In consequence of the heavy losses sustained at Carthagena, and
the mortality which still continued to rage after their arrival at
Jamaica, the transit between the Regiments of Foot and Marines was
rapid and immediate. Upon this service promotions were established
by rotation in the whole line. Within the short period of five
weeks, the Corps, originally Douglas's, numbered amongst its
casualties, three Colonels, two Lieutenant Colonels, and two Majors.
It was not until the beginning of July that the fleet and army were
in a state of readiness to renew their operations, when it was
resolved to proceed against the Island of Cuba, where they anchored
upon the 18th of July, in Walthenham Bay, immediately named Port
Cumberland, in honor of his Royal Highness the Duke, about eighteen
leagues to windward of St. Jago, the first object of their intended
attack, and properly speaking, the Capital, although it was not
then the seat of the Governor. The troops were all landed upon
the 24th, consisting nearly of four thousand men, including one
thousand chosen negroes, levied by the Island of Jamaica, with
a view to sustain the laborious duties of this service. Having
established a position upon the side of the river, nearly three
leagues from the mouth of the harbour, the General on the 25th
pushed some detachments into the country, which every where beat
back the outposts of the enemy, and in a few days returned to the
Camp, with plentiful supplies of provisions.
It was originally the intention of the Commanders in Chief to have
made a joint attack upon St. Jago, but the want of unanimity which
had sometime past, and now existed to a fatal degree, ruined every
purpose.--Contentious debates, and dilatory measures, took place of
cordial co-operation and pushing enterprize, while the Country's
interests and the lives of the Soldiery were daily sacrificed to
the bitterest feuds.
About the middle of August the General stated the impracticability
of advancing into the interior country with his present force, and
expressed a wish to await the arrival of fresh levies from America,
and the expected reinforcements from Europe, which now became
essential to complete the skeleton Corps of his Army. The first
resource was planned at the outset of the West India expedition,
and instructions had been early given to the Commander in Chief to
avail himself of it, when compelled by emergency.
Accordingly, recruiting parties were sent to New England to raise
volunteers, and General Wentworth, by a personal appeal to the
Governor of that province, urged the necessity of their being
seconded with public spirit and public liberality. Similar steps
were adopted in the State of New York, to fill up the American
Regiments of Marines; and the Governors, by an impressive address
to the Legislative Houses of both, strongly recommended their
energies, not only on the ground of patriotism, but of political
expediency. Bounties of forty shillings were offered to volunteers,
and the alluring inducements of conquered territory.--America then
saw her interests in the subjugation of the Spanish dependencies in
that quarter of the globe.
During a long interval nothing was attempted, even towards a
partial reduction of Cuba, at the close of which, sickness, the
never-failing result of total inactivity in these climes, began his
ravages. It was therefore determined to evacuate the island, which
was effected upon the 20th of November, when the regimental returns
were as follow:
_Serj._ _Corp._ _Drum._ _Priv._
General Harrison's Foot 22 23 8 172
Wentworth's ditto 22 17 8 172
Colonel Wolfe's (Marines) 20 23 6 132
Frazer's 22 21 6 109
Lowther's 22 24 8 183
Wynyard's 23 20 11 123
Cochran's 15 11 7 158
Cotterell's 24 26 10 151
First Battalion, Gooch's (American) 16 11 3 129
Second ditto 10 7 3 90
Third ditto 10 7 3 79
Fourth ditto 6 7 1 107
----------------------------
212 197 74 1610
Sick in all 39 47 15 465
251 244 89 2073
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The total loss of Officers, at the close of 1741, amounted to one
Commander in Chief, five Colonels, ten Lieutenant Colonels, seven
Majors, fifty-five Captains, one hundred and sixteen Subalterns,
and fourteen Staff Officers.
The heavy casualties in the Marine Regiments may easily be known,
when it is recollected, that upon their leaving Europe each
consisted of more than one thousand men.
The transports, under a proper escort, returned to Jamaica upon the
29th of November, while the squadron continued at sea to meet the
anxiously looked-for reinforcements.