of a burning sun, disease rendered war doubly

terrific.

The attack upon Martinico was made by a powerful armament under Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis, who sailed, on the 6th of February, from Carlisle Bay to Barbadoes. A joint manifesto was published on the part of the commanders-in-chief by sea and land, inviting all the "friends of peace, government, religion, and order, in the island to throw off tyrannical oppression, and set themselves free from the horrors of anarchy, by having recourse to the protection of a just and beneficent sovereign." Personal security, and full and immediate enjoyment of their possessions, conformably to the ancient laws and customs, were also promised.

Three separate landings having been effected on the island of Martinico, the enemy abandoned the port of Trinité, while General Bellegarde, a Mulatto chief, evacuated the fort which bore his own name. Hereupon Major-general Dundas immediately seized Morne Bruneau, about two leagues from Fort Bourbon, and the strong position of Le Maître. Another detachment, under Brigadier-general Whyte, forced the batteries of Cape Solomon and Bruges, in order to facilitate the possession of Pigeon Island, and enable the shipping to enter the harbour of Port Royal. Mount Matherine, which commanded the enemy's works at the distance of 400 yards, having been crowned with battery so as to take Pigeon Island in reverse, in little more than two hours the garrison struck their colours, and surrendered at discretion, on the 10th of February, through the gallantry of Colonel Symes, with a detachment of the 15th regiment, and 200 seamen under the command of Lieutenant Rogers and Rutherford.

Sir Charles Gordon, assisted by Colonel Myers, and Captain Rogers of the navy, having landed to leeward with the third column, seized on five batteries, between Caise de Navire and Port Royal, and then occupied the posts of Gentilly, La Coste, and L'Archer. The entrance into the bay and harbour of Port Royal being thus completely opened for the British fleet, Admiral Sir John Jervis immediately sailed from Ance L'Arlet, and anchored there, for the purpose of assisting in the reduction of the fortresses. The commander-in-chief also moved forward, with the troops from Riviere Salée, to the post of Bruneau, on the 14th of March, where he joined Lieutenant-general Prescott. As an attack upon the town of St. Pierre had been determined upon, Major-general Dundas proceeded towards the heights of Cassot and Calebasse, which the enemy had evacuated, but who had nevertheless attacked Colonel Campbell at Port-au-Pin. When this was perceived, the advanced guard, though no more than sixty-three men, was sent forward

under the command of Captain Ramsay, of the BOOK I. Queen; and, on gaining the summit, obliged them to desist. The gallant commander, how- CHAP. X. ever, lost his life while charging at the head of the 40th light company. The other two columns 1794. of the land forces proceeded against St. Pierre, a considerable town, defended by batteries on the flanks, and protected by redoubts on the hills which overhang it: this place, however, had previously surrendered to a detachment under Colonel Symes and Major Maitland. The English, who had entered St. Pierre with the greatest regularity and decorum, were received by the inhabitants, not as foes, but as friends.

Two strong fortresses still remained to be сарtured, viz. Fort Louis, situated on a neck of land which forms one side of the harbour called the carenage; and Fort Bourbon, built upon a hill, and in point of strength greatly superior. As the latter could not be closely invested without the previous possession of the heights of Saurriere, which were occupied by General Bellegarde, Sir Charles Grey resolved, at one o'clock of the succeeding morning, to force his position with the bayonet; but the Mulatto chief, anticipating his design, attacked his left flank with great impetuosity. Lieutenant-general Prescot, however, at the head of a reinforcement, gallantly checked the enemy; and the commander-in-chief embraced this opportunity to seize the position of the assailant. Accordingly, the third battalion of grenadiers, commanded by Lieutenantcolonel Buckeridge, and supported by the first and second battalions of light infantry, under Lieutenant-colonels Coote and Blundell, stormed the works on the left in such a gallant manner, that possession of the camp and artillery was immediately obtained with little loss. Fort Bourbon was then invested, but the siege of that place was attended with great difficulty; a new road, nearly five miles in extent, having been cut through a thick wood, for the conveyance of heavy artillery and mortars, while the cannon were dragged to the heights with infinite labor.

