The armed force at the Isle of Margarita, consisted of of the line troops Men. 177 One company of Militia. Four companies of Whites One company of cavalry Four companies of infantry, people of colour 360 50 360 Total 1,247 On the 13th of September, Captain J. Johnstone, of his Majesty's sloop Lark, sent two boats, with sixteen men in each, under the command of Lieutenant Pasley and Mr. M'Cloud, to cut out a Spanish privateer schooner from the Portillo Recess, in Cuba, the boats found her at half-past P.M. prepared to defend herself; she was, however, boarded and carried, after a severe struggle, in which she had twenty-one men killed and six wounded. The captain and all her officers were killed. The English had one man killed and twelve wounded. The privateer was named L'Esperance, and had forty-five men on board when the action began. Upon the 16th of April, the French garrison evacuated the island of St. Eustatia, carrying with them as much plunder as their vessels could stow. Upon receiving this information, the president of St. Christopher's, Mr. R. Thompson, on the 20th of April, sent an order to Lieutenant-Colonel Blunt of the 3d foot, to embark with 100 of the buffs in his Majesty's sloop Arab, Captain Perkins, and to take possession of that island. In consequence of this order, Colonel Blunt embarked with 100 of the buffs, with Lieutenant Brown and ten artillery men. On the morning of the 21st the island was summoned, and surrendered by capitulation, in which it was stipulated that the persons, properties, religion, and usages of the inhabitants should be respected and protected, till his Majesty's pleasure was known. The island was to enjoy the same privileges as the British colonies in the West Indies, and commerce to be on the same footing as the other conquered islands. Upon the 22d of April, Daniel Roda, the late governor of Eustatia, signed an order to Mr. Thomas Dezey, the vice-commander of Saba, to deliver up that island to the English, as it was included in the capitulation of St. Eustatia. A Methodist missionary landed at Barbadoes, and succeeded in collecting "several of those who had wandered from the fold." Lord Seaforth, the governor, promised him his protection. At Nevis "the whole (Methodist) society, in the month of May Depon's South America, vol. i. p. 317. Annual Register, 1801, p. 48. Dispatches.-1802, p. 8. in this year, amounted to 833 members; and many more gave evident proofs that the means of grace had been spirit and life to their souls." The number of slaves, in Jamaica, were reported to be 307,094: imported 11,309, exported 270. The population of Trinidad consisted of 2153 Whites, 4909 free people of colour, 15,975 slaves, 1202 Indians; total, 24,239. Privateering seems to have been nearly given up in the West Indies; only one French and one Spanish privateer are said to have been taken this year in those seas. The population of the island of Margarita was estimated at 14,000. The Whites were computed at two-tenths, the slaves at three, the descendants of freedmen at four, and the Indians the remainder; but these proportions apply to the whole population of the province of Venezuela, to the governments of Maracaibo and Guiana, and to the Isle of Margarita, added together. A royal order (Spanish) of the 3d of August, 1801, entitled "Tarif of Graces," says, art. 55. " for the permissions which are granted to foreigners to pass into the Indies, the tax shall be fixed by the chamber (of Indies) according to the importance of the object and circumstances." The following article taxes the permission of residing in the Indies at 8200 reals of vellon, which are equal to 400 milled dollars; and art. 57 fixes the same sum, the tax for the naturalization of those who have the requisite qualifications, of which the principal one is to be a Catholic." The number of members in the Methodist society in Jamaica amounted nearly to 600. "The societies might probably be multiplied by six, to give the amount of all the regular congregations. There were also nine local preachers, either Blacks or people of colour; admirably adapted for the work," Dr. Coke says. "SIR, Rear-Admiral Duckworth's Dispatches. "Leviathan, at Sea, March 27th, 1801. "Having consulted with Lieutenant-General Trigg on the subject of the orders of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, we determined not to wait for the expected reinforcements, but collect the troops that the general thought might be employed with dispatch, and we sailed on the 16th with about 1500 troops, for the purpose of attacking the various islands specified in our orders, the general and myself considering it most judicious to commence with the weathermost one, St. Bartholomew, though by calms and very variable winds we were prevented from getting to Grand Saline Bay (our intended place of landing) till the morning of the 20th; Appendix to the Defence of the Bill for the Registration of Slaves. Political Account of Trinidad, London, 1807. Steele's Naval Chronologist. Depon's South America, vol. i. pp. 106. 110. when having prepared every thing for that purpose, and placed the Andromeda, L'Unité, and Drake brig, to cover it, the general and myself deemed it expedient to prevent delay, by sending Brigadier-General King, and Captain Fuller of the Leviathan, with a summons, which, after some little hesitation, was accepted, and the capitulation I transmit entered into. I then detached the Andromeda, with the Alexandria tender, to assist in watching St. Thomas's, when every exertion was used to land a garrison, and form such temporary arrangements as the urgency of the service would admit, all of which were effected by the morning of the 22d. We found here two Swedish ships, newly laden with the produce of the country, a Danish ship in ballast, besides a variety of small craft, Swedish, and three small French vessels; and I left Captain Thomas Harvey, in L'Unité, to co-operate with the commandant of that island, and at ten o'clock A. M. were in the act of weighing, when ten sail were seen from the mast head; I therefore ordered the Drake brig and L'Eclair schooner to reconnoitre, keeping the wind myself, concluding that they were our troops from England, which the general and myself had sent orders to Barbadoes to follow us, after landing their sick, with women and children. This, from light airs, was not ascertained till ten o'clock at night, when they proved as conjectured; and the Proselyte joined in the afternoon of the 24th. Upon this accumulation of force, the general and myself, after some deliberation, judged it would be highly injurious to his Majesty's service, and render St. Bartholomew