Detachment out of Colonel 〈◊〉 Râ—gâ—â—ent being sent under the command of Captain William Butler tâ— seâ—ure the top of it On Fryday the 27th the Mary's two Chase-Guns Six Pounders were brought on Shore in order to be drawn up to the top of the Hill and the Marine Regiment under the Command of Colonel Kirby Commander of the Success Collonel Kegwin being dead of his wound he received in landing was imployed in cutting and clearing a patch for the drawing them up On Saturday and Sunday the 28th and 29th the Marine Regiment so vigorously pursued their business that they had drawn the Guns to the top of the Hill and planted them upon a Platform they had laid for them with Baskets of Earth thrown up for a Covering from the Enemies Shot it lying open to the Fort On Monday morning the 30th Powder Shot c. being carried up they began to play upon the Fort the very first Shot doing Execution and the Frigots also weighing from Old Road stood down to the Fort and battered against it the whole Army at the same time marching into a deep and wide Ditch between the Hill and the Fort within Musket Shot of it In the Afternoon the Frigots stood up again to Old Road but the Guns from the Hill kept playing incessantly till Night at which time we began our Intrenchments running from the Ditch where we lay encamped a Trench with a Half Moon at the End capable of holding four hundred Men. On Tuesday the first of July one of the Nevis Regiments and part of the Antigua Regiment were sent under the Command of Colonel Charles Pym to take a small Fort of the Enemies about three Miles distant from the Camp which they succesfully surprized taking about fifty Prisoners in it This Evening Lieutenant General Holt having given Orders to the Out-Centries which were placed towards the Fort to fire without Challenging at any who should come that way himself afterwards riding by them in the twilight to view the Works was Shot into the Body by one Gibbins an Irishman who was one of the Centries he returned to the Camp and languished long of it with little hopes of recovery Gibbins was afterwards tried by a Court Marshal but after a full hearing acquitted On Wednesday the 2d those Guns on the Hill proving so serviceable there were four more of a larger size drawn up but one of them splitting at the first time of firing and the rest being incommodiously planted they were no more made use of This day four Companies of the Enemy marched out of the Fort and drew up before the Gate but in a quarter of an hour they marched in again The Half Moon being now finished we run another Trench about a quarter of a Mile below it able to contain the like number of Men and at the like Distance below that we began another wide enough to draw the Carriages of the great Guns through the 3d 4th 5th and 6th Days we continued in the day time quiet in our Trenches in the night running on with our works the Enemy firing day and night upon us with great Guns and small Arms but doing us little damage but the Guns on the Hill galled them exceedingly leaving no Corner of the Fort unsearched Some hundreds of the Enemy being out in the Mountains headed by one Monsieur Pinelle Parties were sent daily abroad commanded by the Officers in their turns to scour them out and on Monday the 7th the Major General his Wound being well healed went himself at the head of two hundred Men upon the same Design but could not meet with the Enemy to engage them they lurking sometimes in one place sometimes in another On Wednesday the 9th he returned to the Camp with some Prisoners many Negroes and great Store of Cattle After the Major Generals return Proclamation being made by beat of Drum in several places of the Island by the Command of the Captain General that all which would come in within three Days should receive his Protection to secure their Persons from the Outrages of the Souldiers several Families surrendred themselves to many of which was also granted Liberty to return to their Houses and keep some small stock till farther Orders Monsieur Pinelle also sent in a Flag of Truce from the Mountains to acquaint the Captain General that he could not come in without leave from the Governour but however he assured him he would remain quiet and give free passage to any of our Men he should meet with The 10th and 11th we continued in our Trenches which we had now run within Pistol Shot of the Fort. Over against the Gate we had an half Moon on which we planted several Colours On the left hand of the Half-Moon was a Battery raised for six great Guns two eighteen Pounders and four twelve Pounders but before they were mounted on Saturday the 12th about one in the Afternoon the Drums beat a Parly in the Fort four Persons marched out with a Flag of Truce they were met in the Pasture between our Trench and the Fort by Major Legard and by him conducted to the Captain General and after some Treaty Hostages were given on both sides one of the Majors continuing with us and Lieutenant Colonel Not was sent to them Captain Hamilton also going with him as an Interpreter But notwithstanding the Treaty the Captain General continued his workds joyning our Trench to the Enemies Trench through which they used to come from the Fort to the Well Our Centries were placed under the Walls and at the Gate of the Fort and that Evening our Guns were also mounted upon the Battery About twelve of the Clock in the Night there was a Canoe let over the Fort Walls it being situate by the Sea-side which run on board a Sloop that came close in with the Shore under the Covert of the dark Night our Men let Fly a whole Volly upon them which made them hasten away Captain Hamilton came to the Centry at the Fort Gate and Ordered him to acquaint the Major General that there was a Ship seen off upon which this Relator was dispatched away to Old Road to give Admiral Wright notice of it but in the interim a Brigantine was sent in pursuit of the Sloop the Admiral immediately ordered two Frigots to weigh and put out in search of the said Ship and Sloop which they did and the next Day the 13th they returned without seeing any Vessels During the whole Action upon this Island there were two Frigots that cruised about to take any French Vessels which might arrive there either by design or chance but they met with none On Monday the 14th the Fort was surrendred to the Captain General upon the same Articles that it was before delivered up to the French After the Enemy marched out the English Flag was put up the King 's Queens Healths were drank and the great Guns three times fired three Vollies being also made by the