The Mulatto chief bad, in the mean time, with his second, Pelocque, and 300 of their followers, yielded to the English. Bellegarde, on retiring to the heights of Sourriere, and finding his camp in possession of Sir C. Grey, immediately strove to enter Fort Bourbon, in order to assist in its defence; but General Rochambeau, who was at enmity with him, notwithstanding the small number of the garrison, repulsed and obliged him to surrender: he and his companions were immedidiately sent to America, while his batteries were confined on board the fleet.

For the purpose of reducing these two fortresses, a combined attack by the naval and land forces was meditated. The artillery on the Morne, Tortentson, and Carrier, kept up a con

BOOK I. stant fire upon Fort Royal; while all the other batteries played upon Fort Bourbon, both day CHAP. X. and night, on the 18th and 19th of March.

1794.

While the battery on Point Carrier, which forms the east side of the entrance of the Carenage, kept up an incessant fire on Fort St. Louis, the Bien Venue, a French frigate, was boarded by Lieutenant Boven, of the Boyne, and the captain, lieutenant, and about twenty men, brought off, under a severe fire of grape-shot and musketry from the fort. For the purpose of assaulting this place, as well as Fort Royal, scalingladders were provided, and such was the gallantry of Captain Faulknor, in the Zebra, that Fort Louis was actually assailed and carried by escalade, March 20, before the boats under Captain Rogers could arrive to his assistance.

Fort Bourbon surrendered on March 23, agreeable to conditions: the garrison, consisting of 900 men, marched out with colours flying, thirty rounds a-man, and two field-pieces with twelve rounds; they then laid down their arms, and, after stipulating not to serve against his Britannic majesty or his allies during the war, were allowed to embark for France.

Six regiments having been left as a garrison, under Brigadier-general Whyte and Colonel Myers, the fleet sailed for St. Lucia, the reduction of which was attended with little or no difficulty, having been effected, April 3, without the loss of a man.

The British squadron immediately returned to Fort Royal Bay, in Martinico; where, having taken on board two regiments and the heavy ordnance, the admiral detached Captain Rogers, of the Quebec; with the Ceres, Captain Incledon; the Blanche, Captain Faulknor; and the Rose, Captain Scott; to take possession of the little islands called the Saints; which they effected without any loss, on the 10th of April. General Grey effected a landing, with a body of infantry and 500 seamen and marines, in the bay, notwithstanding the incessant fire of Forts Gozier and Fleur d'Epée, under cover of the Winchelsea, Lord Garfies, who placed his ship so close to the batteries, that the enemy could not stand to their guns, and happened to be the only person who was on this occasion wounded. On April 12, at break of day, the troops, in three divisions, attacked the fort of La Fleur d'Epée with the bayonet, which was carried: the first division, under the command of Prince Edward, stormed the post on Morne Mascot; the second, under Major-general Dundas, marched in such a direction as to take Fleur d'Epée in the rear,

and cut off its communication with Fort Louis and Pointe-à-Petre; and the third, under Colonel Symes, proceeded by the road on the seaside, in order to co-operate with the former. During this bold and successful attack, the heat

part of

of the contest was so great, that the chief the garrison was unavoidably put to the sword; and immediate possession of that part of the island called Grand Terre was obtained by the English, the enemy having evacuated Fort Louis, the town of Pointe-à-Petre, and the new battery on the islet called Cochon.

A garrison having been placed in Fleur d'Epée, now called Fort Prince of Wales, part of the squadron, with two divisions of the army, under the command of Prince Edward and Colonel Symes, anchored under Islet Haut de Fregatte, and the troops were landed that night and the following morning (April 14) at Petit Bourg: another detachment, under Major-general Dundas, disembarked, about the same time, within a short distance of the town of Basse Terre, and carried the strong post of Morne Magdaline; while the two former columns, having seized on the redoubt of d'Arbond, evacuated by the enemy, and having carried Arset by storm, obtained possession of the important post of Palmiste, with all its batteries, early on April 20.

