h
was the connecting link of the whole, that which was entrusted to
Brigadier-General Perryn, did not perform its allotted part, by crossing
the river at Cools. The consequence of this was that the victorious
columns were left insulated, and would have been exposed to no trivial
danger, had the enemy felt a sufficient reliance upon their own strength
to incite them to act with the requisite promptitude and vigour.
Painful, therefore, as it was to retire before a routed foe, the British
troops were compelled to abandon the batteries which they had won, and
to fall back upon their original stations. The ships at the same time
returned to their former anchorage. Our loss on this occasion was 105
men; of whom only a very few were among the slain."

The Vigie was now the only post occupied by the enemy in the vicinity of
Morne Fortune, and this was attacked by the 31st Regiment on the night
of May 7th; the assault, however, being repulsed with a loss of 200 men.
The main position was now invested by regular siege works, and the task
which the British had to perform was attended with no small difficulty.
"The country itself was of the most inaccessible kind, the chain of
investment was ten miles in extent, all the roads that were necessary
were to be made, of carriages there were none, horses were scarce, and
the Republicans had been industrious in availing themselves of all the
natural obstacles to our progress, and in creating as many others as
their ingenuity could contrive." Malcolm's Corps rendered good service
on these works, and the men being better able to stand the fatigue and
exposure than Europeans, were constantly employed.

By May 16th, the first parallel was completed, and on the morning of the
24th, the 27th Regiment, supported by the 53rd and 57th, succeeded in
effecting a lodgment within 500 yards of the fort. The Governor,
acknowledging that further resistance was futile, demanded a suspension
of hostilities; terms of surrender were agreed upon, and on May 26th,
2000 men marched out as prisoners of war. One hundred pieces of
ordnance, ten vessels, and large stores of ammunition fell into the
hands of the British.

Sir Ralph Abercromby sailed from St. Lucia on the 4th of June to the
relief of Grenada and St. Vincent, leaving Brigadier-General Moore for
the pacification of the first island with the 31st, 44th, 38th, and 55th
Regiments, O'Meara's corps of Rangers,[25] and the German Yagers.

FOOTNOTES:

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