THE CARIB WAR IN ST. VINCENT, 1795.
Some little time before the arrival, at Martinique, of the company of
Malcolm's Rangers from St. Lucia, the company of that corps which had
remained in the former island had been despatched, with the 3rd
Battalion of the 60th Regiment, to St. Vincent. Since the month of
March, 1795, that island had been devastated by a war between the
Caribs, assisted by the French, and the British garrison. This war had
been carried on with varying success, and the most horrible atrocities
on the part of the Caribs, until the end of May, when the
Commander-in-Chief, Sir John Vaughan, went over to St. Vincent from
Martinique, to satisfy himself as to the state and military wants of the
colony; and, finding the enemy strongly posted within a short distance
of the town of Kingston itself, immediately on his return to Martinique
despatched the above-mentioned reinforcement, which arrived at St.
Vincent in the beginning of June.
The principal position of the enemy was at the Vigie This post was
situated on a ridge, forming the south-west side of the valley of
Marriaqua, and consisted of three small eminences of different heights;
that nearest the sea, though the lowest, being the most extensive of
them all, and that to the fortifying of which they had paid the most
attention.
Lieutenant-Colonel Leighton, commanding the troops in St. Vincent, on
being reinforced, determined to carry into execution a long meditated
attack upon the Vigie. Accordingly, on the night of the 11th[16] of
June, the troops marched through the town, and halted about ten o'clock
at Warawarrow River, within four miles of the Vigie. The force was
composed of detachments from the 46th and 60th Regiments, the company of
Malcolm's Rangers, the St. Vincent Rangers, almost all the southern and
windward regiments of the militia, and a small party of artillery. At
Warawarrow River the troops were divided into three columns; and the
third was further divided into small bodies to hold the passes at Calder
Ridge, and prevent the escape of the enemy.
Just before daybreak, the westernmost redoubt, which overlooked the road
coming from Kingston, was attacked and carried almost without
opposition, the enemy retiring to their principal stronghold. The
grenadiers and Malcolm's Corps had in the meantime forced their way
through the bush on Ross Ridge, and being met by the light company,
which had kept along the road, the whole of the British advanced against
the third and strongest redoubt. At the upper end of the road a deep
trench had been dug, which obstacle for some little time delayed the
guns; but, by great exertions they were lifted up a bank eight or ten
feet in height, and then opened fire.
For some time the enemy returned the British fire with great spirit.
About eight o'clock, however, they beat a parley, and sent out a flag of
truce to propose terms, which were refused. The troops were now led to
the assault, and in a short time carried the works, which were defended
by the French from Guadaloupe, the Caribs having retired early in the
morning, and escaped to the windward portion of the island. "Never did
troops display greater gallantry than did the British, militia, and
rangers on this occasion."[17] The British killed and wounded amounted
to 30; 250 of the enemy are said to have fallen. In the redoubts were
taken three four-pounders and sixteen or seventeen swivels.
At the close of the action, Malcolm's and the St. Vincent Rangers were
sent out to scour the valley of Marriaqua, and destroy the huts of the
Caribs. This service they effectually accomplished before nightfall,
having killed and taken prisoners many of the fugitives, and driven the
remainder into Massirica.
A detachment of the 60th being left in the Vigie Lieutenant-Colonel
Leighton, on the morning of the 13th of June, marched with the remainder
of the troops, by several routes, towards the Carib district. So little
opposition was made to their march, the enemy constantly falling back
from ridge to ridge, that on the afternoon of the 16th they reached
Mount Young, from which the Caribs fled with such haste that they left
standing their houses, in all of which considerable quantities of corn
were found. This carelessness of the enemy provided the British with a
very welcome shelter. It was fortunate, also, that they had not
attempted to dispute the hills and passes; for, had they done so, the
troops would have suffered greatly, seven men, even as it was, having
expired on the march from fatigue alone.
As soon as Mount Young was in our possession, the troops were busily
employed in spreading devastation through the Carib district. In Grand
Sable and other parts of the country, many houses were burned, and more
than 200 pettiaugres and canoes destroyed. Several hundred slaves were
also sent out, under the protection of military detachments, to dig up
and destroy the provisions of the enemy. On the 4th of July, a
detachment of the 46th and Malcolm's Rangers took, after a sharp action,
the enemy's post at Chateaubellair, near Walliabon, with a loss of 14
killed and 39 wounded of the 46th, and 2 killed and several wounded of
Malcolm's.
The evacuation of St. Lucia by Brigadier-General Stewart was, however,
as far as St. Vincent was concerned, attended by fatal consequences.
The proximity of the former island enabled the French unceasingly to
pour in new reinforcements to their Carib allies in St. Vincent; and,
towards the end of August, a small British post which had been
established at Owia was surprised by a detachment from St. Lucia, and
the whole of the guns and large quantities of supplies captured.