Guadaloupe, with all its dependencies, was surrendered to the English, April 20, on the same terms which had been allowed General Rochambeau for Fort Bourbon: the British colours were immediately hoisted, and the place received the name of Fort Matilda.

These objects having been accomplished, to the honor and glory of all concerned, Sir Charles Grey left General Dundas to command at Guadaloupe, and returned to Martinico. The general unfortunately fell a victim to the yellow fever; and Colonel Clos, the second in command, was seized at the same time with a fatal disease. In the interim, an armament for the West Indies had been fitted out by the French government. The command of this squadron was given to Victor Hughes, an officer fitted by nature for a desperate undertaking; and, having escaped all the English cruizers in a most extraordinary manner, he arrived at Pointe-à-Petre on the 3d of June, after a passage of forty-one days from Rochefort, and landed a body of troops near the village of Gozier in the course of that night.

A body of royalists, to the amount of 180, ignorant of the force as well as of the ultimate intentions of the enemy, proposed to march out and surprise them. This party accordingly sallied forth at eight o'clock in the evening, under the command of Captain M'Dowall, of the 43d; but, at sight of the enemy, whose numbers far exceeded their expectations, they fled, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of the Eng lish officer to rally them. They knew that if they escaped from the fire of the republicans, they would be exposed to the guillotine; and that very thought, which should have inspired them with courage, unfortunately rendered them cowards.

Victor Hughes, thus encouraged, began his march about midnight, for the purpose of attacking Pointe-à-Petre; and at one o'clock in the morning, the English commenced their operations by a discharge of grape-shot from one 24-pounder and two field-pieces, which slackened the career of the assailants. But notwithstanding this was accompanied and followed by a heavy fire of musketry, the French again pressed forward, when the remainder of the unhappy royalists immediately abandoned the place. Lieutenantcolonel Drummond, with his garrison, consisting of only 300 men, partly British merchants and seamen, gallantly resisted two successive attacks; but, no longer able to oppose a superior enemy, he retreated with loss to Fort Louis, whence he proceeded to Petit Carral, and shortly after embarked with the remainder of his followers to take shelter in Basse-Terre. The enemy consequently obtained possession of Fort Gouvernement, the town of Pointe-à-Petre, and the whole of that part of the island called Grand Terre.

As soon as this unexpected and unwelcome intelligence had reached the British commanders by sea and land, who had in the mean time actually embarked, and were about to sail from St. Kitt's for England, Sir John Jervis, after dispatching a vessel to Martinico for reinforcements, and collecting some ships of war, immediately proceeded to Guadaloupe, and arrived on the day after the evacuation. Perceiving the real state of affairs, he anchored off Point à Petre, and blockaded the French squadron; while Sir C. Grey proceeded to Basse-Terre, and sent to the different colonies to collect all the force that could be spared. A considerable body of volunteers, to assist in the expedition, was raised by the islands of St. Christopher and Antigua.

A successful night attack had, in the mean time, been made, June 13, under Brigadier-general Dundas, on the post of St. Jean or Gabarie, in which Brevet-major Ross, of the 31st regiment, behaved with the greatest gallantry, and a landing afterwards effected, under cover of two frigates, at Ance Canot; Lieutenant-colonel Fisher commanding the grenadiers, and Lieutenant-colonel Gomm the light infantry. Hereupon the French abandoned Gozier, June 19, and assembled a position that commanded the road to Fort Fleur d'Epée. On the night of June 25, an attempt was made to dislodge them, which proved unsuccessful, through the disobedience of the troops; who recurred to the fire of their muskets, instead of trusting solely to their bayonets, as commanded. However, on the 27th, the republicans were attacked on all sides, and driven along a chain of high and woody grounds to Morne Mascot. Here they again rallied; but, on being boldly charged, they retreated into the fort.

