Several skirmishes now daily took place, and many fell on both sides; though, from want of steadiness at the last, the enemy were always greater losers than ourselves. On the morning of the 29th of June, a large body of the enemy, to the number of one thousand, marched out of Fort Fleur d'Epée, and seemed to meditate an attack on a detachment of light infantry under Colonel Gomm, posted to the right of the grenadiers who were on Morne Mascot, under Brigadier General Fisher. By this falsemovement, they hoped that a detachment of the grenadiers would be sent to reinforce the light infantry, and thereby weaken the force on Morne Mascot, which was their real object of attack. In a short time, however, they were perceived mounting the side of Mascot heights, with colours flying and singing the national songs, covered by a heavy fire of round and grape-shot from Fleur d'Epée, which prevented our grenadiers from shewing themselves till the enemy were close to them; on which General Fisher made them prostrate themselves on the ground, and wait the approach of the enemy in that posture. The instant the republicans came within a few yards of them they started up, and an obstinate engagement commenced, which terminated at length by the grenadiers advancing to the charge; on which the enemy fled, and were pursued down the hill with great slaughter. Our loss amounted to thirty killed and wounded: among the former was Lieutenant Toosey of the 65th regiment; of the latter, Captain De Rivigne of the artillery, received a ball in the side of his neck. Brigadier General Fisher was hit three times by grape-shot, which caused contusions only, and his horse was killed under him. In the evening the enemy sent in a flag of truce, requesting permission to bury their dead and carry off their wounded, which was granted them;[54]yet they left a number of both, on the side of thehill, to the great annoyance of our piquet, which during the following night was disturbed by the groans of the dying and wounded. The day following the enemy again made an attempt, in equal force, against our post on Mascot, and was again repulsed with great loss. The rainy season being already set in, and the hurricane months now approaching, determined the Commander in Chief to make an effort to finish the campaign at once. From his success in the two last engagements, and the excellent manner in which he had planned the attack, it would no doubt have succeeded, had his orders been punctually obeyed. The plan he had laid down was, for a large body of troops under General Symes, to march during the night, and make themselves masters of Morne Government, and the other commanding heights round the town of Point à Pitre, whilst himself, at the head of the rest of his army, was in readiness on the heights of Mascot to storm Fort Fleur d'Epée, on receiving a signal from General Symes; but, from some unfortunate misapprehension, the whole of General Grey's well-concerted plan was rendered abortive, and the almost total destruction of our exhausted forces ensued: but it is my business to detail the events of this unfortunate affair as accurately as the confused accounts I have received will permit. Brigadier General Symes, having under his command the first battalion of grenadiers,commanded by Brigadier General Fisher, and the first and second light infantry, led by Colonel Gomm, with a detachment of seamen from the Boyne[55]and Veteran, commanded by Captain Robertson of the Veteran, marched from the heights of Mascot at about nine o'clock at night, on the 1st of July. They first descended into a deep ravine thick planted with coffee bushes, through which there was no road, the seamen bringing up the rear. The night was uncommonly dark, which rendered their march both dangerous and fatiguing. After proceeding about a mile they halted on a road, and were joined by two small field-pieces, which were put under the charge of Lieutenants Thomson and Maitland, to be dragged by their seamen. During the halt some people, who were heard to speak French, were seen near the rear; Lieutenant Wolley endeavoured to secure them, but they escaped through the bushes, and no further notice was taken of this. The army moved forward about two miles further, on a road leading through deep ravines, and made a second halt for about an hour; the march was then re-commenced, but no orders ever passed during the time: they now proceeded for some miles without meeting with any obstruction, when an order came for the seamen in the rear to advance to the attack, which they did by running as fast as they could for upwards of a mile. The parties they passed were not in the best order, owing to the quickness of the march, until they came to the grenadiers, who weredrawn up as a corps de reserve. About this time the bugle horn sounded to advance, and soon after a heavy firing of round and grape-shot from Morne Government, and also from several other batteries of the enemy, commenced, as also from some twelve-pounders landed from the shipping in the harbour, which were placed in tiers, and entirely enfiladed the road along which the troops were advancing. After passing the grenadiers, the seamen were halted for a few minutes to form, they being perfectly out of order from running; but scarce thirty of them were got together, when Lieutenant Wolley was ordered to advance with them, and Captain Robertson remained to