off some Negroes and in his going away met with two English Sloops one of which after some Resistance he took the other making her Escape came in and gave an Account of the Action upon which Sir Timothy sent out two Sloops Man'd with a Company of Granadiers under the Command of Captain Walter Hamilton who next day brought her in with her Prize On board the Privateer besides thirty French were six Irish who were tried by a Court Marshal and four of them deservedly executed At this time a dreadful Mortality raging in the Island of Nevis especially among the Men which had reduced that Sex to a Moiety of its usual number forced the Inhabitants to make their Addresses to Sir Timothy who now had received a Commission for Major General to bring his Regiment down thither for their Defence their Island lying within two Leagues of St. Christophers and in daily expectation of being attacked the Major General weighing their Necessity after the violence of the Distemper was abated in the Month of November removed his Regiment thither encamping them upon a commodious Plain close adjoyning to a River In the beginning of December the Lieutenant General coming down to Nevis called a General Council of War in which it was determined that the Major General with three hundred of his own Regiment and two hundred Nevisians should go down and attack St. Martins and St. Bartholomews two Islands belonging to the Enemy in which they reared considerable quantities of Stock for the support and maintenance of other their Sugar Islands in order to which Expedition the Major General on Sunday the 15th of the said Month put his Forces on board the Vessels provided for them being one Brigantine and nine Sloops and on Monday the 16th he himself imbarqued and the Fleet set Sail for the said Islands On Wednesday the 18th in the Morning we past by St. Bartholomews and about four in the Afternoon being within four or five Leagues of St. Martins we espied a small Sloop standing up towards us but upon sight of us she tacked and put into one of the Bays When we came up with the Bay where she lay the Major General sent one Lieutenant Dowden with three Files of Men in a Boat to go up to her and board her and if she were floating to bring her out when the Boat was got near on Board the Enemy who lay hid in the Bushes on each side the Bay being Land-lock'd fired very thick upon them forcing them to retreat two of them being wounded The Major General being very desirous to have the Sloop after it was dark sent thirty Men in four Boats and Canoes under the Command of Captain Walter Hamilton again to attempt the bringing her out but the Enemy discovered them and fired hotly upon them the Canoe which Captain Hamilton was in rowed close up to the Sloop and found her run on Ground the Men being all gone out of her so were forced to leave her and return to their Vessels Captain Hamilton received two Shots in one of his Legs about four Persons more being wounded but none killed that Night we stood off and on as though we designed to land in the Morning The next Day being the 19th there was a Council of War held by the Officers on board the Brigantine wherein it was determined first to attack St. Bartholomews and accordingly the Sloops stood up in the Night to the said Island The next Morning before Day Major John Stanley landed with fourscore Men notwithstanding the Opposition of the Enemy and beat them out of their Breast-Works and by break of Day he had planted his Colours upon a Battery they had consisting of two great Guns All the Forces being landed the Major General ordered them to take three several Ways himself leading his own Guard of Gentlemen Reformadoes with two Companies more through the Body of the Island After a Miles March we discovered a large Fortification which appeared to be well Mann'd but the Major General running down bravely with his Men so disheartned the Enemy that after they had given us two or three Volleys they quitted it and fled into the Woods The Fortification was quadrangular consisting of about two Acres of Land encompassed with double Rows of Stakes six Foot high and four Foot distant the Intervals being fill'd with Earth and a wide deep Trench without it on each Corner there was a Flanker in one of which was planted four great Guns the Entrance into it was a Lock admitting but one at a time in the middle of it was the Governours House and a Guard-House for the Souldiers also a large Cistern with store of Water seven or eight Barrels of dried Salt Fish with Bread proportionable and two Barrels of Powder It was situate in a Bottom by the side of a Lane through which we were to pass to come at it and on the other side was a very high Hill After we had entred it the Major General sent this Relator with four Files of Men to gain the top of the Hill which he did finding it fortified with two great Guns loaden and primed with the Match lighted and several Bags of Partridge-Shot lying by them but the Enemy was in so much hast they did not stay to fire them upon us About four Miles distant from the Fortification upon the side of a Hill there appeared a large white Building resembling a Fort to which the Major General sent three hundred Men under the Command of Colonel Charles Pym with Orders if he found it strong to sit down before it and wait his coming About two of the Clock the Major General leaving a sufficient Guard in the Fortification marched up thither with the rest of his Forces and when we came to it we found it to be only a Stone Plat-form laid shelving for the conveyance of the Rain Water into the Cistern the Island being destitute of Rivers Wells or other Conveniencies of fresh Water the Inhabitants are forced to make use of all Advantages to catch the Rain each House being furnished with one or more of these Cisterns some of them capable of holding twelve or fourteen Tuns There we encamped that Night and the next Day the 21st we marched back to the Fortification On Sunday the 22d in the Morning two Captains of the Enemy came in with a Flag of Truce bringing Articles from their Governour upon which they offered to surrender themselves which when the Major General had perused he returned an Answer to him in writing and also by two Gentlemen who spoken French which he sent to him that his Terms were denied but if he would come in with the Inhabitants with their Arms and Ammunition within three Days he should find him a Gentleman but if he stood out longer he was to expect no Quarter That Night the Gentlemen returned to the Camp with an Answer from the Governour That on Wednesday he would come in but he could not sooner because some of the
