of April, 1795, one
company of this corps, numbering 121 of all ranks, was in St. Lucia,
and the other company, 112 strong, in Martinique.

Victor Hugues, having succeeded in ousting the British from Guadaloupe,
commenced, early in 1795, active measures for the recovery of the other
islands that had been wrested from France in the previous year, and the
plan which was first ripened appears to have been that against St.
Lucia.[13] "No official and scarcely any other accounts of the event are
to be found, but the invasion of this colony appears to have been
effected about the middle of February.... Nor can the strength of the
invading force be now ascertained. That force was probably few in
number, and stolen into the island in small bodies, and under cover of
the night. Aided, however, by an insurrection of the slaves, people of
colour, and democratical whites, it was sufficient to wrest from us the
whole of the colony, with the exception of the two posts of the Carenage
and the Morne Fortune."[14]

Affairs remained in this situation till about the middle of April, when
Brigadier-General Stewart resumed active operations, in the hope of
recovering the lost ground. On the 14th of that month, he suddenly
disembarked near Vieux Fort, with a force consisting of a portion of the
6th and 9th Regiments, the company of the Carolina Corps which had
remained in the island since its capture in 1794, and one company of the
new corps of Malcolm's Rangers; and, after two days' skirmishing, that
town was abandoned by the French on the 16th, and immediately taken
possession of by the British, the enemy falling back upon Souffriere,
their chief stronghold.

"Resolved to follow up his blow, General Stewart advanced against
Souffriere. Undismayed, however, by their recent defeats, the
Republicans had collected together a very formidable force, for the
defence of their main position. On his march, the British general was
suddenly attacked by a division which had been placed in ambush, and it
was not till after a severe struggle that the enemy were driven back."

Sir John Vaughan, in a despatch dated Martinique, April 25th, 1795,
says: "He was attacked by the enemy upon his march on the 20th instant,
who had formed an ambuscade. The flank companies of the 9th Regiment,
and the Black Corps under Captain Malcolm, were the troops engaged. The
enemy, after a severe conflict, were driven back. Captain Malcolm, and
Captain Nesbitt of the 9th,