form and bring up the rest. The cannonading from the enemy's guns was the most severe the oldest soldier ever witnessed, especially from the guns which were on the road; two or three tiers of which were planted behind each other, from which the enemy were driven by the bayonets of our gallant fellows, who no sooner had taken one battery, but another opened on them from behind. The whole now became a scene of confusion impossible to describe. Instead of any of the heights being attempted, the greater part of the troops and the seamen were got into the town, where they were mowed down by the grape-shot, which played upon them in every direction,[56]as well as musketry from the windows of the houses. Where-ever our men perceived this, they broke open the doors, puttingall they found in them to death; and those who could not stand the bayonet were shot as they leaped from the windows. General Symes was by this time badly wounded,[57]and his horse killed under him. Colonel Gomm (who led the light infantry), with several other officers, was killed, and a great many more desperately wounded;[58]and Captain Robertson, who commanded the seamen, was blown up. At length General Fisher (the second in command, who, as well as every other officer on this service, was ignorant of General Symes's plans) sounded a retreat, and the miserable remains of this gallant party marched off, the enemy harassing them in their retreat, though kept at bay by the gallant exertions of the Honourable Captain Stewart with a party of grenadiers, assisted by Lieutenant Wolley and the seamen of the Boyne, who covered the retreat; till at length the latter fell by a musket-ball through his leg, and was brought off by his men. When the remains of this unfortunate detachment got back to Mascot,[59]General Grey found it in vain to attempt any thingagainst Fleur d'Epée, being obliged to detach the second battalion of grenadiers to cover the retreat, and his troops being all so much reduced and exhausted, yet from the effect of the batteries he had erected to cover his attack of Fleur d'Epée, which opened on that fort in the evening, there could have been no doubt of success had not the above-related misfortune taken place.[60]It being totally impossible to attempt any thing further at this season, the General that night began to reimbark his cannon and mortars, and in two days had got off the whole of his troops without loss; he then strengthened the posts on Basse Terre, and having made the best arrangements possible to maintain them, and to enable him to renew his attacks on Point à Pitre and Fleur d'Epée after the hurricane months, in case any reinforcements should arrive (without which it would be totally impossible), he embarked on board the Boyne, leaving Brigadier General Colin Graham to command on Basse Terre, and then repaired to St. Pierre in the island of Martinique, where he established his head-quarters. The Boyne proceeded to Fort Royal Bay, where she was laid up for the hurricane months in a snug harbour, called Trois Islet Bay, and the sick and wounded were landed for thebenefit of fresh air, and every attention paid to them that could alleviate their sufferings.
THE COMMANDERS IN CHIEF SAIL TO MARTINIQUE … PROCEEDINGS THERE, AND AT GUADALOUPE … CAMP BERVILLE TAKEN … OCCURRENCES THEREUPON … GENERAL PRESCOTT ENTERS FORT MATILDA, WHICH IS INVESTED BY THE FRENCH … SIR JOHN VAUGHAN AND ADMIRAL CALDWELL ARRIVE IN THE WEST INDIES … SIR CHARLES GREY AND SIR JOHN JERVIS RESIGN THEIR COMMAND, AND RETURN TO EUROPE.
Sir Charles Grey, after giving the necessary orders for erecting batteries to protect and secure the camp on Basse Terre, sailed with the Admiral to Martinique, and established his head-quarters at St. Pierre;[61]having previously distributed the troops (whichwere not left under General Graham on Basse Terre) throughout the islands, where the Brigands began to be very troublesome; and even at Martinique, where the Commander in Chief resided, they had the audacity to shew themselves, encouraged by the sickness which raged in all quarters, and daily weakened our posts. At Grande Rivere and Calabass they appeared in some force; on which the Commander in Chief detached Captain Hare, at the head of a detachment of the Prince of Wales's light[62]dragoons, with Lieutenant Colonel De Soter and the island rangers, who attacked and routed them, taking three of their leaders prisoners, and dispersing the rest. At Guadaloupe no time was lost by Brigadier General Graham in preparing both for attack and defence; he erected gun and mortar batteries upon the banks of the river Sallée, in the different situations where it was most likely the enemy might attempt to cross it from Grande Terre; namely, at the gabarre or ferry, which heretofore was the point of communication between the two parts of the island; at Morne Savon and at St. Jean, both commanding the town of Point à Pitre and Morne Government.By these precautions the Commander in Chief hoped to prevent the enemy from crossing into Basse Terre till he could get a reinforcement from England, which he had expected for some time, and had now dispatched Brigadier General Francis Dundas to explain to government the absolute necessity there was for a supply of troops in the conquered islands. The head-quarters of the army in Guadaloupe were at Camp Berville, a very commanding ground, flanked by the sea on one side, and