BOOK V.

THE DIRECTORY.

CHAPTER IV.

State of Affairs in the British West India Islands.-Expedition sent out under Sir Ralph Abercrombie and Admiral Christian.---General Nichols restores tranquillity in the Island of Grenada. Surrender of Demarara, Issequibo, and Berbice to the British Arms.-Expedition against the Island of St. Lucie.→ Attack on Morne Fortuné.-Distinguished conduct of BrigadierGenerals Moore and Hope.-Death of Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm. Surrender of the Island.-Re-conquest of St. Vincent's. -Progress of the. War in St. Domingo.-Arrival of Reinforcements.-Unsuccessful attempt on Leogane.-Capture of Bomparde.---The enemy repulsed at Fort Irois and St. Marc.-General view of the situation of the Island at this period.

THE serious disasters which had befallen the arms of Great Britain in the Western hemisphere during the preceding year, by which the English were divested of the island of St. Lucie, and reduced to great difficulties in St. Vincent's and Grenada, were chiefly to be attributed to the revolutionary arts of the republicans, aided by the dreadful ravages which the yellow fever had made amongst our troops. Above twenty

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CHAP. IV.

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THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

[1796.

thousand men had been sent from Europe and America to the West Indies, from the commencement of the war to the close of 1795, of whom a very small proportion only escaped the sword or pestilence. The English government were fully sensible of the necessity of making some extraordinary exertions to preserve the important possessions of the crown in that quarter; but until the return of the Duke of York's army from the continent in the summer of 1795, it was impossible to fit out an armament adequate to the undertaking, as previous to that event the whole disposable force in England did not exceed six thousand men. A considerable space of time was occupied in refitting these troops, who had suffered so dreadfully on the retreat from Holland, it being found necessary to draft several of the regiments altogether, and the forces from Ireland and other places destined to join the expedition were greatly retarded by adverse winds. A body of about twenty-three thousand men was at length prepared, which was augmented by some foreign troops to upwards of thirty thousand, and the command of the whole was entrusted to Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercrombie, while Admiral Sir Hugh C. Christian commanded the fleet which accompanied it. The government adopted the most judicious regulations that could be devised by military or medical men for the health and comfort of the troops on their passage, and furnished them with every means that the most

liberal expenditure could procure, for guarding them against the effects of the terrible malady which ravaged the country whither they were about to direct their course.

A tempestuous winter, and some other unforeseen obstacles, prevented the sailing of the fleet until the close of the year: at length, however, after a tedious passage, Sir R. Abercrombie with a part of the troops arrived at Barbadoes, and immediately prepared to commence his operations. Whilst he sent strong reinforcements to the relief of General Nichols in Grenada, and despatched a small armament against the Dutch settlements of Demerara, Issequibo, and Berbice, he resolved himself to undertake the re-conquest of the islands of St. Lucie and St. Vincent with the main body of the army.

Since the unfortunate evacuation of Goyavehill in the month of October, 1795, the small British force in the island of Grenada had been compelled to act upon the defensive, but the arrival of the reinforcements sent by the commander-in-chief enabled General Nichols to resume more active operations. The attack of the insurgent camp at Port-Royal was accordingly resolved upon, and the 23d of March fixed on for putting it into execution. On the preceding evening six hundred regulars, five hundred negroes, with a few cavalry of the 17th light dragoons, and militia, marched from St. George's, and after some skirmishing, took possession of a high peak near the principal