Chapter I: Preface

When an author lays his book before the public, unless it be a work of genius, some account of his motives for so doing is generally expected. As this is a work that pretends to nothing but authenticity, and to be a plain relation of facts, I shall only premise, that, placed in a situation which gave me an opportunity of being witness to most of the principal transactions of the expedition under Sir CHARLES GREY and Sir JOHN JERVIS in the West Indies, and having leisure and inclination to minute down the occurrences as they presented themselves, I venture to appear before the public with such humble pretensions alone, as the result of that opportunity and leisure can give me.

My original intention reached no further than to publish a few views of some interesting subjects, which abound in the Caraibean Islands; but I selected those only which were rendered most so by particular events. Though I pretend not to the powers of an artist (being self-taught), yet I beg leave to urge in excuse for that want of spirit and picturesque effect which, I fear, is but too apparent in my drawings, that they are scrupulously exact, and accurately delineate the subjects they profess to represent.

When I at first communicated my design of publishing a few drawings, taken during the West India Expedition, many of my friends, and some of the officers who served with me, knowing that I had kept a journal of the transactions, desired me to add a short account of them to accompany the engravings.

To those, at all conversant with writing such accounts, it will not appear strange, that, as I proceeded to retrace those events which form the most prominent feature of my life, I found a pleasure in recognising many a transaction that had almost faded from my memory, and by degrees it increased under my hand, till it became of size sufficient to form a volume, and I was enabled to lay it before the public in a more respectable form than I at first intended. But, that I may not appropriate to myself merit belonging to another, I take a pleasure in avowing, that through the kindness of an officer, who, from his rank, is not more conspicuous than respected by the general tenor of his conduct, I have been favoured with the assistance of a journal by an ingenious and active officer of his division, which has greatly contributed to the embellishment of my work, by the communication of many local circumstances, impossible for me otherwise to have been acquainted with. The like assistance I have also to acknowledge from a friend who served under General Prescott during his gallant defence of Fort Matilda.

By the favour and indulgence of the Commander in Chief, I have been permitted to make extracts from the public order-book of the army; these form a large appendix, which, I trust, will not only confirm the accuracy of my narration, but will prove both useful and entertaining to the army in general.

Such has been the origin and progress of this publication; to the candour, therefore, of the public I commit myself, trusting that, as my ambition has been humble, I shall not be exposed to the severity of literary criticism for not having obtained that which I have never attempted.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

_Expedition to the West Indies determined on ... Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis appointed Commanders in Chief ... The Boyne sails from Spithead ... Occurrences on the voyage from thence to Carlisle Bay, Barbadoes._

CHAPTER II.

_The Commanders in Chief prepare for the expedition against Martinique ... Gun-boats constructed, and described ... A short account of Barbadoes ... Sale of slaves ... A list of the fleet._

CHAPTER III.

_The fleet sails from Barbadoes ... Anchors on the south coast of Martinique ... Capture of a battery ... General Grey lands with his army ... Flag of truce fired on by the enemy ... The Commanders in Chief attack the island at three different places at the same time._

CHAPTER IV.

_March of the Commander in Chief from Trois Rivieres to Sallee ... Occurrences on the march ... General Whyte detached.... Takes Pigeon Island ... The Admiral anchors off Pigeon Island ... Description of the Bay of Fort Royal ... The third brigade lands at Cas de Navires._

CHAPTER V.

_General Dundas lands on the north east side of the island ... Trinite taken ... Colonel Cradock attacked, Captain McEwen killed ... General Dundas forms a junction with Sir Charles Grey ... March towards St. Pierre ... Colonel Campbell killed ... St. Pierre attacked by sea, and taken ... Description of that town._

CHAPTER VI.

_The enemy retire into Fort Bourbon and Fort Louis ... The Admiral attacks Fort Louis with the bomb-ketch and gun-boats ... Camp of seamen formed at Point Negro ... A wharf built in the Cul de sac de Cohee; stores and ammunition landed there ... General Bellgarde attempts to cut off the communication between the army and navy, but is beaten, and his camp on Sourier taken ... Head Quarters established on Sourier ... General Rochambeau sends an aid-de-camp to the Commanders in Chief ... The navy make a road, and drag the guns to the heights of Sourier._

CHAPTER VII.

Forts Bourbon and Louis closely invested ... Batteries on the first parallel erected ... The seamen employed in getting guns to the batteries on the west side ... A dangerous pass described ... Captain Miln mortally wounded; he dies; his character ... Bellgarde delivers himself and army into the hands of Sir Charles Grey ... His Royal Highness Prince Edward arrives, and takes a command ... Batteries opened against Fort Bourbon ... Lieutenant Bowen's spirited conduct ... Fort Louis taken by storm ... Captain Faulknor's gallant conduct ... Fort Bourbon surrenders._

CHAPTER VIII.

_General Prescott is left governor of Martinique ... The Commanders in Chief sail for St. Lucia ... General Dundas lands near Pigeon Island ... The fleet anchors at Marigot de Rosseaux ... Prince Edward lands with the grenadiers, and marches towards Morne Fortune ... Colonel Coote lands with the light infantry ... The fleet anchors in Barrington's Bay ... Colonel Coote storms a redoubt on the Morne ... General Ricard surrenders the island ... Colonel Sir Charles Gordon left governor of St. Lucia ... The Commanders in Chief sail to Martinique._

CHAPTER IX.

_Expedition against Guadaloupe ... The Isles de Saintes attacked and taken ... The Boyne and Veteran anchor off Grozier ... The troops land under cover of the Winchelsea frigate ... Captain Lord Garlies wounded ... Fort Fleur d'Epee taken by storm ... Fort Louis and the town of Point a Pitre taken ... Casualties ... General description of the island._

CHAPTER X.

_The General embarks his army, and lands on Basse Terre at Petit Bourg ... Occurrences on the march towards Palmiste ... The Admiral anchors in Ance de Baillif ... General Dundas lands, and forms a communication with Sir Charles Grey ... The Palmiste taken by assault ... General Collot delivers up Fort St. Charles, and the island of Guadaloupe and its dependencies to the Commanders in Chief._

CHAPTER XI.

_The charges of extorted contributions and oppressions, alledged against the Commanders in Chief by certain interested individuals, refuted ... The real causes of the loss of Guadaloupe._

CHAPTER XII.

_General Dundas dies of the yellow fever ... His character ... A French squadron arrives in the West Indies, and takes possession of Grande Terre ... The Commanders in Chief on receiving an account thereof return to Guadaloupe ... General Grey lands at Grande Terre, and takes possession of the heights of Mascot ... Several actions take place ... A truce to bury the dead ... An unsuccessful attack on Point a Pitre._