mand of a party of seamen landed at Point Negro to co-operate with the army, and remained on shore until after the surrender of Fort Bourbon, which completed the conquest of Martinique[1].
The reduction of this important colony being speedily followed by that of St. Lucia, the expedition proceeded against Guadaloupe, which was also soon after obliged to submit to the British arms. Immediately after the latter event, Lieutenant Ogle, who had commanded a party of seamen and greatly distinguished himself at the storming of Fort Fleur d’Epée[2], was appointed acting Commander of the Assurance, of 44 guns, from which ship he removed into the Avenger sloop of war. His next appointment was to the Peterell, a vessel of the same description; and in her we
- ↑ It is much to the credit of the naval officers who were employed on shore during the operations against the French in the island of Martinique, a period of nearly seven weeks, that they shared the same hardships as the private seamen and soldiers, without a murmur, sleeping in their clothes the whole time; and being so situated that they seldom could have the benefit of tents, or any kind of hovel. They were exposed continually to the heavy rams and nocturnal damps which in a tropical climate so severely try the constitution; but, owing (as it was imagined) to the flannel shirts which were invariably worn by all ranks, they suffered less from sickness than could have been expected. See Willyams’ History of the West India Campaign, note f, at p. 69.
- ↑ Fleur d’Epée, the principal fort on the island of Guadaloupe, was taken by assault on the morning of April 12, 1794. The soldiers employed on this occasion, consisting of the first and second battalions of light infantry, under the orders of Major-General Dundas, were particularly directed not to fire, but trust solely to the bayonet; and the seamen, who were commanded by the heroic Captain Faulkner, to use their pikes and swords; all which was most scrupulously obeyed. The side of the mountain which the latter had to ascend, under a most tremendous discharge of grape-shot and musketry, was almost perpendicular; they however surmounted every difficulty, gained the parapet, dashed into the body of the fort, and fought their way to the gates, where, they were joined by the military. The enemy made a most gallant resistance; but nothing could withstand the impetuosity of the British, by whom they were beaten out of their works, and subsequently driven from Point a Petre and pursued across the Cardnage to Basse Terre. The loss sustained by the storming party in this brilliant affair was great in proportion to the smallness of their numbers, being 73 killed and wounded. The French had 67 slain, 55 wounded, and 110 taken prisoners.