whole Army The Fort was Quadrangular consisting of four Flankers with a Curtain between each on each Flanker were mounted five Guns the Walls were of Stone about twenty Foot high surrounded with a deep Ditch twelve Foot wide over which was a narrow wooden Bridge In the middle of the Fort were two Mounts thrown up for Batteries there was also a Well but upon firing the Guns the Water would instantly dry away There was Store of Provision Liquors and Powder but they wanted Shot In retaking this Island we had about an hundred Men killed and wounded the Island in general is very Strong there being several small Fortifications and Breast-works all round except where it is naturally fortisied with Hills or Shoals The Inhabitants were about eighteen hundred Men besides Women and Children and Negroes all which except the Negroes which were to be divided as plunder were transported to the Island of Hispaniola only some particular Persons had the favour granted them to be carried up to Martineco After a Weeks Refreshment the Major General on Sunday the 20th of the said Month of July Imbarqued with his own Regiment in the Sloops and the Marine Regiment on board the Frigots and set sail for the Island of St. Eustace and the same Evening lying before the said Island he sent Captain Hamilton on Shoar with a Flag of Truce to Summons the Island to surrender who returned with an answer from the Governour that he would defend it to the utmost the next Morning the 21st the Frigots began to Batter against the Fort and the Major General landed at the same time with his Men under a high Cliff which they ascended being got up they had not marched far before they perceived some Dutch Colours in the Woods upon which a Party was sent to discover them who returned with an Account that it was Colonel Scorer the Governour of the Island for the Dutch when the French took it with one hundred Men under his Command who came from Saba and landed there three days before but not having strength enough to take the Fort into which the Inhabitants were fled he designed to get what Plunder he could and so go off again He refused to joyn with the Major General because he was first landed so accordingly went off the next day The Major General proceeded in his march towards the Fort and encamped within Musket Shot of it under the rising of a small Hill the next day the Marine Regiment landed and the Shovels Pickaxes c. being brought on Shore they began their Intrenchments running their Trench along by the Fort within Musket Shot of it After five Days siege the Enemy sent out a Flag of Truce with Articles but they were so high in their demands that the Major General refused them and returned an answer if they did not descend to more reasonable terms within three days he would grant them no Quarter Within the prescribed time they came out again with a Flag of Truce and surrendred themselves and their Fort upon Quarter for life to march out with their Baggage Their Fort contained sixteen great Guns it was surrounded with double Rows of Stakes the Intervals fill'd with Earth and without that strong Pallisadoes and on the outside of them a deep Ditch over which was a very narrow Bridge leading into the Gate admitting but one at a time the Besieged were about sixty men the Women and Children being sent off some time before they had a Well for Water and about twenty Barrels of Flower some Salt-Fish and Pork and a small Quantity of Ammunition they behaved themselves very briskly during the siege especially the Governour who was very active in firing the great Guns c. In taking this Island we had not above Eight Men kill'd and wounded The Major General leaving one Company upon the Island under the Command of Lieutenant John Mack-Arthur returned to St. Christophers with the whole Fleet carrying the Inhabitants Prisoners thither and afterwards transporting them to Hispaniola Lieutenant Pilkinton was afterwards sent down with a Company out of the Duke of Bolton's Regiment to relieve Lieutenant Mack-Arthur and he still continues there for the Defence of the said Island The Inhabitants of the Island of St. Bartholomews who were brought up Prisoners from thence to Nevis being sent down to St Christophers before that Island was retaken there met with their Wives and Families and after that Island was retaken they were desirous to live under an English Government upon which the Captain General gave them Liberty to return to their Island transporting them thither and granted a Commission to one Captain le Grand a former Inhabitant among them to be their Governour and to keep and defend the Island in the name and behalf of their Majesties King William and Queen Mary under which Government it still continues In the latter end of October this Relator's Concerns calling him home to England he left the Caribby Islands the Captain General having then issued out Orders for the mustering their Majesties Forces and getting them in a readiness to Imbarque upon a farther Expedition against Guadalupe and other French Islands leaving a Garrison upon St. Christophers under the Command of Lieutenant Colonel Not. Thus you have a brief and plain Relation of the Success of the English Arms in the Caribby Islands and it may reasonably be concluded that as the English Affairs there have hitherto been happily prosperous so being under the management and Conduct of such prudent and active Generals and promoted by the forwardness of the Souldiery but principally by a Divine Blessing attending upon their Endeavours they will soon put a succesful Period to those troublesome Wars and root the French Interests out of that part of the World FINIS