renada, on the 21st. A summons to surrender was at once sent to the
Governor, Von Scholten, the terms of which he accepted next day, and
surrendered the islands of St. Thomas and St. John with their
dependencies. A small garrison of the 70th Regiment being left at St.
Thomas, the 1st division of the troops, in which was included the 1st
West India Regiment, sailed on the evening of the 23rd for Saint Croix.
The expedition arrived off the town of Frederickstadt on the 24th; and
the Governor having capitulated on the 25th, the troops were landed, and
the forts and batteries taken possession of, a royal salute being fired
as the British colours were hoisted. Next night, the garrison and town
of Christianstadt, on the other side of the island, were also occupied.
The 1st West India Regiment during this expedition was commanded by
Major Nathaniel Blackwell; and after the surrender of Saint Croix, it at
once returned to Barbados. In January, 1808, three companies were
detached from Barbados to Antigua, and one to Tobago; the detachment at
Antigua rejoining head-quarters in October of the same year.

The next service seen by the regiment was at Marie-Galante,[33] in 1808.
Deseada and Marie-Galante, the former a few miles to the north-east, and
the latter a few miles to the south-east of Guadaloupe, had been
captured by Captain Selby and a naval force in March, 1808. Deseada, the
French Governor of Guadaloupe allowed to remain unmolested; but
Marie-Galante was so good a privateer station, and its loss also brought
the British so much more nearly in contact with him, that he determined
to try to recover it.

The attempt was made on the 23rd of August, by Colonel Cambriel, who,
with about 200 men in seventeen boats stole over from Guadaloupe and
landed near Grand Bourg. They were preparing to attack the battery when
they were espied from the _Circe_; thirty of whose seamen hurried on
shore, threw themselves into the battery before the French could reach
it, and gave them such a warm reception as to compel them to retreat.
The enemy's boats were seized by the _Circe_, and the escape of the
French being thus cut off, they retired to the centre of the island.
Intelligence of their landing was forwarded to General Beckwith, at
Barbados, who lost no time in sending Lieutenant-Colonel Blackwell[34]
with three companies of the 1st West India Regiment against them.

The following is Lieutenant-Colonel Blackwell's report to General
Beck