The post occupied by Col. Fisher on Morne

Mascot, under cover of the guns of Fleur d'Epee, BOOK I. were successively attacked by a motley army of whites, blacks, and mulattoes. On June 29, a CHAP. X. more formidable army advanced, consisting of 1500 men, with a field-piece; but they were driven again from the heights with considerable slaughter by the bayonets of the English.

It being the determination of the British commander to make a grand and decisive blow, Brigadier-general Symes received orders to advance from Morne Mascot, and assault the town of Pointe-à-Petre. Before day-break, on July 2, Pointe-à-Petre was accordingly stormed by a body of infantry and the first battalion of seamen, under Captain Robertson; but having, through an unfortunate mistake on the part of the guides, entered at the strongest side, they were violently attacked by the enemy with round and grape shot, as well as small arms; and, notwithstanding the most heroic exertions, the attempt failed, with the loss of about 600 men. The commanding officer, Brigadier-general Fisher, Lieutenant-col. Gomm, and Captain Robertson of the navy, were wounded in the struggle. It was the determination of Sir Charles Grey, in case of success, to have stormed immediately Fort Fleur d'Epée; but this meditated attack was now relinquished, and a body of troops under Captain Stewart, and another of seamen from the Boyne, under Lieut. Woolley, were sent to the assistance of the unfortunate assailants. In the course of that very night, the English found it necessary to retire to Gozier, to march one part of the forces by PetitBourg to Berville, and to embark the remainder; which was happily effected, under the direction of Rear-admiral Thompson, without the loss of a single man.

The commander-in-chief, after this, occupied the ground between Point St. John and Mahault Bay with his whole force. He likewise erected batteries of heavy artillery, as well as of mortars, at Point Saron and Point St. John, opposite Pointeà-Petre, whence he attempted to destroy both the town and the shipping; while the gun-boats belonging to the fleet were incessantly employed in battering the ports at Pointe-à-Petre and La Fleur d'Epée.

In the meantime the French commissaries, who had accompanied the expedition, endeavoured to inflame and seduce the inhabitants by their usual proclamations and addresses. The French victories were exaggerated, and the English conquests represented as easy tasks. As no succours had arrived from England, Basse-Terre, which had been defended as long as possible, again fell into the hands of the French, Sept. 27; who, during a dark night, made two different landings, the one at Goyave and the other at Lamentin. After seizing on Petit-Bourg, where, under pretence of retaliating former outrages, many of the

1794.

The enemy thrice attacked the troops at Berville, consisting of near 600 regulars and royalists, under Brigadier-general Colin Graham, and were as often gallantly repulsed. As the plantation of Berville had been the property and residence of a colonist unfriendly to the republican cause, it was therefore marked for republican vengeance. The attack was renewed, and both the English posts and men of war annoyed by batteries; the red-hot shot prevented the latter from succouring the besieged troops; and General Graham was obliged, though very reluctantly, to capitulate. He obtained the honors of war for his own troops, but for the protection of the royalists, could only procure the privilege of a covered boat, in which he conveyed the principal of them to a place of safety. One of the chiefs, finding that his three brothers were not to be admitted into this boat, shot himself, it is said, in the presence of the English general. The remainder of the royalists, who were obliged to cut their way through the ranks of their countrymen, were either shot or guillotined.

Thus the French obtained possession of the whole of the island of Guadaloupe, one post only excepted; and the militia, conscious of the fate that awaited their non-compliance, now declared in favor of the republicans. General Prescott,

who commanded at Fort Matilda, (lately called Fort Charles,) finding his cannon dismounted, and that even the Boyne and other men of war, which had repaired to his assistance, were occasionally obliged to sheer off from the gun and mortar batteries, now, after protracting the siege for near a month, deemed it prudent to evacuate the place during the night of December 10; which, under the superintendence of Captain Bowen of the Terpsichore, who was wounded on the occasion, was effected without loss.

