ページの画像
PDF
ePub

menced operations, and made the necessary arrangements for the junction of his army with that of General Murray at Montreal. This was the only place of strength which the enemy now possessed in the country. Colonel Haviland was detached with a body of troops to take possession of the Isle aux Noix, and from thence to penetrate, by the shortest route, to the banks of the St Lawrence. General Murray had orders to proceed up the river with all the forces he could muster. On the 7th of August, Colonel Haldimand was sent with the grenadiers, light infantry, and a battalion of the Royal Highlanders, to take post at the bottom of the Lake, and assist the armed vessels in passing to La Galette. On the 10th of August, the whole army embarked, and proceeded on the Lake towards the mouth of the St Lawrence; and after a difficult navigation down the river, in which several boats were upset, and about eighty men lost, landed, on the 6th of September, six miles above Montreal. On the evening of the same day, General Murray appeared below the town; and so admirably were all the arrangements executed, that Colonel Haviland came down on the following day on the south side of the river; and thus, after traversing a great tract of unknown and intricate country, three armies united, and were ready to attack Monsieur Vandreuil, who saw himself thus surrounded and unable to move. He therefore entered into a correspondence, which ended in a surrender, upon what were considered favourable terms. Thus was completed a conquest the most important that the British arms had achieved in the Western World, whether we consider the extent and fertility of the country acquired, the safety it yielded to the English colonies, or the security it afforded to the Indian trade. Lord Rollo was immediately sent with a body of troops to take possession of the outposts, and to receive the submission of the inhabitants, who came in from all quarters. The judicious arrangements of the Commanderin-chief, and the spirit and enterprise of General Murray, command our admiration. Much praise is likewise due to

[blocks in formation]

the justice and humanity of Sir William Johnson, who, by bis unbounded influence over the Indians, so controlled them, that, from the time the army entered the enemy's country, till the close of the campaign, there was no act of barbarity or plunder committed.

SECTION V.

MONTGOMERY'S HIGHLANDERS.

Expedition under Colonel Montgomery against the Cherokees, 1760 -Dominique, 1761-Martinique, 1762-Submission of all the Windward Islands, 1762-Havannah, 1762.

WHILE Lord John Murray's and Fraser's Highlanders were engaged in these important operations, Montgomery's Highlanders passed the winter of 1758 and 1759 in Fort du Quesne, after it had been occupied by Brigadier-General Forbes. In the month of May 1759, they joined and formed part of the army under General Amherst in his proceedings at Ticonderoga, Crown Point, and the Lakes. The cruelty with which the Cherokees prosecuted their renewed hostilities in the spring of 1760, alarmed all the southern English colonies, and application was, in consequence, made to the commander-in-chief for assistance. He therefore detached the Honourable Colonel Montgomery, an officer of distinguished zeal and activity, with 400 men of the Royals, 700 Highlanders of his own regiment, and a strong detachment of provincials, with orders to proceed as expeditiously as possible to the country of the Cherokees, and after chastising them, to march to New York, and embark for the expedition against Montreal. In the

middle of June, he reached the neighbourhood of the Indian town Little Keowee, and resolving to rush upon the enemy by surprise, he left his baggage with a proper guard, and marched to Estatoe, detaching on his route the light companies of the Royals and Highlanders to destroy Little Keowee. This they performed with the loss of a few men killed, and Lieutenants Marshal and Hamilton of the Royals wounded; but on their arrival at Estatoe, they found the enemy had fled. Colonel Montgomery then retired to Fort Prince George. But finding that the recent chastisement had had no effect, he paid a second visit to the middle settlement. On this occasion, however, he met with more resistance, for he had 2 officers and 20 men killed, and 26 officers and 68 men wounded. Of these the Highlanders had 1 serjeant and 6 privates killed, and Captain Sutherland, Lieutenants Macmaster and Mackinnon, and Assistant Surgeon-Monro, and 1 serjeant, 1 piper, and 24 rank and file, wounded. Having completed this service, he again returned to Fort Prince George. Meanwhile, the Indians were not idle. They laid siege to, or rather blockaded, Fort Loudon, a small fort on the confines of Virginia, defended by 200 men under the command of Captain Denure, and possessing only a small stock of provisions and ammunition. The garrison, too weak to encounter the enemy in the field, was at length compelled by famine to surrender, on condition of being permitted to march to the English settlements; but the Indians observing the convention no longer than their interest required, attacked the garrison on their march, and killed all the officers except Captain John Stuart. *

These transactions detained Colonel Montgomery and his regiment in Virginia, and prevented their joining the expedition to Montreal as was intended.

