BOOK 11. CHAP. XIIL 341 



About the fame time, another party of the Blacks (having per- 

 ceived that a body of the mihtia, Rationed at th© barrack of Bair- 

 iiaJ's Thicket, in St. Mary, under command of colonel Charlton 

 and captain Ivy, ftrayed heedlefsly from their quarters, and kept 

 no order) formed an ambufcade to cut them off, and, whilft the 

 officers were at dinner, attended by very few of their men, the 

 Aiarons rulhed luddenly from the adjacent woods, and aflaultei 

 them. Several pieces were diicharged ; the report of which 

 alarmed the militia, who immediately ran to Uieir arms, and came 

 up in time to refcue their officers from deftrudion. The Marcus 

 were repulfed, and forced to take flielter in the woods; but the 

 militia did not think fit to purfue them far. Some rumours of 

 this IkirmiOi reached Spanii'h Town, which is dlflant from the fpot 

 about thirty miles ; and, as all the circumflances were not known, 

 the inhabitants were thrown into the moft dreadful panic, from 

 apprehenfions that the Marons had defeated Charlton, and were in 

 full march to attack tlie town. Ayfcough, then commander in 

 chie.f, fell in with the popular fear, ordered the trumpets .to found, 

 the drums to beat, and in a few hours colle6led a body of horfe 

 and foot, who went to meet the enemy. On the fecond day after 

 their departure, they came up to a place, where, by the fires which 

 remained unextinguifhed, they fuppofed the Marons had lodged the ' 

 preceding night. They therefore followed the track, and ioon after 

 got fight of them.. Captain Edmunds, who commanded the de- 

 tachment, difpofed his men for action ; but the Marons declined 

 engaging, and fled different ways. Several, however, were flain 

 in the purfuit, and others made prifoners. Thefe two vidlories 

 reduced their ftrength, and infpired them with fo much terror, 

 that they never after appeared in any confiderable body, nor dared - 

 to make any ftand. Indeed, from the commencement of the war 

 till this period, they had not once ventured a pitched battle; but 

 ikulked about the Ikirts of remote plantations, furprifing ftragglers, , 

 and murdering the Whites by two or three at a time, or when 

 they were too few to make any refiftance. By night they feized 

 the favourable opportunity, that darknefs gave them, of ftealing 

 into the fettlements ; where they fet fire to cane-pieces and out- 

 houfes,, killed all the cattle they could find, and carried off the 



Haves. > 



