The First Maroon War

CHAPTER VI.

Note: The original manuscript, from which this text is taken, presents challenges for modern readers due to its unstructured format, lack of paragraph breaks, lengthy sentences, archaic language, and variant spellings. Although transcribed, some words may still be inaccurate due to the original handwritten 's' resembling an 'f'. To enhance readability, paragraph breaks have been inserted where possible, while remaining faithful to the original content.

A rephrased version of the original memoirs has been created to further assist readability. The language has been modernized for clarity and readability, but the content remains faithful to Thicknesse's account.
go to rephrased natural language version

[ chap 6: mission to find quaho & battle at spanish river - jtl ]

I am now arrived at that important period of my life, (yet a complete half century ago,) that James Mac. Kittrick, alias Adair, hath charged me with having "the sole command" of a party of soldiers, when in the woods of Jamaica, and falling into an ambush of the wild Negroes; securing my own person, by an early retreat, and leaving the battle to be fought, by my victorious Sergeant, who brought many of them in prisoners, at the instant that I was boasting of my own personal exploits, I will not call this double named doctor, "a beast, a reptile; an assasin, and murder-monger" but the reader will I am sure excuse me, in saying he is a base libeller, a liar, and a wicked defamer, and has no pretensions to be considered as a gentleman, if he has dared to write, print, and publish, such falsehoods. [break inserted for readability]

But before I expose and refute this wicked calluminator: it may be necessary to give some account of the state of that Island, between the years seventeen hundred and thirty, and that of thirty nine, when under the government of Mr. Trelawney; who made a permanent peace with those black people. Such who are unacquainted with that Island will be surprised when they are told, that all the regular troops in Europe, could not have conquered the wild Negroes, by force of arms; and if Mr. Trelawney had not wisely given them, what they contended for, LIBERTY, they would, in all probability have been, at this day, masters of the whole country. The mountains in that Island are exceedingly steep and high, much broken, split and divided by earthquakes, and many parts inaccessible, but by men, who always go bare footed, and who can hold by withes, with their toes, almost as firmly, as we can with our fingers. [break inserted for readability]

[ rephrased version starts here - jtl ]

In Governor Trelawney's time, there were two formidable bodies of the wild Negroes in the woods, who had no connection with each other, the west gang, under the command of a Captain Cudjoe: the east, under Captain Quoha. A straggling prisoner of Quoha's gang, being taken, he was sent to inform his brethren, with the conditions Mr. Trelawney held out to them, and which were accepted, by Cudjoe long before Captain Quoha, had heard any thing of it. At this time, I had been rémoved from my Port Maria Bay, duty, to a place called Hobbie's, five miles from the sea, in the parih of St. George's; under the command of Lieutenant George Concannen, a gentleman, who had been long in the island, and brother to Mathew Concannen, then the attorney general of Jamaica. [break inserted for readability]

The parish of St. George's, one of the finest, and most fertile in the Island, had in a manner been laid desolate, by the wild Negroes, so much so, that though it once abounded in sugar plantations, we were obliged to send thirty miles for our rum, and many other necessaries, nor durst we even appear without the walls of our barracks, after it was night, as the wild Negroes surrounded us, and frequently, when they heard our centinels call all's well; would reply, ki! ki! Becara call all's well, while we teeve their corn; at this place, Mr. Concannen was reinforced with a Lieutenant, and fifty militia men, black and white hot, as they were there termed, and seventy baggage Negroes; his orders were to march up a certain river-course, till we discovered a wild negroe town, supposed by good information, to be upon its margin, or very near it; after two or three days march from Hobby's, towards the sun setting, we came to a spot, on which the impression of human feet, of all ages, were very thick upon the sands, as well as dogs, etc. We were certain therefore; that the object of our search was near, but as there is very little twilight in that country, it was determined, that we should lie quietly all night upon our arms, and make our attack at the dawn of day, the next morning; and, before the sun appeared, we perceived the smoak of their little Hamlet, for the Negroes, always have a fire burning in their huts to drive away the musquitoes: we therefore flattered ourselves, that we might take even the, napping: if those people, ever stand their ground, it is upon such, as is almost inaccessible by white men, and the first notice of their attack, is a heavy fire, from invisible hands! however the little Hamlet I am speaking of, was not a principal town, but a temporary fishing and hunting villa, if I may be allowed the expression; it was situated on the margin of the river, accessible every way, and consequently not teenable: and therefore the inhabitants, who had discovered our approach, were gone off in the night, or perhaps but a few minutes before we entered their town, for there were seventy-four huts, and a fire burning in each, but no living creature in it. [break inserted for readability]

Here the duty, upon which we were sent, was compleatly performed; but Mr. Concannen, thought it then became his duty, to communicate to us, the orders he had received, in the governor's name, from Captain James ADAIR, (not one of the Adairs of the Highlands of Scotland, but really CAPTAIN ADAIR) * brother to the late well known, and much respected, William Adair, of Pall Mall, the lieutenant of militia, and our young Scotch surgeon: I do not know what Mr. Concannen's own opinion was, but he adopted ours, which I am sure was a very weak one, and that was to burn the town, and pursue the enemy; both which, we instantly put into execution, and followed the very track, which the Negroes had, in some measure made passable, by cutting the bushes before us. [break inserted for readability]

