CHANGES IN THE WEST AFRICAN GARRISONS, 1856-57--THE GREAT SCARCIES RIVER
EXPEDITION, 1859--FIRE AT NASSAU, 1859.
In January, 1856, it was determined to make a further change in the mode
of garrisoning the settlements on the West Coast of Africa, and the
following letter was issued on the subject:
"HORSE GUARDS,
"_2nd January, 1856_.
"In obedience to orders from the Secretary of State, War Department,
the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief is pleased to direct that
instead of the detachments to the western coast of Africa being
furnished, as at present, by two companies from each of the West
India regiments, the settlements in that part will be garrisoned by
a wing composed of six companies, to be furnished in succession by
each of the West India regiments.
"At the next relief the 1st West India Regiment will furnish six
companies accordingly, each company made up and kept effective to
100 rank and file, the force to be distributed as at present, viz.:
"Gambia 3 Companies.
"Sierra Leone 3 Companies.
"The remaining four companies of the 1st West India Regiment will be
stationed at Jamaica, as a depot to receive and train recruits, and
maintain the efficiency of the companies on the coast of Africa."
In anticipation of this change, and as recent events at the Gambia and
Sierra Leone had shown the necessity for an increase in the strength of
the detachments, No. 2 Company of the 1st West India Regiment, under
Captain W.J. Chamberlayne, embarked at Jamaica for Africa in the _Sir
George Pollock_ on February 19th, 1856. It arrived in the Gambia on
April 1st, and detachments to McCarthy's Island, 179 miles up the River
Gambia, and to Fort Bullen, were at once furnished from it.
No other change in the distribution of the regiment took place in this
year, with the exception that No. 5 Company, under Captain R. Hughes,
was moved from Jamaica to Barbados in December.
In January, 1857, No. 1 Company from Demerara, and Nos. 4 and 7 from
Barbados, embarked on board the troopship _Perseverance_, for Africa,
under the command of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Clarke, and Captains
Hughes and Macauley, arriving at Sierra Leone on February 28th.
Nos. 1 and 7 Companies were there disembarked, and the _Perseverance_
then proceeded to the Gambia, where No. 4 Company was landed. In
accordance with the scheme that the remaining four companies of the
regiment should be stationed at Jamaica, No. 5 Company rejoined there
from Barbados on April 17th; but, two months later, the scheme was again
revised, and, on June 4th, the head-quarters and four companies embarked
for Nassau, New Providence, under Lieutenant-Colonel F.A. Wetherall.
The detachments on the West Coast of Africa were very much subdivided,
that of the Gambia furnishing garrisons for Fort Bullen, Cape St. Mary,
and McCarthy's Island; and that of Sierra Leone a garrison for Waterloo.
In April, 1857, the garrison of Fort Bullen was reinforced by No. 2
Company under Captain Chamberlayne from Bathurst, in consequence of
disturbances having broken out between the King of Barra and one of his
principal chiefs named Osumanu Sajji, and was withdrawn in May, on
tranquility being restored.
In August, 1858, the natives of Sherbro threatened to plunder the
British factories that had been established on Sherbro Island, and
stopped the trade, and for the protection of the lives and property of
the Consul and British subjects, a detachment of the 1st West India
Regiment, under Captain R. Hughes, proceeded in H.M.S. _Spitfire_ to
Sherbro Island on September 1st. They there landed and remained until
October 2nd, when, all fears of an attack being at an end, they
returned to Sierra Leone. In January, 1859, however, another attack was
threatened by the Mendis, and a detachment of the 1st West India
Regiment, under Captain Luke, was sent for the protection of the
factories in H.M.S. _Trident_ on January 15th, returning to Sierra Leone
on February 18th.
In September and October, 1858, Captain Luke, 1st West India Regiment,
who was then on leave of absence on the Gold Coast, served with the
expeditionary force against the rebel Krobo stronghold of Krobo Hill.
Captain Cochrane, Gold Coast Artillery, commanding the force, in
concluding his despatch of October 26th, 1858, says: "It is not too much
to say that all who have joined the expedition have done their best to
further its interests, but I beg especially to call your Excellency's
notice to the voluntary services of Captain F.H. Luke, of the 1st West
India Regiment, whose energy, zeal, and disinterestedness, have been
warmly commended by every officer here, and are deserving of honourable
mention."
