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.
The first news we received on our arrival at Barbadoes was, that the
yellow fever had, in the course of last year, carried off fifty-eight
officers of the army in this and the neighbouring islands, and privates
in proportion. It proved fatal to great numbers of the inhabitants also
of Barbadoes; from fifteen to twenty whites died daily in the town of
Bridgetown, and about half that number of blacks and people of colour.
We were at the same time comforted with an assurance that the disease
had entirely subsided; but the reader will soon see how fallacious were
our hopes in this respect. Alas! too many families have to lament the
fatal effects of this dreadful disorder; and the kingdom at large may
attribute to it the losses we afterwards sustained, rather than to any
other cause. But of this more hereafter.
His Excellency Sir Charles Grey landed at Bridgetown on the 7th of
January, and resided at a house called the Government House, on
Constitution Hill, a healthy situation, about half a mile out of town,
where he was busily employed during his residence on the island in
concerting plans for future operations, in reviewing the troops, and
providing against those exigencies which in an enemy's country an army
must be exposed to. A report was here circulated that General Rochambeau
the commanding officer at Martinique, and Bellegarde the popular leader
of the people of colour, were at variance; but this news by no means
caused the least relaxation on the part of our commanders, who continued
their preparations with as much ardour as before; and it is well they
did so, as we afterwards found the enemy on their guard, and prepared to
resist us with their united force.
The Admiral in the mean time was equally employed in preparing every
thing in his department, and for that purpose remained on board (a
conduct he invariably followed), by which every thing was carried on
under his own inspection, and delay (the consequence of neglect) was
thus prevented.--On our voyage, whenever the weather permitted, a
certain number of seamen were exercised, and formed into companies, to
be commanded by lieutenants of the navy, with the rank of captains on
shore. While in Carlisle Bay these seamen were again exercised, and
instructed in the use of small arms and pikes. This plan of training the
seamen for more duty was highly beneficial on this expedition, as will
hereafter appear.
Every exertion was now made both by sea and land. The gun-boats, which
were constructed in England, then taken to pieces, and brought to the
West Indies in storeships, were put together with as much speed as
possible; yet, from the nature of their structure, could not be finished
until a day or two before we sailed. There were six gun-boats, each
carrying a twenty-four pounder in the bow, which moved backwards and
forwards on a groove: round the whole on the gun-whale was a moveable
barricade or breast-work, composed of several folds of bulls' hides,
nailed to some boards of an inch thick in partitions, and capable of
turning a musket ball. Each boat had two masts; the foremast inclined
forward (to give more room for the gun to recoil), and had a latine sail
and jib: the mizen was a lug-sail. Sweeps, or large oars, were also
supplied, to be used when there was no wind, or when becalmed by the
high lands near the shore. Each of these vessels was at first commanded
by a midshipman, who, as his conduct merited, was promoted to the rank
of lieutenant[2].
[2] I have given an exact representation of one of these boats in
the view of the town and bay of St. Pierre.
In the mean time the troops were landed from the transports, the sick
comfortably lodged in the hospitals, and every attention paid, to render
the service complete. As the major part of our army consisted of the
flank companies, great pains were taken by the commanding officers to
train them for the most active service: the light infantry were
exercised daily by Major General Dundas, who had, in America and on the
continent, distinguished himself at the head of that battalion.
Particular attention was paid to instruct the army in the absolute
necessity of strict obedience to orders; for which purpose the
Commander in Chief published in the general orders to the army such full
and comprehensive instructions, as to preclude the necessity of
multiplying them in future, and to take away the possibility of any one
pleading ignorance of them[3].
[3] See in the Appendix, page 1.
Before we quit this island, it may be agreeable to the reader to have
some account of it, and of the general appearance of the country.
Barbadoes is situated in 13. 10. N. lat. and 59. W. long. from London.
It is called one of the British Charaibe Islands, though at present none
of those ancient inhabitants remain on it. The island has a flat
appearance; but, from the variety of plantations, the beauty and
freshness of the verdure, and the numerous houses, mills, and other
buildings, scattered in great profusion, it presents a delightful
prospect to strangers on their approach to it after a long voyage. I
shall not pretend to give an history of the island, but must refer the
reader to the elegant work of Bryan Edwards, Esq. whose account of the
British West India Islands is written with every advantage to be derived
from local residence and connections, as well as from the indefatigable
attention and abilities of the author.
