1742
In January 1742, nearly 3000 men, including 2000 Marines, arrived at Jamaica. Another expedition was now meditated, which put to sea early in March; but adverse winds, the separation of the transports having on board the working negroes, and the expectation of the periodical rains being then about to set in, suggested to a Council of War, held at Porto Bello, at the close of that month, the immediate return of the whole armament to the port they had left: the fleet arrived at Jamaica upon the 15th of May.
It was now considered desirable to detach a force to take possession of Rattan, an island in the Bay of Honduras, and a situation proper for maintaining a commercial intercourse with South America, as well as the trade in logwood. An establishment having been formed there in the early part of the year, it was determined in a Council of War to send a force of 50 marines and 200 Americans, under Major Caulfield, in order to place the island in a state of military defence.
On the 23rd of August the troops reached Port Royal, on the south side of the island, where they formed a camp and erected Fort George to defend the harbour, as well as Fort Frederick on the western part of it. A proportion of the Americans, who were papists, formed a plot to render the settlement abortive, and to rise upon the Marines. Her Majesty’s ship, the Litchfield, then in the harbour, hearing the alarm-guns, instantly landed her party of Marines, who, with those on shore, soon checked the daring mutiny, secured the delinquents, and preserved the settlement to the British Crown.
At this period it was necessary to detach 500 men to the assistance of General Oglethorpe, in South Carolina, and to repel the menaces of the Spaniards against the infant colony of Georgia.[45]
On the 23rd of September orders arrived at Jamaica for the recall of Admiral Vernon and of General Wentworth; for providing the fleet with a number of men from the Marines, sufficient to supply its wants; and also to fill up the vacancies in the eight Independent Companies raised for the defence of Jamaica (now the 49th Regiment):—These services absorbed all the men who were considered fit for duty, and the remainder were embarked for England.
After the departure of Admiral Vernon, the Naval Command devolved on Sir Chaloner Ogle, who bore his testimony to the zeal and bravery of the troops, whose gallant efforts and patient endurance, under great privations, had been conspicuous throughout a series of misfortunes. Upwards of 7000 Marines and nearly 4000 other troops were the lamentable victims to pestilence and disease, but not to defeat; and the objects which had been effected, although not adequate to the hopes and expectations of the British Nation, were distressing to the enemy, and embarrassing to the Spanish Government.
1743
In the early part of 1743 it was resolved to make another attempt upon the continent of South America, and the conduct of the operations was entrusted to Captain Knowles, of the Navy, who had on board of his squadron 400 of Dalzell’s (thirty-eighth) regiment and about six hundred Marines. They were first ordered to rendezvous at Antigua, from which island they sailed on the 12th of February with a view to an attack upon La Guira, a town in the district of the Caraccas in Terra Firma. The attack was commenced on the 18th, but, owing to a heavy swell, the ships could not approach the shore, and the troops were consequently not landed. After a heavy cannonade, which was ended only by the night, the ships withdrew from the combat: the town suffered extremely, many breaches being made in the fortifications; and the enemy sustained a loss of more than 700 men. The British squadron suffered considerable damage, and had nearly 400 men killed and wounded.
The fleet proceeded to Curaçao to refit, where preparations were made for another attempt upon the sea-coast of Terra Firma. Having been reinforced by some Dutch volunteers, Commodore Knowles sailed from this island on the 20th of March, and steered for Porto Cavallo, a town having a respectable force, and being in a good state of defence.