The Warrior's Path Collection

Chapter 5

1 In June 1761, HMS Temple was at Martinico (now Martinique), exchanging prisoners under a flag of truce. During the procedure, another British warship, possibly Bienfaisant, captured a French prize and took the prisoners on board Temple. The French prisoners claimed that one of Temple’s boats was involved, which created a diplomatic incident between the French governor La Touché and the British.

TempleBienfaisantTemple.Temple1 Some privateers had a reputation for near piracy. This fictional incident is based on a report in the Leeds Intelligencer of the 2nd of February, 1762, when two Martinique-based privateers captured the British merchantman, maltreated and murdered the captain and at least one of the crew, and took the others to Martinique.

Leeds Intelligencer1 Although this incident is fiction, the idea came from the experience of the Leith whaling ship Raith in 1794. A French privateer captured Raith and placed a prize crew of 16 men on board. All the whaling ship’s crew, except three men, were taken away as prisoners. When the prize crew found Raith’s spirits and drank themselves stupid, the three British crewmen, led by the mate—a Shetlander named Burish Lyon or Lyons—recaptured the ship. The ship’s owners promoted Lyon to captain on his next voyage.

Raith Raith Raith’2 La Touché, the French governor of Martinico, sent this letter. A British warship intercepted the carrier, and carried the letter to Admiral Rodney.

1 This incident happened.

Extract from General Orders, Island of Martinique, January 19th, 1762,

“Donald Gunn, of the 1st Highland battalion, or Col. Montgomery’s Regiment, took on the 11th of January, four French Grenadiers, with their Arms, Accoutrements, etc. The General has been pleased to order him a reward for his gallant behaviour.”

A guinea (£1 and one shilling) may not sound much, but a private soldier was paid around 8d a day, minus stoppages, so a guinea was more than five weeks’ wages.

1 According to the 18th century rules of war, when a besieging force had made a practical breach in a city or fortress wall, the defenders could honourably surrender. If they decided to fight on, the attackers had the right to kill all the defenders and sack the city or fortress.

2 There were rumours that La Touché’s sudden surrender was due to a British prisoner. When brought before La Touché, the prisoner claimed that General Monckton planned to assault the next day, putting “all to the sword.” See the Newcastle Courier of 3rd April, 1762.

Newcastle Courier 3 The details of the treatment of British prisoners are from the fragment of a letter published in the Ipswich Journal, 3rd April,1762.

Ipswich Journal, 1 Extract of a private letter from Martinico, published in the British newspapers:

“The Churches belonging to the Jesuits, and the Friars, (which on the 14th instant were shut against our troops and admittance refused even to the officers) are in return for this civility, converted into barracks, as are their convents, their estates too have been seized, and a party of foot quartered on the Jesuits with orders to sit at their tables let who will be there, upon pain of imprisonment.”

2 This incident took place. Hervey went ashore disguised as a midshipman and translator to assess the island’s defences.

1 The British fleet did take the Old Bahama Channel to the north of Cuba, rather than the better-known and safer route to the south.

2 HMS Richmond did survey the passage in advance of the fleet. Dolphin is fictional.

RichmondDolphin 1 The Battle of Ticonderoga, 8th July, 1758, saw the 42nd Highlanders—the Black Watch—advance against a heavily fortified French fort. The French repulsed the regiment, which lost heavily.

2 “30th this day was chiefly taken up in carrying ammunition and necessaries to the several batteries to provide for their opening next morning, which was done by the soldiers, and 500 blacks purchased by lord Albemarle at Martinico and Antigua for the purpose.” – Journal of Patrick MacKellar, Chief Engineer.

3 The attack cost the three ships over 190 men killed and wounded, with much damage to the ships. Campbell was subsequently court-martialled and dismissed from the Navy

1 Journal of Patrick McKellar, Chief Engineer:

“21st July our sappers and miners continued to carry on their work: in this they were much retarded by meeting often with very large stones, which cost them much labour to remove. In the night, there being a suspicion that there were very few men in the fort, a serjeant and 12 men that scaled the sea line a little to the right of the mine and found only about nine or ten men asleep in that part of the work: they wakened before our men got to them and ran off immediately to alarm the rest: the serjeant and his party then came down, and, being ordered up a second time, found they had taken the alarm and a considerable number assembled and ready to make an opposition; had it been practical to succour them briskly, the fort might have been carried at that time, but the attempt was not to be repeated.”

1 This poem is ascribed to Muireadhach Albanach O Dalaigh, a pilgrim veteran of the Fifth Crusade of 1218. The words carry the piety of some crusaders, mixed with the desolation of distance from familiar shores,

2 Colliers and salt workers, the last Scottish slaves, were not wholly freed from b*****e until 1799, although their working conditions continued to be appalling.

1 When the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years’ War, Britain gained Canada and several smaller territories, but returned Cuba to Spain and Martinique to France. Manila, in the Philippines, was also restored to Spain. As Chisholm of the 78th would have agreed, both acquisitions were only pawns in the chessboard of war, and the respective governments hardly considered the men who fought and died to capture these places.