In February, 1859, the town of Porto Lokkoh, distant some forty miles
from Sierra Leone, and on the Sierra Leone River, was burned and
pillaged by a body of Soosoos who had, for some time back, established
themselves at Kambia, on the Great Scarcies River. For previous outrages
committed by them, Kambia had been bombarded by a naval squadron under
Commodore Wise on February 1st, 1858, after which the Soosoos had
entrenched themselves in a stockaded work, or war fence, near Kambia.
There they had been suffered to remain, but the destruction of Porto
Lokkoh, the chief _entrepot_ of the Sierra Leone trade, necessitated
further measures being taken against them.
Consequently, on March 20th, 1859, the Governor of Sierra Leone, Colonel
Stephen Hill, proceeded with a force of 203 men of the 1st West India
Regiment, under Major A.W. Murray, in H.M.S. _Vesuvius_, _Trident_, and
_Spitfire_, to the Great Scarcies River, where they arrived at daybreak
on the 22nd. The officers of the regiment serving with the expedition
were Major Murray, Brevet-Major Pratt, Lieutenants Fitzgerald, Mackay,
and Mawe, Ensigns Ormsby and Temple. Colonel Hill, in his despatch,
says:
"The troops having landed to the right of the town, I formed the
detachment of the 1st West India Regiment, under Major Murray, into four
divisions; and the marines formed, under the command of Captain Hill,
2nd West India Regiment, A.D.C., another division. A party of the former
corps, acting as gunners, accompanied the Marine Artillery, who took
charge of two mountain howitzers.
"Having extended one division in skirmishing order, I advanced; and,
finding the first stockade deserted I passed on to the furthest one,
which was then occupied by the sailors of the second division of boats
under Commander Close. I then proceeded to the extreme left of all the
defences, and halted in clear ground to await the arrival of our native
allies. Shortly afterwards Commodore Wise sent to inform me that the
enemy, who had retired before us with some loss, were in the jungle to
our left at the head of some rocks, on which they could cross the river
at low water. I immediately extended two divisions of the 1st West India
Regiment as skirmishers, with the marines supporting one, and a division
of the 1st West India the other, leaving one division in reserve in
charge of the howitzers, after having first fired some rounds of shell
into the jungle.
"Our advance was most difficult, the bush being almost impenetrable.
However, we persevered, and, having reached a high point overlooking the
country around, and not seeing any enemy, I ordered a halt, and, after
some time, we retired unmolested, the Soosoos never having allowed us to
close with them. The Commodore then sent me a second message to the
effect that he had seen about 500 men, who had, on our advance, retired
across the river, over the rocks, and disappeared in the bush on the
opposite side.
"The detachment of the 1st West India Regiment, under Brevet-Major
Pratt, kept the ground during the night; and our allies having arrived,
and been placed in possession of the stockades, the troops were
re-embarked on the 24th, and we proceeded on our return to Sierra Leone,
where we arrived on the 26th.
"I have much pleasure in stating that all the officers and men under my
orders performed their duties in an exceedingly zealous and
satisfactory manner, exhibiting a cheerful obedience, and only anxious
to close with the enemy. None but those present could form a just
estimate of the difficulty attending our advance, and the consequent
physical exhaustion. The heat was intense; a great part of the jungle
had been fired, and the bushes and the high grass formed a network
through which we were obliged to cut our way."
On January 8th, 1860, the men of the companies of the 1st West India
Regiment stationed at Nassau specially distinguished themselves at an
alarming fire that there broke out at Fort Charlotte, and the following
Garrison Order was published on the subject:
"Lieutenant-Colonel Bourchier takes the earliest opportunity in his
power of expressing his thanks to Major R. D'O. Fletcher, the officers,
the non-commissioned officers, and the men of the 1st West India
Regiment, for the prompt manner in which they turned out and lent their
efforts to avert the extension of the late fire at Fort Charlotte.
"Such occasions as this test the discipline of a corps in a high degree,
the more so when, as in the present instance, the danger of an explosion
from the proximity of the flames to the magazine was imminent.
"Where all were zealous, the conduct of Ensign Bourke, 1st West India
Regiment, was most conspicuous, who, assisted by Company Sergeant-Major
Mason and a party of four men of the regiment, placed wet blankets on
the most exposed portion of the roof of the magazine, which was then
actually ignited; and it will be most gratifying to Lieutenant-Colonel
Bourchier to bring the circumstance under the notice of H.R.H. the
General Commanding-in-Chief."
At the Gambia nothing of moment had occurred since 1807, with the
exception that a violent epidemic of fever broke out at Bathurst in
September, 1859, to which one officer and several men of the regiment
succumbed.