beneficial is the regulation established by his Royal Highness, that no soldier be removed from his corps without his own consent. Nor is there reason to believe that his Majesty's service has sustained any loss by this attention to the feelings of the soldiers. On the contrary, experience has shown, that soldiers, when their feelings are consulted, and the proper means adopted, are quite ready to remain in any climate or country where their services may be required. *

The troops destined for St Vincent's, landed there on the 8th of June. On the 10th, the necessary arrangements for an attack were completed. The enemy were posted on a high ridge or mountain called the Vizie, on which they had erected four redoubts, stronger by the natural difficulties of the approach, than by the art displayed in their construction. The troops, when within a short distance of this fortified ridge, were drawn up in two divisions, under Major-Generals Peter Hunter and William Morshead. At the same

• At this period the 79th, then in Martinique, was allowed to volunteer into the 42d regiment, ready to embark for England, with permission to such as wished to remain in the West Indies to volunteer into any corps on that station. A considerable number chose to remain, although they had the immediate prospect of returning to their native country. In 1802, the 14th regiment, then stationed in Barbadoes, was ordered home, with directions that none should be drafted, but liberty given to such as chose to remain to volunteer into any corps stationed in that country. General Greenfield, who then commanded the troops in the West Indies, ordered the regiment to parade, and told them that they were to have their choice, whether they would remain in the country, or embark for England. Standing in front with his watch in his hand, he gave them half an hour to form their determination. Twenty-five minutes passed without a man moving, when the General repeated that the King required their service, but that all were at liberty either to remain or return home. Upwards of 500 men stepped out of the ranks to serve in the West Indies. Now, had these men been ordered to leave their original corps as drafts to reinforce another regiment, or to garrison the West Indies, they would have considered the measure as a harsh and unjust banishment;-so easy a thing it is to conciliate a good soldier, that no persuasion is required beyond an explanation of the occasion which his King and country have for his service.

time, Lieutenant-Colonel Dickens, with detachments of the 84th, 40th, and 2d West India regiment, formed on the opposite side of the hill. Some field-pieces having been brought forward, a fire was opened on the redoubts, which continued for some hours with apparently little effect. In the mean time, the Highlanders, with some Rangers, were pushed forward as a feint to the bottom of a woody steep, which terminated the ridge, on the top of which stood one of the redoubts, the first in the range. The 42d pushed up the steep, and, as the regiment had frequently done on other occasions, turned the feint into a real and brisk assault, and, being supported by the Buffs, the whole attacked, and, in less than half an hour, the enemy were driven successively from the first three redoubts. Some of the Highlanders had pushed close under the last and principal redoubt, and were ready to storm it, when supported by more force; but the General, finding that he had the enemy completely in his power, and wishing to spare the lives of the troops, recalled them, and offered the enemy terms of capitulation. †

This day occurred an instance of the power of example and habit in exciting ferocity. In the month of August 1795, I enlisted a lad of seventeen years of age. A few days afterwards one of the soldiers was cut in the head and face in some horse-play with his companions, in consequence of which his face and the front of his body were covered with blood. When the recruit saw him in this state, he turned pale and trembled, saying he was much frightened, as he had never seen a man's blood before. In the assault of these redoubts, as I leaped out of the second to proceed to the third, I found this lad, with his foot on the body of a French soldier, and his bayonet thrust through from ear to ear, attempting to twist off his head. I touched him on the shoulder, and desired him to let the body alone. “Oh, the Brigand," says he, "I must take off his head.” When I told him the man was dead already, and that he had better go and take the head of a living Frenchman, he answered, “You are very right, Sir, I did not think of that," and immediately ran forward to the front of the attack.

+ This recall was marked by a circumstance rather singular, two brothers and an uncle's son being killed by the same volley. In an eager pursuit of the enemy, about 30 soldiers of the 42d had pushed on to the bottom of the last and principal redoubt, which stood in a steep eminence considerably elevated above the rest. In this spot the soldiers were not exposed, as the enemy could not bring their guns to bear upon them. I

The offer was accepted; the conditions being, that the enemy should march on board as prisoners of war. The following night, however, several hundreds of them broke the capitulation, and making their escape into the woods, joined their friends in the farther end of the island. The loss on this occasion was 2 captains, 1 ensign, 1 volunteer, 4 serjeants, 1 drummer, and 31 rank and file, killed; 2 majors, 1 captain, 4 lieutenants, 1 ensign, 1 volunteer, 15 serjeants, 6 drummers, and 111 rank and file, wounded: the Highlanders had 1 serjeant, and 12 rank and file, killed; Lieutenant Simon Fraser, 2 serjeants, 1 drummer, and 29 rank and file wounded. *

happened to be with this party, and kept the men under cover from the enemy's shot, waiting for a reinforcement, as nothing could be attempted with such a handful. A narrow ridge of four hundred yards, smooth and level on the top, connected the two redoubts. After some delay, Colonel Aber. cromby came forward to the front of the third redoubt, and made signals to retire. I then directed the soldiers to run at full speed along the ridge, (twothirds of which was exposed to the enemy's fire,) and join their comrades in the third redoubt. The instant the party were seen by the enemy they poured down a heavy fire, which killed six of the men and wounded seven. The two brothers and their relation were killed. One of them had enlisted with me at Perth, and was followed by the other two. The name of the brothers was Farquharson.

