own, martial law was proclaimed, the
1st West India Regiment was at once ordered to march, and the militia of
the island were called out. Major Cassidy, who was in command of the 1st
West India Regiment, found the rebels occupying a position on the
heights of Christ Church, on Grazett's Estate, a dense mob of half-armed
slaves crowning the summits of the low hills. He endeavoured to parley
with them, but without success; and an advance being ordered, the 1st
West India Regiment stormed the heights, and at the point of the bayonet
drove the rebels from their position. Not a shot was fired by the
regiment on this occasion, Major Cassidy being anxious to save bloodshed
as much as possible; but a large body of the slaves offered a furious
resistance, closing with and aiming blows at the soldiers with their
rude weapons, and endeavouring to wrench the muskets from their hands,
so that a considerable number of the insurgents were thus killed and
wounded. This resistance only lasted for a few minutes, and the slaves,
broken and dispirited, fled in all directions; only to be hunted down
and fired upon by the militia all over the disaffected portions of the
island. The 1st West India Regiment took no part in the pursuit and the
capture or slaughter of the fugitives, this duty being left to the
European militia, who, if the author of "Remarks on the Insurrection in
Barbados"[42] may be believed, were guilty of many excesses.

By the planters this revolt was attributed to the introduction of the
Slave Registry Bill into the British Parliament, and it was discovered
that several free men of colour, who had for several months previous
attended nocturnal meetings of slaves on the estates where the
insurrection began, had told the slaves that a law was being passed in
England to make them free, and that as the King was giving them their
freedom the King's troops would not be employed against them.

Amongst other articles taken from the rebels by the 1st West India
Regiment was a flag bearing the figure of a general officer (supposed to
be intended for the King), placing a crown in the hands of a negro who
had a white woman on his arm. Beneath these figures was the following
motto: "Brittanie are happy to assist all such friends as
endeavourance." In the struggle on Christ Church heights the regiment
lost one man killed and seventeen wounded.

The following general order was issued, dated August 26th, 1816:
"Colonel Codd, in communic