32} 
ra ‘ j 
was surprised and taken with very little 
loss. | This expedition was concerted and 
conducted with so much skill and cau- 
tion, that the island had surrendered 
before’ the French governor of Mar- 
tinique was informed of the attack, al- 
though these islands are within sight the 
one of the other; and the importance of 
Cofonel M.’s service in the! attack, as 
well as in the previous” arrangements 
with certain inhabitants, were publicly 
acknowledged by Admiral Sir James 
Douglas, and ‘Brigadier-general Lord 
Rollo, the two commanders of the ex- 
pedition. 
Inthe beginning of 1762, Colonel M. 
coinmanded a division in the attack un- 
der General Monkton, on Martinique ; 
‘and notwithstanding severe ‘ilness, was 
present'in the successfiil assault of the 
hill and - battery of Tortenson, The 
British had, however, obtained possession 
ef a very small portion of the island, 
when a sinall party arriving at a certain 
spot'in the interior, one-of three agreed 
upon in Colonel M.’s correspondence 
with the principal inhabitants for’ that 
“purpose, a general defection with a cry 
ef capitulation took place; so that: the 
French governor was compelled ‘to ca- 
pitulate at the moment, whien almost the 
whole island, with St.’ Pherre, the ca- 
pital, and several important fortifications, 
and all the fortresses in the mountams, 
were still in his possession; and which, 
if at all reducible by the British forees in 
the island, must have been carried with 
a very great Joss of troops. Tins rapid 
coiquest was the more ‘important’ as, 
within a few days after the surrender, a 
French squadron, with a great body of 
troops, appeared off Martinique; but on 
learning the fate of the colony, the com- 
mander, without attempting its relief, 
-ammediately returned to’ St. Domingo. 
On the fall of Martiniague, the remain- 
ing French islands, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, 
Grenada, the ‘Grenadines, and Tobago, 
submitted to a stmmons, receiving con- 
ditions equally liberal with those granted 
to Martiniqge. CAD 
‘ No sooner had the con iest of Mar. 
tinique been effected, than Colonel 
Melville returned to’ his post in Guada- 
loupe, to avoid intercourse with the 
persons by wHose means-the defection 
of Martimaque had been‘brought about: 
and it is remarkabie- that, although on 
the restoration of* that, ‘and'someé other 
islands te France, when the most rigid 
enquiry was instituted- réspecting the 
“correspondence with the British, of 
Memoii's of the late General. Melwille. 
[Feb. 1, 
whose existence little doubt was enters 
tained by the French government; yet of 
all the persons suspected, ahd even 
punished on the occasion, not one of 
those actually connected with Colonel 
Melville, was even so much as hinted ar. 
The conquest of the French islands, 
the great object of Colonel Melville’s 
anxiety, “being now accomplished, he’ 
repaired to England, where he found his 
services and general conduct highly 
approved ; although, in fact, the measures 
he had privately followed to bring about 
the splendid success already stated, 
could nor, for the sake of the persons im- 
plicated, be either publicly known oF 
acknowledged: nor was the secret ever 
divuleed. Many years afterwards, when 
General Melville was’ employed on a 
mission to the court of Versailles, appli 
cation was made to him from a very high 
quarter, to learn whether Certain persons, 
whose names were mentioned, were in 
any way connected with his projects in 
Martinique, &c. and upon his declara- 
tion that they were totally unknown to 
him, those persons, or their surviving re= 
lations, were instantly relieved from the. 
obloquy and losses they had ‘till ‘that 
time endored, from the suspicions enter= 
tained coneerning them by government. 
Such was the impression made on-the 
minds of his Majesty’s mioisters, by the 
conduct of Colonel M. in the West In- 
dies, that in addition to the rank of 
Brigadier-general in 1763, he was, upon 
the recommendation of Lord Egremont, 
Secretary of State forthe Colonies, ap- 
pointed by his Majesty, on the 9th of 
April, 1764, to the peculiarly arduous 
and important situation, of Captain-ge- 
feral, atid Governor in Chief of all the 
islands in the West Indies, ceded by 
France to Britain, by tie treaty of 1763, 
viz. Grenada, the Grenadines, Domi- 
tiica, St. Vincent, and Tobago: to this 
appointment was added, that of Com-- 
mander of the forces in those colonies. 
~ In the autumn of 1764, Governor M. 
proceeded to his station, carrying out 
two large store ships, with artieles ne- 
cessary for fixed settlements in West 
India istands. Toi:ago was, at that pe- 
riod, destitute of inhabitants, and almost 
totally covered with wood: thither, 
therefore, he first repaired frem Barba- 
does with the stores, aud a few colonists 
from that island; and employed his stay 
in preparing measures for the projected 
settlement of the colony. His next oh- 
ject was to enter on the establishment of 
the British government, m all the islands 
‘ — -ynder 