on the other by an impassable swamp and wood; about a league in front was the river Sallée, on the opposite banks of which stood the town of Point à Pitre; and at the rear, about a mile from the camp, was a narrow pass, by which alone it could be approached. The batteries under the direction of Captain De Rivigne, destroyed a great part of the town, so that the inhabitants were obliged to evacuate it, and encamp on the adjacent hills. The baneful effects of the climate, together with the neighbouring swamps, began now to be severely felt by our army, the officers and men died daily in numbers, and by the middle of August the list of sick and convalescents composed by far the majority in the camp. Two frigates and two sloops of war were ordered by the Admiral to cruize off the harbour of Point à Pitre, to prevent supplies being carried to the enemy; notwithstanding which many American and other vessels from the neighbouring disaffected islands, contrived to elude their vigilance. Victor Hughes, the commissioner from the French convention, and now commander in chief of their troops in this island (the commanders of the army and navy that came outwith him being dead), was indefatigable in gaining over the blacks and mulattoes to his interest; and, in consequence of his late success, they flocked in great numbers to his standard. As they came in he formed them into different corps, and had them instructed in the use of arms. The remains of the second battalion of grenadiers[63]were ordered about the latter end of August to Guadaloupe, to relieve the flank companies of the 15th and 64th regiments: they embarked at Fort Royal on board the Dictator, and landed at Petit Bourg, from whence they marched directly to the camp. During the month of September the troops in the different camps were, from sickness, inadequate to furnish guards for the different batteries. Several companies could not produce a single man fit for duty; the 43d could not afford a corporal and three men at night, for the protection of their own camp, much less give their complement for the batteries. The greater part of the town of Petit Bourg was converted into hospitals for our sick, besides great numbers ill in the camps; the officers were equal sufferers with the men, so much so, that field officers were obliged to mount captain's guard. The different islands were drained of their troops, in order to keep up some appearance in front of the enemy; and the royalists had taken the duty of the Gabarre for some time past, where they conducted themselves with much spirit in several attacks made upon them by the enemy from the opposite side of the river. The grenadiers that arrived last, werenow reduced, in less than three weeks, to twenty men; and from the situation of the several camps on the verge of the swamps, a ground they were obliged to occupy, was truly deplorable. About this time General Prescott arrived at the town of Basse Terre, where he took the command, and no appearance of any reinforcement from England as yet cheered our drooping spirits. On Saturday, the 26th of September, the enemy from Point à Pitre and Fort Louis embarked a large body of troops in small vessels, and passing our ships of war unperceived, under cover of the dark night, effected two different landings on Basse Terre; the one at Goyave, to the eastward of Petit Bourg, and the other at Lamantin, near Bay Mahault. As soon as it was known that this landing was effected, most of our sick were carried from Petit Bourg on board the ships that lay near that place, and when the news was received at head-quarters, General Graham ordered all the troops from the different camps to join at Berville, as the strongest situation. Every exertion was made to fortify this post in the best manner possible: across the narrow pass by which alone it could be approached by land, a strong breast-work was thrown up, with embrasures for six field-pieces; on the flanks, and immediately in the rear of this, another was thrown up; and in front of both, on the brow of the hill, a strong abbatis was formed. The enemy that landed at Bay Mahault soon possessed themselves of that place; they then marched on to the Gabarre, where they had nearly surrounded the royalists before they were able to make their retreat to the camp. The possession of the Gabarre afforded theman easy conveyance for guns, ammunition, cattle, &c. from Grande Terre, and they now made their appearance in sight of our camp. The enemy, who had landed on the opposite part of the island, as soon as day broke upon them, began their march to Petit Bourg. Lieutenant Colonel Drummond of the 43d regiment, with some convalescents from the hospital, and a party of royalists, advanced to meet them; but perceiving their great superiority of numbers, found it advisable to retreat through Petit Bourg, and took post at a battery upon the shore called Point Bacchus, between that village and Camp Berville. The enemy, on taking possession of Petit Bourg, exercised the most unheard of cruelties on the unfortunate sick in the hospitals, putting all they found to death; some of them were fortunate enough to be taken off by the boats belonging to the men of war lying there. Too much praise cannot be given to Captain Boyer[64]of the Assurance, for his humane exertions on this occasion. From the hospitals to the wharf was a continued scene of misery and horror, being