During our residence at this island curiosity led me to be present at a
sale of slaves, just imported from the coast of Africa. As this horrid
traffic in human flesh has been the topic of public investigation for
some time past, and much learning and ingenuity has been displayed on
both sides of the question, I shall not give any opinion on it, but
merely state facts that came within my own knowledge. The sale is
proclaimed by beat of drum, and is held (at Barbadoes at least) not in
the open air, as I had been taught to believe, but in a commodious house
appointed for that purpose. At the time I am speaking of, there were
about forty men, women, and children, sitting on benches round a large
room, with no other covering than a cloth round their waists. Some of
them were decorated with beads, given to them by their captors, and
bracelets round their wrists and ancles, and were much tattooed on their
faces and breasts, which I understood from a seaman who came with them,
was a mark of distinction in their own country. I was also informed that
they had buried one hundred and forty-nine on the passage, having had a
very bad and protracted voyage: the crew had suffered equally, and had
buried one third of their original complement. As soon as the planter
has fixed on a slave he retires with him and the salesman to another
room, there concludes the bargain, and departs with his purchase to his
plantation, where the newcomer, being clothed in a coarse jacket, and
provided with a hat, knife, and other trifles, is placed with one of the
old negroes, by whom he is instructed in his business. In regard to the
severity exercised by the slave owners on their slaves, whatever may
have been the case, I am well assured that now there are seldom
instances of those cruelties which have been so feelingly described, at
least in the islands we visited on this expedition. At Barbadoes they
appeared to be in as comfortable a situation as the lower ranks of
society generally are; and as the climate is peculiarly favourable to
poverty (clothes and firing, the great articles of expence to the poor
in other countries, being here hardly required), I may venture to
affirm, that the slaves in the West Indies are in a better situation,
_as to the necessaries of life_, than the labouring poor in England, or
any other country in Europe. Far be it from me, however, to justify
slavery in itself; it most certainly is an evil: but when a matter of
great importance is in agitation, every information should be obtained,
and both sides of the question ought to be strictly examined. Certainly
the benevolent intentions of the friends to the abolition of slavery in
the West Indies have, by their exertions in the cause of humanity,
occasioned a more minute inquiry into the situation of the slaves than
had ever been made before; and several excellent laws to regulate the
treatment of that unfortunate class of human beings have in consequence
been passed in the different islands. It is affirmed by many very humane
people, that the entire abolition of the traffic _itself_ would not help
the cause of humanity so much as was at first contended (for I believe
the former plan of immediately emancipating those already imported, is
allowed by all to be dangerous in the extreme); and it is the opinion of
many writers, that the greater part of those Africans sold to our
plantations would remain slaves in their own country, or be put to death
by their captors. If so, surely it is better for them to be carried to a
country where they have a chance at least of better treatment, and where
many of them are instructed in their duty to their God, of which before
they had no idea.
While we were lying in Carlisle Bay the fleet that sailed with us from
Europe, and parted company on the voyage, came in, together with the
transports, &c. from Ireland. The following is, I believe, a correct
list of the men of war that composed our fleet at the commencement of
the campaign. A few others that are hereafter mentioned joined us in the
course of it.
Boyne 98 guns {Vice Admiral Sir John Jervis, K. B.
{ Commander in Chief of the naval
{ force in the West Indies.
{Captain G. Grey.
Vengeance 74 {Commodore C. Thompson.
{Captain Henry Powlett.
Irresistible 74 John Henry.
Veteran 64 Charles Edmund Nugent.
Blanche 32 Christopher Parker.
Terpsichore 32 Samson Edwards.
Blonde 32 John Markham.
Solebay 32 William Hancock Kelly.
Beaulieu 40 John Salisbury.
Quebec 32 Josias Rogers.
Rose 23 Edward Riou.
Vesuvius bomb Charles Sawyer.
Nautilus 18 James Carpenter.
Rattlesnake 18 Matthew Henry Scott.
Seaflower 16 William Pierrepoint.
Zebra 18 guns Captain Robert Faulknor.
Experiment 44 Simon Miller. }
Woolwich 44 John Parker. } armed
Dromedary 44 Sandford Tatham.} en flute.
These ships joined us in Fort Royal bay during the siege of Forts
Bourbon and Louis.
Asia 64 guns Captain John Brown.
Santa Margarita 36 Eliab Harvey.
Assurance 44 Velters Cornwall Berkley.
Ceres 32 Richard Incledon.
Winchelsea 32 Lord Viscount Garlies.
Roebuck 44 hosp. ship Andrew Christie.
The land force employed on this expedition was as follows. A detachment
of white and a detachment of black light dragoons, three battalions of
grenadiers, three battalions of light infantry, the sixth, ninth,
fifteenth, thirty-ninth, forty-third, fifty-sixth, fifty-eighth,
sixty-fourth, sixty-fifth, and seventieth regiments, with detachments
from the second, twenty-first, and sixtieth regiments. The troops were
divided into three brigades; the first commanded by Lieutenant General
Prescott, the second by Major General Thomas Dundas, and the third by
Major General his Royal Highness Prince Edward (till whose arrival from
Canada the command of this brigade was given to Lieutenant Colonel Sir
Charles Gordon.) The total force that embarked for the attack of
Martinique was six thousand and eighty-five, two hundred and twenty-four
sick, and nine hundred and seventy-seven left sick at Barbadoes[4].
[4] An idea was started of raising four hundred white men in the
island of Barbadoes to augment the army; but there was not time to
arm and discipline them; therefore it was dropped. However, a
certain number of negroes were provided to attend the army, four
hundred of whom were sent from Dominica for that service; some more
were brought from St. Vincent's; and the council of Barbadoes made
an offer of supplying a large number of them to serve on very
liberal terms; but when the matter came to be investigated, the
terms were found to be far from equitable, and therefore were
rejected.--Mr. Baillie and Mr. Monro, two planters of Grenada, were
here introduced to the Commanders in Chief, and were received on
board the Boyne as guests, and treated with the greatest
hospitality; they proceeded with us on the expedition. Mr. Gibbs,
one of the council of Barbadoes, also accompanied us.