One wing of the battalion, and a detachment of the Royal Artillery, were left at St. Martin's under Lieut.-Colonel Nicholson, who was appointed to the command of the troops and the charge of the administration of the island. The other wing, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel J. C. Cowell, proceeded with the expedition to the island of St. Thomas, which surrendered, together with St. John, and their dependencies, on the 28th of March; and on the 31st of the same month the Danish island of Santa Cruz was taken. The battalion was then stationed, half at the island of St. Martin, and half at St. Thomas.
In August, 1801, General Lord Adam Gordon died, and was succeeded in the Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, from the 7th Royal Fusiliers.
2nd Batt.
In November of the same year the 2nd battalion was withdrawn from Egypt, and proceeded to the island of Malta, where it remained upwards of four months.
1802
The victories gained by the British troops in Egypt, the West Indies, and other parts of the globe, were followed by a treaty of peace, which was concluded at Amiens; and in May, 1802, the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment proceeded from Malta to Gibraltar.
1803
It quitted Gibraltar in the beginning of 1803, and proceeded to England. Soon after its arrival the war again broke out, and it was ordered to the West Indies, where it arrived in June. It was inspected at Barbadoes by Lieut.-General Greenfield, and immediately afterwards proceeded with an expedition against the French island of St. Lucia. The 1st division, consisting of the Royals and two field-pieces, landed on the island in the afternoon of the 21st of June, under the orders of Brigadier-General Brereton. The other corps followed; the French out-posts were driven in, and the town of Castrées taken possession of. On the following morning, before daylight, the Royals and 64th regiment advanced to attack the strong post of Morne Fortuné by storm. The Royals led the assault in gallant style; the redoubt was carried with fixed bayonets, and the enemy immediately surrendered. On the same day Lieut.-General Greenfield issued a general order, in which he stated:—
"The Commander of the Forces has the honour to congratulate the troops under his command on the gallant attack and capture of the fortress of Morne Fortuné, and the unconditional surrender of the island of St. Lucia.
"He shall have particular satisfaction in reporting to the King the readiness with which the troops forming the expedition were embarked on the shortest notice: he must, in particular, speak of the gallant behaviour of the second battalion of the Royals."