strewed with the bodies of the sick, who were barbarously put to death as they were crawling to the shore, in hopes of being taken off by our boats. The next movement of the enemy was to Point Bacchus, where Colonel Drummond and his party, being surrounded, were made prisoners. The enemy keeping possession of this post, entirely cut off all communication between the camp and our shipping. They then proceeded to possess themselves of the surroundingheights, and formed a junction with the other party which landed at Bay Mahault; by which Camp Berville was completely surrounded on the land side. The utmost strength of Berville camp was now about two hundred and fifty regular troops, and three hundred royalists; but none of these could be called effective, being reduced to extremity by sickness and fatigue. The enemy instantly began to form batteries, one of which, on an eminence, in some measure commanded our camp. On the 29th of September, in the morning, the enemy in a large body attacked our advanced work; our field-pieces and musketry opened a heavy fire upon them, and an engagement ensued, which continued with equal fury for three hours; when, after having been charged the third time by our troops, the enemy retreated, leaving on the field in killed and wounded seven hundred men, our loss amounting to about twenty. In the forenoon of this day, the enemy had sent a number of gun-boats from Point à Pitre, some of which anchored off the shore at Berville, and others under Point Bacchus, with a view to stop the communication between our camp and shipping, and force the latter out of the harbour of Petit Bourg. Each of their schemes succeeded, so that now the camp (ill supplied with provisions and stores, which were left chiefly at Petit Bourg) saw no possibility of getting a further supply. This morning Major Irvine was killed by a twenty-four pounder from the enemy's gun-boat, as he was sitting in the cabin of the Assurance; in which he and a number of others had embarked. As soon as the news of these disasters reached the Commandersin Chief, the Boyne was got out of Trois Islet Bay, without loss of time; and, although the hurricane season was not entirely past, the Admiral embarked, and sailed on Tuesday, the 30th of September, from Martinique, and anchored off Grozier, in the bay of Point à Pitre, by 10 A.M. On Thursday, the 2d of October, the two-gun battery there, opened upon us with red-hot shot, and continued to fire for a considerable time, but without effect. This night the Admiral endeavoured to open a communication with Camp Berville, but was prevented by the vigilance of the enemy, who now occupied every avenue to it. On the morning of the 30th, the enemy renewed their attacks on General Graham's camp at Berville, and again on the 4th of October, still bringing (hydra like) greater numbers to the charge; their success, however, was the same as on the first attack, having lost during the three attacks, on a moderate computation, two thousand men. In the second attack General Graham was wounded by a musket-ball in the leg, and several of his officers fell.[65]After the third action the enemy sent in a flag of truce, offering terms of capitulation, which General Graham in a spiritedmanner refused; the officers, however, waited on the General, and stated, that the troops, reduced by sickness and fatigue, were no longer able to undergo the duty, which now pressed heavy on them, and were so harassed as to be incapable of withstanding another attack, which the enemy promised to make on them the following morning. General Graham therefore, reconsidering the matter, consented to send a flag to the enemy, and, after some time, the terms of capitulation were agreed to; but, alas! the unfortunate royalists were not included, though the General endeavoured all he could to make terms for them: he succeeded however thus far, to have permission to send a covered boat to the Boyne, in which he embarked twenty-five officers of the royalists; their unfortunate brethren, to the number of three hundred, who had defended their posts to the last, with the most determined resolution, were doomed to suffer death by the hands of their republican countrymen in cold blood, in a manner hitherto, I believe, unheard of, at least unrecorded in the annals of the most savage and abandoned people.[66]Humanity must shudder at the idea; the republicans erected a guillotine, with which they struck off the heads of fifty of them. Thinking, however, this modeof proceeding too tedious, they invented a more summary plan; they tied the remainder of these unhappy men fast together, and placed them on the brink of the trenches which they had so gallantly defended; they then drew up some of their undisciplined recruits in front, who firing an irregular volley at their miserable victims, killed some, wounded others, and some, in all probability, were untouched; the weight however of the former dragged the rest into the ditch, where the living, the wounded, and the dead, shared the same grave, the soil being instantly thrown upon them. The English troops were to be allowed to march out with the honours of war, and to be embarked on board French ships, which were to sail for England within twenty-one days after the surrender,[67]on condition that they would not serve against the French during the war. A great quantity of arms and ammunition fell into the hands of