The chief of the French settlements, called Port-au-Prince, on the west side of St. Domingo, was taken by the British during the course of the summer; and Brigadier-general Whyte erected the flag on the fort on the anniversary of his majesty's birth-day. The main body of the English, however, had not yet arrived; and the national commissioners, taking advantage of this interval, escaped in safety, with their treasure, towards Aux Cayes. The merchantmen, however, consisting of twenty-two sail, laden with sugar, cotton, coffee, and indigo, fell into the hands of the victors.

It appeared, however, that the occupation of so many places together rendered the defence of each too weak; for in October, the town and port of Leogane fell into the hands of the republicans, though Captain Grant, of the 13th regiment, gallantly repulsed three distinct bodies of the enemy, after both himself and his two lieutenants were wounded; and on the 30th of December, the officer commanding at Tiburon was obliged to evacuate that post.

DURING the latter events, recorded in the preceding book, the situation of France was far from being tranquil. No sooner had the faction of the Mountain obtained a bloody triumph over that of Gironde, than a second division took place; and the conflict now lay between the Cordeliers and the Jacobins. The latter were Christians; therefore power in the hands of the former would be as dangerous to them as if in the royalists; and Robespierre resolved to take advantage of this pious idea.

Hebert, Ronsin, Anacharsis Clootz, and others, were at the head of the cordeliers, men who adopted the most extravagant theories to gain the attachment of the populace, condemned all religion, preached up equality in the most absurd extent, and publicly recommended an agrarian law. The table of the rights of man, in the hall of the cordeliers, was covered with black crape in the beginning of March; and Hebert maintained, from the tribune of the society, that tyranny existed in the republic. Hebert, Ronsin, Clootz, and a number more of the same association, were arrested on the 25th of March, brought before the revolutionary tribunal, and condemued to the guillotine. To these executions succeeded those of Fabre d'Eglantine, Chabot, Bazire, and Julien of Toulouse, with some other popular deputies of the convention; the accusation against them bearing, that they had engaged in counterrevolutionary projects.

The convention were informed, by Legendre, March 31, that four of their members were arrested" Danton is one of them; I know not the others; you should hear them; I am pure, and so I believe is Danton." This gave offence to Robespierre, who moved the previous question, which was carried.

A decree of arrest being confirmed against Danton, Lacroix, Philippeaux, Camille Desmoulins, and Herault Sechelles, they were brought before the revolutionary tribunal. None appeared to be agitated. The wit of Danton dis5.

CHAP. I.

1794.

concerted the judges, and he threw small balls BOOK II. about the size of a pin in their faces. All the prisoners asked for Robespierre to be present, but he excused himself under the view of assassination. They were sentenced at two, and in three hours afterwards brought out to the guillotine. Danton suffered last, and turned himself up to the dreadful axe with such magnanimity, that the spectators were penetrated with respect.

Danton is described as a man of abilities and eloquence, trained to the law. His person was tall, rather corpulent, and but few could look at him without being prepossessed in his favor. Many counter-revolutionary charges were alleged against him, but were never proved. When in the prison of the Conciergerie, he thus exclaimed, ""Tis better to be a fisherman than govern men; the fools, as they see me pass to the scaffold, will cry, Vive la Republique!' Last year I had the revolutionary tribunal instituted; I beg pardon; it was to prevent the mas sacres of September." He is thought to have been the planner of the attack upon the palace, on the 10th of August, which dreadful outrage was executed by the ruffian Westerman, and they both perished in one day on the same scaf fold. Robespierre seems to have considered Danton in the light of a rival for power, which, in the eyes of that execrable monster, was a dreadful crime.

At this period Fouquier Tainville, the public accuser, demanded that the sister of the ci-devant king should be given up to the revolutionary tribunal. bunal. The Princess Elizabeth was accordingly. sent to the prison of the Conciergerie on the 10th of May, and appeared before her judges. The trial was of the same hasty kind which had always distinguished these examinations, being composed of a few absurd questions put to the prisoner: · she had neither advocates nor witnesses of any description whatever, and was condemned to the guillotine without further ceremony.

Robespierre fed his vanity by taking the lead