Encouraged by this success, Victor Hugues resolved to endeavour to wrest
St. Vincent from the British, as he had already wrested Guadaloupe and
St. Lucia; and, in the middle of September, he landed in St. Lucia with
a force of some 800 men. These, embarked in four vessels, which escaped
the _Thorn_ and _Experiment_, the British ships of war on the station,
landed at Owia Bay, St. Vincent, on the morning of the 18th of
September; and the force of the enemy was now so vastly superior to that
of the British, that it became impossible for the latter to retain their
advanced positions.
Orders were at once sent to Lieutenant-Colonel Leighton to abandon Mount
Young without delay, and retire to the vicinity of Kingston. They were
carried into execution on the night of the 19th. Having destroyed their
supplies and left their lights burning in their huts as usual, to
deceive the enemy, the troops were silently put in motion. They reached
Biabou the next evening, and, bringing in the detachment which was there
quartered, reached Zion Hill on the 21st; being then distributed among
the posts in the neighbourhood.
The retreating British were speedily followed by the Caribs and French,
who drove off the cattle from several estates, and finally took up a
position on Fairbairn's Ridge, by which the communication was cut off
between Kingston and the Vigie. The detachment of the 60th at the latter
post being short of supplies, Lieutenant-Colonel Ritche, of the 60th,
with 200 of that corps and 150 of the St. Vincent Rangers, was detached
to escort the necessary stores. His division had nearly reached its
destination when it fell in with the enemy; a sharp action ensued,
victory was on the eve of declaring for the British, when, struck by an
unaccountable panic, they suddenly gave way and fled in all directions.
The supplies fell into the hands of the enemy, and a number of the mules
were killed.
The news of this terrible disaster spread dismay through Kingston, for
it was thought that the enemy would at once attack all the British
posts. It was resolved to at once abandon the Vigie; and to facilitate
this step, Brigadier-General Myers, with the 46th and Malcolm's Rangers,
marched from Dorsetshire Hill, and posted himself opposite the enemy, as
if threatening an attack. This movement had the desired effect. The
enemy called in all the detachments which invested the Vigie, and thus
enabled the officer commanding that post to retreat at night through
heavy rain to Calliaqua, and thence proceed to Kingston in boats.
While the troops were using the utmost exertion to strengthen the posts
in the neighbourhood of Kingston, an unexpected reinforcement arrived
from Martinique, on the 29th of September. It consisted of the 40th,
54th, 59th, and 2nd West India Regiments,[18] into which latter the St.
Vincent Rangers were at once drafted. Major-General Irving also came
over from Martinique to assume the command.
The first effect produced by the arrival of this succour, was the
retiring of the enemy from their advanced position on Fairbairn's Ridge
to the Vigie, where they now collected the whole of their strength. From
this post Major-General Irving determined to dislodge them; and, on the
night of the 1st of October, the troops marched for that purpose. One
column, consisting of 750 men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Strutt, marched
by the high road and took post upon Calder Ridge, on the east of the
Vigie, about three in the morning. A second column, consisting of 900
men, under Brigadier-General Myers, crossed the Warawarrow River, and
detached one party to proceed round by Calliaqua, and another to move up
the valley, and climb the heights near Joseph Dubuc's. With this last
force was Malcolm's Corps; and, to gain the point to which they were
directed, it was necessary to cross a deep rivulet and ascend a steep
hill covered with bushes and wood. In doing this it suffered a heavy
loss, both of officers and men, from the enemy, who fired upon it almost
in security under shelter of the bushes. The British, however, still
pressed on, and at length arrived on the top of the Marriaqua or Vigie
Ridge. During the ascent of the hill, Malcolm's Corps lost one man
killed and two wounded.
In the meantime, the remainder of the second column were struggling in
vain to reach the summit of the same ridge; at a point where the enemy
had strongly occupied a thick wood, and thrown up a small work. Though
the opposing forces were within fifty paces of each other, not an inch
of ground was won on either side. Firing commenced at seven in the
morning, and was kept up till nightfall. All this time the British were
exposed to a violent tropical downpour of rain, which rendered the
abrupt declivity so slippery that it was almost impossible to maintain a
foothold on it; and, finding he could make no impression on the enemy,
the general, about 7 p.m., gave orders for the troops to retire.
During the night, the enemy, from some unknown cause, abandoned the
Vigie, and that so hastily that they left behind them, undestroyed, both
guns and ammunition. They continued their retreat till they reached the
windward part of the island, and the British in their turn advanced. For
the remainder of the year, the troops were employed in circumscribing,
within as narrow limits as possible, the French and their Carib allies;
and, though great hardships were endured, no engagement worthy of note
took place.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 16: Coke; Bryan Edwards says the 8th.]
[Footnote 17: Coke.]
[Footnote 18: See next chapter.]