the enemy at this camp, and at Petit Bourg. Immediately after the surrender of Berville, Victor Hughes moved towards the town of Basse Terre, now our last stake on this island, laying waste the plantations, and burning the beautiful seats of the royalists as he passed along. Sir John Jervis, who had made every attempt to succour General Graham's camp at Berville, and had been an unwilling spectator from the fleet, of the surrender of that camp to the enemy, now made sail for Basse Terre, to render every assistance in his power toGeneral Prescott;[68]and on the 9th of October, anchored within half a cable's length of the town. General Prescott instantly came on board to consult with the Admiral on the best mode of procedure in this critical state of affairs; and it was determined that the whole force which the General could collect, should go into the fort, and the Admiral, in the Boyne, would render every assistance in his power to the garrison; a promise he performed in a manner that drew the warmest thanks and approbation of General Prescott and his officers. At this time the French royalists had entirely abandoned us, and the militia, who had demanded arms, positively refused to enter the fort, and soon after deserted to the enemy: a party in the town seemed also ready to rise upon our people; but by the vigilance and activity of General Prescott they were overawed, and he continued to ride into the town unattended as usual. The fort was in a miserable state, nothing having been done to it since the peace of 1783; and Clairfontaine,[69]a royalist, who had been appointed administrateur general, wanting either influence or ability to procure negroes for the purpose,the fort was no way better than when it fell into our hands, except being cleaner, and supplied with provisions. On the 12th of October, a schooner bearing a flag of truce, arrived from Victor Hughes; in it came Captain Eiston, of the 35th regiment,[70]for a supply of money and baggage for our captured countrymen, with which he returned in two days to Point à Pitre. General Prescott had taken the precaution to order all the batteries along the coast, as well as those on the passes of the Palmiste, to be destroyed, their guns spiked, and magazines blown up; but, owing to the shortness of the time allowed for it, and the weakness of the force employed, the enemy soon got them repaired to use against us. Captain Bowen, in the Terpsichore, was dispatched to Trois Riviere, to destroy a battery there,[71]where he saw and fired on the enemy, who were marching in great force towards the heights of Palmiste. On which he returned, and informed the Admiral of this, by whom the intelligence was instantly forwarded to General Prescott, who had sent Captain Thomas of the 28th regiment (his aid-de-camp) to request some seamen to reinforce his garrison, which were most readily granted by the Admiral. While Captain Thomas was on board the Boyne, the enemy, to his great astonishment, were seen on the heights of Palmiste. As there were a few royalists about the General, someof whose slaves were with the enemy, of course he ought to have received earlier information of their approach; but this shews how all intelligence was withheld from us. For ten days after the General had withdrawn the whole of his force into the fort, he occasionally sent parties into the town, as the Boyne still kept the enemy quiet there; but in a short time they got some guns up to an eminence, named by us the White-house Battery, that obliged the Admiral to weigh anchor: but he still continued to hover about the coast, occasionally sending reinforcements and provisions, and keeping up a constant intercourse with General Prescott in the fort. In the course of this business the Boyne was frequently engaged with the different batteries, and was exposed to great danger from the mortars, which the enemy began to play upon us with much judgment. On the 20th of October, the battery on Houelmont opened on the Terpsichore, but without effect. Our garrison in the fort threw some shells which drove them from thence; they, however, soon returned again to their guns. The next day they again attacked the frigate, and hit her; which obliged Captain Bowen to get near the land, out of the direction of their guns. On the 23d, the White-house Battery, having several heavy guns mounted, began a smart fire on the Boyne, which was returned from her lower deckers; afterwards we engaged a battery, into which the enemy had just come, at the N. W. end of the town, from whence we drove them; but being obliged to haul off shore occasionally, they at length completed their purpose, but not so as to be able to hinder us from approachingthe land to keep up an intercourse with the garrison. On this service (as on every other) Captain Bowen eminently distinguished himself, having anchored the Terpsichore, within a short distance of the fort, in a bay under Houelmont. On the 25th the Quebec, Captain Rogers, Beaulieu, Captain Riou, and Zebra, Captain Vaughan, arrived from a cruise. The enemy now increased their forces daily in this part of the island, pressing into their service all the negroes who were on the different estates; and if from timidity or any other cause they demurred, they were instantly shot: from the ship we saw them firing on some negroes of their own, who, from fear, were endeavouring to get off. On the night of the 