very unsafe, if we omitted attacking the island of St. Martin; we therefore (although it was not mentioned in our instructions), prompted by the rectitude of our intentions, decided upon endeavouring to reduce it, and, at midnight of the 22d, bore away for that purpose; but the unprecedented variableness of the winds prevented our getting there till daylight of the 24th; and on the afternoon of the 23d, the Coromandel joined with the 2d West India regiment, when having placed Captain Fowke, in the Proselyte, with the Drake brig, in Cole's Bay, to cover the landing under the direction of Captain Ekins, of the Amphitrite, who had been sick at Barbadoes, but joined me in the Proselyte, and handsomely volunteered this service, which commenced at half past eight o'clock; and with his judicious arrangements, the second brigade of near 1500 men, under Brigadier-General Maitland, were on shore with their field pieces and 100 seamen, by eleven o'clock, as were the first brigade of 1800, under Brigadier-General Fuller, by two o'clock, with their field-pieces, and 100 seamen. The second brigade directly proceeded on to take the heights in the approach to the town of Phillipsburgh, which was quickly effected, though not without some smart skirmishing, which afterwards brought on a short action, in which some companies of the 64th, under Lieutenant-Colonel Pakenham, and two companies of the 8th West India regiment, displayed great gallantry, beat the enemy, and took two field-pieces. At this time Brigadier-General Fuller, with the first brigade, marched on to take the heights above Fort Chesterfield, or Maregot, where he had reason to expect the greatest resistance; but the former check (in which the enemy lost from fifty to sixty killed and wounded) evinced that opposition could only lead to destruction; and they embraced a verbal summons, sent in by Brigadier-General Maitland, at five o'clock, to propose their terms at nine; when Lieutenant-General Trigg and self being on the spot, the capitulation was signed and exchanged by midnight of the 24th, of which I transmit a copy for their lordships' information. At the commencement of the attack, we observed in Great Bay two privateer brigs of twelve guns each, and a schooner of the same force, with a merchant-ship brig, and nine or ten small craft; and as I considered them likely to attempt getting off in the course of the night, I ordered the Hornet, and Fanny, armed brig, to work up to Great Bay, to prevent such attempt from succeeding; and at sunset the Drake to assist on that service; but unfortunately, the two first did not get far enough to windward to fulfil my intention, by which means one of the brigs and the schooner got out, with a few small vessels, five of which were taken; but I am to lament the brig and schooner getting away after a chase of twenty-four hours, by the Hornet and Fanny. We found remaining in the bay one brig privateer of twelve guns, an English captured ship, a merchant brig, four small schooners and a sloop, the particulars of which my time would not allow me to collect, as I began to embark the troops, ordnance, &c. the next morning, the 25th, and sailed for St. Thomas's the afternoon of the 26th, leaving the Proselyte, Hornet, and Drake, to assist in the arrangements necessary for the security of the island, and two transports to embark the garrison in, which consisted of between 300 and 400, besides nearly a similar number which got away in the brig, &c. I have ordered the Proselyte to relieve L'Unité, keeping with her the Drake, for the assisting protection of the two islands, and L'Unité to conduct the prisoners to Martinico, arranging and getting ready to convoy the trade home. I cannot conclude this account of our successful proceedings for their lordships' information, without paying that grateful tribute which is due to Lieutenant-General Trigg, for his kind support and concurrence in every instance, and for his anxious endeavours to preserve that particular harmony and unanimity between the army and navy, which must always contribute to the success of every undertaking. I should not do justice to the officers and men serving under my command, if I was to omit assuring their lordships they have performed the harassing and laborious service they have been employed in, highly to my satisfaction, and with an alacrity characteristic of British seamen. " SIR, "J. T. DUCKWORTH."' "Leviathan. Thomas's, March 30th. "Having had the honour of stating to you the successful proceedings of this armament to the 27th, I have now further to add, that we arrived off this island at daylight of the 28th, having previously concerted with the general the arrangement for landing at Black Point Bay, about three miles to the westward of the town; but from the wind blowing off the land, we were not able to obtain anchorage till noon, when I directed Captain Bradby in the Andromeda, with the Alexandria tender, to place themselves as close to the beach as the water would admit, to cover the landing; which service was ably executed. I also ordered the Southampton, Diana, and Amphitrite, (which had been previously directed here to prevent succour from being thrown in,) to anchor close off the town, to be in readiness to attack the forts if requisite. This service performed, and the troops all ready to land, LieutenantGeneral Trigg and self were of opinion it would promote his Majesty's service to summon the island, which was sent by BrigadierGeneral Maitland, and Captain King of the Leviathan, when a capitulation was agreed on for this island, St. John's, and its dependencies, with the delay only of the governor being permitted to send officers to ascertain that our force was as formidable as represented; and yesterday morning we took possession of the forts, &c.; since when I have been so constantly employed in landing a garrison, and forming temporary regulations to move for our next object, Santa Cruz, this evening, that my time will not admit of my giving their lordships an exact detail of the vessels in harbour, but there was one man-of-war brig of eighteen guns, which appears a very fine vessel, and fit for his Majesty's service. "J.T. DUCKWORTH." “SIR, "Leviathan, off Christianstadt, April 2d. "I have now the further pleasure to acquaint you, that we were off the town of Christianstadt at daylight of the 31st, and having Annual Register, 1801, p. 40. Admiral Duckworth's Dispatches. List of Rear-Admiral Duckworth's squadron at the capture of St. Bartholomew, on the 16th of March. Eclair, Fanny and Alexandria, small crafts. J. P. Beresford. Thos. Harvey. James Bradby. Chas. Ekins. J. Nash. Geo. Younghusband. |