Among the wounded was a lieutenant of the 40th. A musket-ball had passed through his body, entering below his left breast and coming out at his back. He fell at the top of a steep hill, which he had mounted with a small party, but from which they were forced back. A serjeant, who was much attached to the officer, wishing to take the body away, and being unable to carry it, took hold of one leg, and dragged it after him more than a mile down the declivity, and left it there with an intention of returning at night to inter it. When he returned it was quite dark, and being somewhat superstitious, was in great consternation when he heard the voice of the person whom he believed to be dead. However, being accompanied by a soldier, they ventured to approach, and finding their officer really alive and able to move, they carried him to the camp, where he was dressed, and was so well recovered in six weeks that he embarked for England.

It has been observed, that, after a severe action, when numbers have fallen on both sides, perhaps many wounded men cannot be dressed by the surgeons till the following day, yet those who are thus neglected recover as quickly as those who were immediately dressed, and carried to quarters.

The enemy, who had retreated to the woods, were immediately followed. Lieutenant-Colonel Brent Spencer of the 40th, with 600 men, was detached to Mount Young; Lieutenant-Colonel Gower of the 63d, with 200 men, to Owia; Lieutenant-Colonel James Stewart, with the 42d, to Colonarie; and Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Graham to Rabaca. Major-General Peter Hunter commanding the whole. The enemy, though despicable as soldiers, were numerous, and naturally inveterate against those whom they considered as usurpers of their country, particularly the Indians or Caribbs, who saw their possessions gradually encroached upon, and themselves in danger of extirpation, it was therefore necessary to force them to submit. For this purpose, military posts were established in the neighbourhood of the country possessed by the Caribbs and Brigands; and parties were sent out to the woods, to discover their fastnesses, and compel them to capitulate. But such was the natural strength of the country, indented with deep and rocky ravines, impassable precipices, tall forests, and almost impenetrable underwood, that this service occupied a longer space of time than had been calculated upon.

On one occasion, two parties of the 42d, and one of the 2d West India regiment, were ordered out, each taking a different direction. The parties of the 42d attacked two stations, and drove the enemy farther into the woods. The party of the 2d West India regiment, marching up the bed of a river, encountered a strong detachment of the enemy, drawn up behind large trees and a kind of redoubt which they had thrown up. Perceiving nothing through the thick foliage, the party advanced close to the trees. In an instant a fire was opened upon them, which, on the first discharge, laid Lieutenant-Colonel Graham senseless, and killed and wounded several of his party; the rest immediately retired. A few men afterwards returned in search of Colonel Graham,* and carried him back.

His recovery from his wound was attended by some uncommon circumstances. The people believing him dead, rather dragged than

The nature of the service and the difficulty of the country, may be conceived from the following record of the short expe

carried him over the rough channel of the river, till they reached the seabeach. Observing here that he was still alive, they put him in a blanket, and proceeded in search of a surgeon. After travelling in this manner four miles, they carried him to a military post, occupied by a party of the 42d. All the surgeons were out in the woods with the soldiers, and none could be found. Colonel Graham was still insensible. A ball had entered his side, and, passing through, had come out under his breast; another, or perhaps the same ball, had shattered two of his fingers. No assistance could be got but that of a soldier's wife, who had been long in the service, and was in the habit of attending sick and wounded soldiers. She washed his wounds, and bound them up in such a manner, that when a surgeon came and saw the way in which the operation had been performed, he said he could not have done it better, and would not unbind the dressing. The Colonel soon afterwards opened his eyes, and, though unable to speak for many hours, seemed sensible of what was passing around him. In this state he lay nearly three weeks, when he was carried to Kingston, and thence conveyed to England. He was still in a most exhausted state, the wound in his side discharging matter from both orifices. He went to Edinburgh with little hopes of recovery; but on the evening of the illumination for the victory of Camperdown, the smoke of so many candles and flambeaux having affected his breathing, he coughed with great violence, and, in the exertion, threw up a piece of cloth carried in and left by the ball in its passage through his body. From that day he recovered as by a charm. Being afterwards removed to the 27th regiment, he went to Holland in 1799, where he was severely wounded in the left eye, of which he lost the sight; but a good constitution again triumphed, and he accompanied his regiment to Egypt in 1801, regardless of what the consequences would be to his only remaining eye, had he been attacked by the ophthalmia. He is now in vigorous health, a Lieutenant-General, and Lieutenant-Governor of Stirling Castle.

The soldier's wife, who was so useful to him in his extremity, was of a character rather uncommon. She had been long a follower of the camp, and had acquired some of its manners. While she was so good and useful a nurse in quarters, she was bold and fearless in the field. When the arrangements were made previously to the attack on the Vizie, on the 10th of June, I directed that her husband, who was in my company, should remain behind to take charge of the men's knapsacks, which they had thrown off to be light for the advance up the hill, as I did not wish to expose him to danger on account of his wife and family. He obeyed his orders, and remained with his charge; but his wife believing, I suppose, that she was not included in these injunctions pushed forward to the assault.