26th, Lieutenant James, with a party of seamen, marched out of the fort to the military hospital, which he set on fire, being a place that the enemy would soon have made a considerable post against us. On the 29th, the Boyne, as usual sailing towards the fort, was becalmed by the high land of Houelmont, and being within a short distance, was cannonaded from that battery for several hours. From the height of its situation none of our guns could be brought to bear against it; however, after considerable danger, the ship got out of the bay without any damage. On the 5th of November, the enemy opened ten batteries against the fort at the same instant, and a party of them, with a field-piece, under cover of the night, had taken post on the brow of the hill under which the Terpsichore and Experiment were anchored. As soon as the seamen were arranged at day-break, to wash the decks as usual, they were surprised by a heavy shower of musketry from over theirheads. The Experiment endeavoured to get away, but being totally becalmed, it was some time before she could accomplish it. (Captain Miller had gone on board the Vanguard, and Captain Skynner was then in the Boyne, receiving his commission.[72]) Captain Bowen, with a presence of mind that never forsook him, ordered up all the muskets that could be procured, and, encouraging his men with great spirit and some effect, returned the fire of the enemy, who now brought their field-piece to bear on the ship; he was therefore obliged to weigh anchor, and get out of the bay as well as he could, his great guns being totally useless from the elevated situation of the enemy: two or three only of our people were wounded, though the deck was studded with musket-balls. The fort[73]was now closely invested by land; by the sea a communication was continued the whole siege, Captain Bowen, in the Terpsichore, never relaxing for a moment in his exertions to serve and assist the garrison. The water in the tank being bad (the enemy having cut off the aqueduct that supplied it), General Prescott ordered an armed party every morning and evening to the river Galion, to protect those sent thither for water. This wascontinued during the whole siege; cohorns and grape-shot being fired into the ravines and woods beyond the river, and other precautions taken, these parties met with little molestation. All the buildings in the fort being destroyed by the fire of the enemy, the garrison was obliged to take shelter in the Bomb-proof, a close and unwholesome confinement in this climate. On the 6th of November, Victor Hughes sent an insolent summons to General Prescott, to surrender the fort in two hours, which if not complied with, no further terms would be offered, and the whole garrison would be put to the sword. To this the General made a short answer, "that he would defend it as a soldier to the last extremity." The instant the hour was expired that the General allowed the French officer to return to Victor Hughes, he opened a heavy fire from all his batteries against the republicans, and continued it through the day without any return from them. Some stores and provisions were about this period sent to the garrison from Dominica, and the merchants of St. Pierre also made a welcome present of refreshments; the enemy at the same time began to supply their advanced batteries with necessaries by sea in small boats, that, keeping close in shore, evaded our cruisers, and landed at the town of Basse Terre. On the 12th of November, the Boyne was exposed for some time to a heavy fire from several batteries; one shell burst immediately over her, but without doing any mischief. At nine A. M. on the 14th of November, the Beaulieu, being then off Vieu Fort, made a signal to the Admiral, of an enemy of superior force being in sight. Immediatelyall hands were ordered to quarters, and every preparation made to give them a warm reception; at length three line-of-battle ships hove in sight, which, to our great joy, proved to be a reinforcement from England; the Majestic, Captain Westcott, with Vice Admiral Caldwell's flag on board; the Theseus, Captain Calder; and Bellona, Captain Wilson: by them we were informed that Sir John Vaughan had arrived at St. Pierre, and Sir Charles Grey had given up the command to him. Sir John Jervis, worn down by long and severe exertions, the fatigues of which were augmented by his anxiety for the welfare of the service, that not all his exertions could promote without the arrival of a strong reinforcement, together with the unhealthiness of the climate, found himself no longer able to continue on this station, and therefore, to the great grief of General Prescott, was obliged to give up his command to Admiral Caldwell, and embarking his seamen (under Lieutenant James) from Fort Matilda, sailed for St. Pierre; when, every thing being arranged and settled between the several commanders, Sir Charles Grey and his suite embarked once more with Sir John Jervis on board the Boyne; on the 27th of November they sailed for England, and after a tedious voyage (being for near a month tossed about in the Channel by contrary winds) arrived at Spithead the 21st of January 1795.