This officer, who was of the family of Stewart of Kinchardine in Strathspey, and father of the late General Sir John Stuart, Count of Maida, acted the same part towards the Indians as Sir William Johnson, and, so far as his more confined power and influence extended, with equal

success.

Every object for which war had been undertaken in America being now accomplished, the attention of Government was called to the West Indies, where the possession of Martinique gave the enemy great opportunities of annoying our commerce in those seas. The feeble attempt made by General Hopson and Commodore Moore, in 1759, showing the French their danger more clearly, had induced them to make every exertion to strengthen their fortified posts, and to maintain a larger garrison in the island than formerly, so that what might at first have been accomplished with comparatively little loss, was now likely to be a work of time, bloodshed, and labour.

Orders were sent to North America to prepare a large body of troops for the West Indies. Among these, the four Highland battalions were particularly specified: "As their sobriety and abstemious habits, great activity, and capability of bearing the vicissitudes of heat and cold, rendered them well qualified for that climate, and for a broken and difficult country." *

Owing to the differences in the cabinet at home, and the change of ministers, these orders were not followed up, and only a few troops reached the West Indies from North America. Our commanders being thus unable to attempt Martinique, Colonel Lord Rollo, and Commodore Sir James Douglas, with a small land force and four ships of war, undertook an expedition against Dominique.

This force consisted of part of the garrison of Guadaloupe, the grenadiers and light infantry of the 4th and 22d regiments, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Melville, and 6 companies of Montgomery's Highlanders and others, who had been sent from New York. + Arriving off Dominique on the 6th of June 1761, they imme

• General Instructions, dated Whitehall, 1759.

The transports from New York, conveying nearly 2000 men, were scattered in a gale of wind. A company of Montgomery's, in a small transport, were attacked by a French privateer, which they beat off, with the loss of Lieutenant M'Lean and 6 men killed, and Captain Robertson and 11 men wounded.

diately landed, and marched, with little opposition, to the town of Roseau. From some entrenchments above the town, the enemy kept up a galling fire.

These Lord Rollo resolved to attack without delay, particularly as he had learned that a reinforcement from Martinique was, shortly expected. This service was performed by his Lordship and Colonel Melville, at the head of the grenadiers, light infantry, and Highlanders, with such vigour and success, that the enemy were driven, in succession, from all their works. So rapid was the charge of the grenadiers and Highlanders, that few of the British suffered. The governor and his staff being taken prisoners, surrendered the colony without more opposition. This was the only service performed in the American seas during the year

1761.

In the following year, it was resolved to resume active operations, and to attempt Martinique and the Havannah, two of the most important stations in the possession of the French and Spaniards. The plan of operations of the preceding year was now, therefore, resumed, and eleven regiments having embarked in North America arrived at Barbadoes in December. There they were joined by four regiments who had been at the attack of Belleisle; and, being reinforced by some corps from the islands, the whole force amounted to eighteen regiments, under the command of Major-General Monckton, and Brigadiers Haviland, James Grant, (of Montgomery's Highlanders,) Rufane, and Walsh, and Colonel Lord Rollo. The naval armament consisted of 18 sail of the line, with frigates, bombvessels, and fire ships, under Rear-Admiral Rodney. In this force were included three battalions of Highlanders, viz. Montgomery's regiment, and the 1st and 2d battalions of Lord John Murray's, Fraser's remained in North America.

This powerful armament sailed from Barbadoes on the 5th of January 1762, and on the 8th, the fleet anchored in St Ann's Bay, Martinique. An immediate landing was

« 前へ次へ »