THE CAPTURE OF ST. LUCIA, 1796.
In January, 1796, the company of Malcolm's Royal Rangers that was at St.
Vincent was moved to St. Christopher; the other company still remained
at Martinique, and both, in April, 1796, were selected to take part in
the expedition to St. Lucia. "That island could then muster for its
defence about 2000 well-disciplined black soldiers, a number of less
effective blacks, and some hundred whites, who held positions both
naturally and artificially strong, and were plentifully supplied with
artillery, ammunition, and stores. The post on which the Republicans
chiefly confided for their defence was that of Morne Fortune. It is
situated on the western side of the island, between the rivers of the
Carenage and the Grand Cul de Sac, which empty their waters into bays
bearing the same name. Difficult of access by nature, it had been
rendered still more so by various works. In aid of this they had also
fortified others of the mornes, or eminences, in its vicinity. The whole
of this position, embracing a considerable extent of ground, it was of
the utmost importance to invest closely, with as little delay as
possible, that the enemy might not escape into the rugged country of the
interior, and thus be in a condition to carry on a protracted and
harassing war, which experience had already more than once proved to be
highly detrimental to an unseasoned invading force.
"To accomplish this desirable purpose, the British general determined to
direct his troops on three points, two of them to the north, and the
third to the south of Morne Fortune. The first division was to land most
to the north, in Longueville Bay, covered by several vessels, which were
intended to silence the batteries on Pigeon Island. Choc Bay was the
spot where the centre division was to be put on shore; and the third was
to disembark at Ance la Raye, some distance to the southward of the
hostile post."[22]
The fleet with the troops destined for the attack of St. Lucia, under
Sir Ralph Abercromby, sailed from Carlisle Bay, Barbados, on the 22nd of
April, and anchored in Marin Bay, Martinique, on the evening of the
23rd, where Malcolm's Rangers joined the force, sailing for St. Lucia on
the 26th. The troops arrived off that island on the evening of the same
day, and 1700 men, under the command of Major-General Campbell,
composing the first division, were immediately landed in Longueville
Bay; without encountering any further opposition than a few shots from
the battery on Pigeon Island, the fire of which was speedily silenced by
that of the ships.
A strong current had driven the transports so far to the leeward that it
was not practicable to land the centre division till the following
morning. Major-General Campbell was meanwhile on his march, and his
progress was only feebly opposed by about 500 of the enemy, who
ultimately retired from Angier's Plantation to Morne Chabot, and allowed
him to effect a junction with the centre division. The current having
acted still more powerfully on the vessels which conveyed the third
division, under Brigadier-General Morshead, two or three days elapsed
before the disembarkation in Ance la Raye could be entirely executed.
The troops at length took up their appointed station, and thus held
Morne Fortune invested on its southern side.
To complete the investment on the northern quarter it was necessary to
obtain possession of Morne Chabot, which was one of the strongest posts
in the vicinity of Morne Fortune. At midnight of the 27th, therefore,
two columns, under Brigadier-Generals Moore and Hope, were despatched to
attack the Morne on two opposite sides; and, by this means, not only to
carry the position, but likewise to prevent the escape of the troops by
which it was defended. This plan, the complete success of which would
have materially diminished the strength of the Republican force, was in
part rendered abortive by a miscalculation of time. The column of
Brigadier-General Moore, consisting of seven companies of the 53rd
Regiment, 100 of Malcolm's Rangers, and 50 of Lowenstein's,[23] advanced
by the most circuitous route; while Brigadier-General Hope, with 350 men
of the 57th, 150 of Malcolm's Rangers, and 50 of Lowenstein's, took the
shorter road. Misinformed by the guides, Brigadier-General Moore's
column fell in, an hour and a half sooner than it had expected, with the
advanced picket of the enemy, who were thus put on their guard. At the
moment when they were discovered, the troops, in consequence of the
narrowness of the road, were marching in single file, and to halt them
was impossible. In this state of things their leader resolved not to
give his opponents time to recollect themselves, but to fall on them
with his single division. The spirit of the soldiers fully justified the
gallant resolution of their commander. Having been formed as speedily as
the ruggedness of the ground would admit of, they proceeded to the
assault. The Republicans made a stubborn resistance, but it was an
unavailing one, as they were finally driven from the Morne with
considerable loss. Nevertheless, as the second column did not arrive
till the combat was over, the fugitives succeeded in making good their
retreat. On the following day the victors also occupied Morne
Duchasseaux, which is situated in rear of Morne Fortune.