As we left General Prescott in a perilous situation, it may be proper to give an account of the conclusion of the siege, thoughit comes not within the original plan of my work, which professed only to relate the events that took place under the immediate command of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis. This I am enabled to do from the communication of a brave and intelligent friend who was there during the whole siege. On the 29th of November, Captain Cockburne, aid-de-camp of General Sir John Vaughan, was sent by his Excellency to Fort Matilda, with the unwelcome news that no more men could be sent thither. On the 5th of December, General Prescott dispatched Captain Thomas, his aid-de-camp, to the Commander in Chief, with an account of the fort being almost in ruins; this officer returned thither on the 7th, and found that the bastion towards the river Galion was totally silenced, and so completely commanded by the enemy's musketry, that not a man could approach it; the adjoining curtain was much in the same state; the bastion towards the town was giving way, and expected to tumble into the ditch every moment. General Prescott no longer thought of defence, but to secure his small garrison, now highly necessary for the defence of the other islands, the unparalleled mortality having left them almost without troops. The pestilential fever had been, in proportion, more fatal to the officers than the men; in the garrison, for instance, there was no officer of intermediate rank between the General and his aid-de-camp Captain Thomas, who was second in command. On the 9th of December, this officer was dispatched to Admiral Thompson, and after the plan of embarkation was settled, he returned to the fort, and the evacuation commencedat nine o'clock on the 10th of December, and was conducted with so much skill, that not a man was lost. In the morning two of the garrison deserted to the enemy; but the General had concealed his intentions so well, that not the least intelligence of it seems to have been given by them. There was no interruption to the retreat except a few musket-shots on the beach, from one of which that active officer Captain Bowen was badly wounded in the face. The enemy, unconscious of this movement, cannonaded and bombarded the fort as usual, until two o'clock the next morning, though the embarkation had been completed by eleven the preceding night. The whole force that marched out of Fort Matilda, was between four and five hundred: some of them were sent to the Isle de Saintes and Antigua, and the remainder to Martinique. Thus concluded a siege of eight weeks and two days, during the whole of which General Prescott evinced the most perfect coolness and true soldierly resolution, neither appalled by the tremendous and well-directed fire constantly, both night and day, kept up against the fort, nor by the insolent and threatening summonses of Victor Hughes.[74]In the handsomest manner he bore testimony to the zeal and activity of Sir John Jervis, who relaxed not in his attention to the wants of the garrison, till he was obliged to quit the station; leaving however, in Captain Bowen, a man whose existence seemed to be preserved, amidst the greatest dangers, for the service of his country. AdmiralThompson had his share of praise too for the manner in which he had conducted the embarkation. During the siege seventeen were killed, and seventy-nine were wounded. General Prescott immediately repaired to Saint Pierre, at Martinique, where he received the well-earned thanks and congratulations of all ranks, for his spirited and gallant defence of Fort Matilda. Victor Hughes,[75]on taking possession of the fort, ordered the monument that had been erected over General Dundas, to be destroyed, and his remains thrown into the river Galion; a conduct as mean and brutal, as it was undeserved. I cannot conclude without mentioning the death of that gallant officer, Captain Faulknor, commanding the Blanche frigate of thirty-two guns, who, on the 5th of January, fell in with the republican frigate, La Pique of thirty-eight guns, off the harbour of Point à Pitre; the action was maintained with thegreatest fury and obstinacy for five hours, during which Captain Faulknor fell by a musket-ball as he was a second time lashing the bowsprit of La Pique to the capstern of his own ship. The loss of this brave man must be deplored by every friend to the service; his courage and determined bravery had been often tried, and always with success, as in the course of this work I have frequently had occasion to mention. On his death the command devolved on the first lieutenant, Mr. Watkins, who continued the action in a manner that did him immortal honour. The French ship having lost her main and mizen sails, the Blanche took her in tow, still continuing the engagement, when the stern ports not being large enough, they blew the upper transom beam away, and fired into her bows for three hours. The marines under Lieutenant Richardson, kept so well directed a fire, that not a man could appear on her forecastle until she struck; sixty-seven of her crew were dead on the decks; many had been thrown overboard; one hundred and ten wounded were landed at the Saintes; and one hundred and seventy-four were taken to Martinique. The Blanche had ten killed, including the Captain, and twenty-four wounded. Captain Faulknor's exertions in forwarding the service on every occasion, both during, and since the campaign, were unremitting. Indeed the English cause in the West Indies, at this instant, could hardly have received a deeper wound than it did by the death of this brave and zealous man.