1796
On another occasion, when the troops were out in quest of the Maroon bands, the dragoons came suddenly upon a number of warriors deliberating in council in one of their recesses called the Cock-pit, when Lieutenant Oswald Werge leaped in among them at the hazard of his life, saying, "I bring you peace;" fortunately they did not fire at him, but received him in a friendly manner, and the consequence was, that a treaty was entered into with them; a number of the warriors surrendered in January, 1796, and in March the Maroon war terminated by the surrender of the other warriors, who were afterwards removed from the island.
Five troops, with the head-quarters of the regiment, embarked from Ireland for St. Domingo on the 25th of February, 1796.
One squadron had, in the mean time, been selected to form part of the force to be employed in reducing to obedience the insurgents in the island of Grenada, whose atrocious conduct had procured them the designation of brigands. Having landed on the south of Port Royal, the troops, under Brigadier-General Nicolls, advanced, on the 25th of March, to attack the enemy, who occupied a strong position on a hill of steep ascent. During the action two vessels arrived from Guadaloupe with reinforcements for the enemy, and were landing men on the beach, when the Seventeenth were ordered to interpose between them and the fort. Passing swiftly along a lane strewed with killed and wounded, exposed to the fire of both parties, the Seventeenth reached the beach, and instantly charging, put every enemy to the sword that had landed; no quarter being given. When this service was completed, the cannonading was so hot on both sides, that the squadron could not return without being destroyed, and it took post under the cover of a hill. The infantry having gained the crest of the enemy's position and carried the redoubt by storm, the republican troops fled in dismay,—some throwing themselves down precipices, and others escaping through the thick underwood; when they arrived at the low grounds, the Seventeenth under Captain John Black, and St. George's troop of light cavalry, darted upon them and slew three hundred men in the space of a few hundred yards[7]. The Seventeenth were commended in orders for their distinguished conduct; their loss was limited to one horse killed, four men and two horses wounded.
The Seventeenth took part in several other operations and skirmishes; in June the Commandant of the French troops at Goyave surrendered, and a number of brigands retired, under a desperate and atrocious character named Fedon, to their strong hold in the mountains, where they were invested and forced to submit. In addition to Captain Black, Captain Johnson, Lieutenant Werge, and Cornet Brown of the regiment were also engaged at Grenada.
1797
Four troops of the Seventeenth were sent to St. Domingo, where they served against the republican troops, and signalized themselves at Fort Raimond, Irois, and Morne Gautier; but the climate of this island proved so injurious to the health of the British soldiers that it was eventually abandoned.
After losing many officers and soldiers in the West Indies, the regiment embarked for England, where it arrived in August, 1797; the head-quarter ship, the Caledonia, foundered at sea; the men were saved by boats, and taken on board the Britannia, of Bristol; but the baggage and regimental books were lost. On its arrival in England the regiment received about four hundred recruits, also a large draft from the Eighteenth Light Dragoons, and it was soon restored to a state of efficiency.
1798
1799
In 1798 a Serjeant's party of the Seventeenth was attached to the expedition under Major-General Eyre Coote, which sailed from Margate, on the 14th of May, for the purpose of destroying the basin, gates, and sluices of the Bruges canal, to interrupt the communication between Ostend and Holland. A landing was effected on the 19th of May, and the works were destroyed; but while this was taking place, the wind and surf became so high that the troops could not re-embark, and they were attacked by superior numbers, and forced to surrender. The detachment of the Seventeenth was among the troops made prisoners, and it was sent to Lisle; it was afterwards exchanged, and on rejoining the regiment in the spring of 1799, such had been its exemplary conduct, that the Serjeant, (William Brown,) was promoted to a cornetcy in the Waggon Train, from which he was transferred to the regiment, and eventually became a captain in the corps; and the private soldiers were appointed non-commissioned officers.