In the hope of obtaining some advantage to counterbalance this
misfortune, the enemy, on the 1st of May, made a brisk attack on the
advanced post of grenadiers commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel MacDonald,
of the 55th Regiment. They were, however, repulsed with much slaughter,
though not till forty or fifty men, and several officers, were killed or
wounded on the side of the British, among them being Captain Coghlan,
1st West India Regiment, attached to the 48th Regiment, who was wounded.
At the south side of the Morne Fortune the enemy had erected batteries,
which precluded any vessels from entering into the bay of the Grand Cul
de Sac. To open this bay to our fleet was an object of much importance,
as at present it was necessary to convey the artillery and stores from a
great distance, which could not be done without the previous labour of
opening roads through an almost impracticable country. It was,
therefore, resolved to make an attempt on these batteries. The principal
attack was to be conducted by Major-General Morshead, whose division, in
two columns, was to pass the river of the Grand Cul de Sac; the columns
of the right at Cools, and that of the left at the point where the
waters of the stream are discharged into the bay. To second this force,
Brigadier-General Hope, on the night of the 2nd of May, was to advance
from Morne Chabot with 350 men of the 42nd Regiment, the light company
of the 57th, and part of Malcolm's Rangers, the whole being supported by
the 55th Regiment, which was posted at Ferrands. A part of the squadron
was likewise to lend its assistance, by keeping up a cannonade on the
works of the enemy. Before the time arrived for putting this plan into
execution, Major-General Morshead was taken ill, and the command
devolved upon Brigadier-General Perryn. No change, however, took place
in the arrangements which had been formed.
"At dawn of day, the division under Brigadier-General Hope began to
accomplish its part of the service by carrying the battery Seche, which
was situated within a short distance of the works of Morne Fortune. The
assailants suffered so little in the assault, that they would scarcely
have had anything to regret, had it not been for the fall of the gallant
Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm.[24] On the south side of the Morne, and at
the extremity of the line of attack, Colonel Riddel, who led the column
of the left, made himself master of the battery of Chapuis, and
established himself there. Had the remainder of the project been as well
executed, the proposed object would have been completely attained.
Unfortunately, however, from some unexplained cause, the division which
was the connecting link of the whole, that which was entrusted to
Brigadier-General Perryn, did not perform its allotted part, by crossing
the river at Cools. The consequence of this was that the victorious
columns were left insulated, and would have been exposed to no trivial
danger, had the enemy felt a sufficient reliance upon their own strength
to incite them to act with the requisite promptitude and vigour.
Painful, therefore, as it was to retire before a routed foe, the British
troops were compelled to abandon the batteries which they had won, and
to fall back upon their original stations. The ships at the same time
returned to their former anchorage. Our loss on this occasion was 105
men; of whom only a very few were among the slain."
The Vigie was now the only post occupied by the enemy in the vicinity of
Morne Fortune, and this was attacked by the 31st Regiment on the night
of May 7th; the assault, however, being repulsed with a loss of 200 men.
The main position was now invested by regular siege works, and the task
which the British had to perform was attended with no small difficulty.
"The country itself was of the most inaccessible kind, the chain of
investment was ten miles in extent, all the roads that were necessary
were to be made, of carriages there were none, horses were scarce, and
the Republicans had been industrious in availing themselves of all the
natural obstacles to our progress, and in creating as many others as
their ingenuity could contrive." Malcolm's Corps rendered good service
on these works, and the men being better able to stand the fatigue and
exposure than Europeans, were constantly employed.
By May 16th, the first parallel was completed, and on the morning of the
24th, the 27th Regiment, supported by the 53rd and 57th, succeeded in
effecting a lodgment within 500 yards of the fort. The Governor,
acknowledging that further resistance was futile, demanded a suspension
of hostilities; terms of surrender were agreed upon, and on May 26th,
2000 men marched out as prisoners of war. One hundred pieces of
ordnance, ten vessels, and large stores of ammunition fell into the
hands of the British.
Sir Ralph Abercromby sailed from St. Lucia on the 4th of June to the
relief of Grenada and St. Vincent, leaving Brigadier-General Moore for
the pacification of the first island with the 31st, 44th, 38th, and 55th
Regiments, O'Meara's corps of Rangers,[25] and the German Yagers.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 22: Bryan Edwards.]
[Footnote 23: Lowenstein's Rangers were Europeans. They were afterwards
drafted into the 60th.]
[Footnote 24: Return of killed, wounded, and missing, in the attack made
on the enemy's batteries, May 3rd, 1796. Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm's
Rangers: 3 rank and file, killed; 2 rank and file, wounded; 2 captains,
1 lieutenant, 7 rank and file, missing. Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm dead
of his wounds. The names of the officers of Malcolm's returned missing,
not known.]
[Footnote 25: Raised in 1796. This corps became the 12th West India
Regiment in 1799.]