continued to stray farther from his intended point; the enemy followed at a distance, and again called upon him to surrender, but he constantly refused. At night the patrol, fatigued with following him over dry and sandy plains, retired. The ensign and his little party continued to wander—fainting with hunger, thirst, and fatigue—two days and a night, during which time two men died of want and weariness, having found nothing but the fruit of Indian fig-trees and aloes. At length they arrived at a demolished port, where they found an old fishing-boat, in which they embarked, and arrived on the morning of the third day at the entrance of the bay of the mole St. Nicholas, from whence the fishermen brought them into the town.[106]
Lieutenant M'Kellar, of the Royals, who commanded the light company after the death of Captain Morshead, occupied an unfinished block-house near the fortress of L'Acal, where he was attacked by the enemy; but he repulsed the assailants with signal gallantry, and his conduct on this occasion was mentioned in orders.
Port-au-Prince, the capital of the French possessions in the island, was still in the power of the republicans, and the siege of this place was resolved upon. The flank companies of the battalion took part in this service, and the enemy evacuated the town on the 4th of June, and it was immediately occupied by the British troops. Unfortunately, a malignant fever broke out in the town, and the British lost 40 officers and 600 rank and file within two months after the surrender of the place.
A detachment of the Royals, under Lieutenant Clunes, formed part of the garrison of 120 men at Fort Bizzeton, which was attacked on the 5th of December by 2000 of the enemy, who were repulsed with considerable loss. Major-General Sir Adam Williamson, speaking of this affair in his public despatch, stated,—"Captain Grant (13th) and his two Lieutenants, Clunes of the Royals and Hamilton of the 22nd Regiment, merit every attention that can be shown them. They were all three severely wounded early in the attack, but tied up their wounds and continued to defend their posts. It has been a very gallant defence, and does them great honour." The loss of this little garrison was, one serjeant and four rank and file killed; three officers, one serjeant, and thirteen rank and file, wounded.
1795
A detachment of the battalion was engaged in the defence of an out-post at the commencement of the year 1795; and Lieutenant Spencer was wounded, and Lieutenant Watts killed, by the blowing up of a block-house.