At every half mile, we found Cocoes, Yams, Plantains, etc. left artfully by the Negroes, to induce us to believe, they were in fear of our overtaking them, and at length we found a fire, before which they had left several grills of wild hog, probably well seasoned for us, we continued the pursuit, till near night, and then, hearing their dogs bark, we concluded they had heard us also, and we gave over all hopes of seeing or hearing anything more of them: we had marched with great expedition, the whole day, and were much fatigued, but soon after, we got upon, the margin of Spanish River,*
(* The Rivers in Jamaica, are the best passes for Foot passengers, except in heavy Rains, and then they carry all before them.)
where we intended to enjoy ourselves, and rest that night, and the next morning, to follow the Stream, to the seaside, in order to find our way back to Hobbies: for the stream only, could have directed us which was our course back again. As I was the second in command, my station was, in the rear of the whole body of men, baggage Negroes and all; and as soldiers on that duty, can only march Hedge-fashion one after another, I may venture to say, I had been all the former days, a mile at least from Mr. Concannen, who marched in the front, except a serjeant, and twelve black and white shot, which preceded him: but as all idea of service was over, I desired Mr. Concannen, to permit the militia Lieutenant, to bring up the rear, that I might have the pleasure of his company, and conversation, on our way down to the sea side? this being agreed to, after drinking our wild sage tea, we gave our fuzees to the drummer, and moved forward. [break inserted for readability]

The Negroes, some of whom, had been in our rear, all the preceding day, and others before us, had placed themselves, from top to bottom, on a very steep mountain, thickly covered with trees and bushes; on the other fide of the river, under which, they knew we must pass, as the water was too deep on our side, and as that mountain was not an hundred and fifty yards from the spot, on which we had slept, they had an opportunity of knowing our numbers, and seeing which of us, were the Grandé-men, for as to external dress, we were all very much alike, in course jackets and trowsers. The Negroes therefore, permitted the advanced serjeant, and his party, to pass unnoticed, but the minute us Grande-men got under their ambush, a volley shot came down, which must have killed or wounded most of us, had they taken any aim, but they are such cowards, that they lie down upon their bellies, start up to fire per hazard, and then sink down, to re-load; several of the soldiers, for the militia were at, some distance, though not out of gun shot, were mortally wounded, and the drummer, at our elbows, was shot through the wrist: at this instant, the baggage Negroes, (seventy) who had but just got their loads upon their heads, threw them down, and run away; and the militia, to a man, their officer excepted, (whom however we did not see) followed them. [break inserted for readability]

The wild Negroes at the same time, firing and calling out, Becara run away--Becara run away, it is probable too, that we should have followed, but fortunately, there were some large masses of the mountain which had caved down, and which lay in the middle of the stream, just under the foot of the ambush, and we took selter behind them, but though we could hear the Negroes and even converse with them, not one was to be seen!! our original stock of soldiers, did not exceed thirty, and to the best of my remembrance, we were not above fixteen or seventeen behind the rocks, nor was it in our power, to refrain, that handful of men we had, from firing at the smoak only, of our enemies, till they had not a single cartridge left!—The Surgeons instruments, and all the spare ammunition, with the provisions, etc. was cast down in the river above, and to say the truth, we durst not run away, for the Negroes, only fired, when they could see a head, or an arm of any of our people, above the rocks, and there we staid, more out of fear, than from any hopes of victory, up to our waists in water for four hours and a half, with a burning sun upon our heads, and in momentary apprehensions, of being all taken alive, for I believe that fear, overcome the fear of immediate death, I own it was so with me, and at length, however, one of our men, was shot through the knee! it was impossible that he could have been so wounded, from the ambush side, and therefore we naturally, and fearfully too, concluded, the Negroes had crossed the river, either above or below us, and that they would instantly push in upon us, and take us alive, we therefore agreed to quit our place of shelter, and take our chance of their reserved fire; and put the best face we could, upon our enemy, on the other side, with presented, but unloaded arms, for Mr. Concannen, myself, and the surgeon only, had a few spare cartridges, we accordingly hastily passed over the river, which was not forty yards, from the thicket, and was as thickly be-pattered on our retreat, as by their first salutation, the men who were mortally wounded, and who perhaps never intended to move from the stones in the river on which they were reposing for death, were so alarmed, to think that their last minutes, were to be spent in the possession, of such enemies, defying their wounds, their agonies, and their miseries jumped up and followed us, and one in particular, who had been shot through the body, at the firt fire, received another bullet in at his back, and out at his belly, and yet not only went over with us, but actually clambered up a steep mountain, and there besought us to dispatch him. [break inserted for readability]

Before we had been two minutes in the opposite wood, the militia lieutenant joined us, he had concealed himfelf behind a tree, for what else could he do? and as we dreaded a pursuit; we ascended as fast as crippled, fatigued, and for myself, I will add, frightened men could ascend, the steepest mountains, during which we heard the horrid shouts, drums, and rejoicings of our victorious enemies in the river below; not only rejoicing over our salt beef, bread, hams, etc. etc. but bearing as we afterwards found, the heads of our dead men in triumph. The run away militia, got among the settlements the same evening, and had not their hinder wounds, contradicted their forward declarations; they would have made their neighbours believe they had fought valiantly, I believe that a report had prevailed, that Mr. Concannen, and the whole party, had run away,*
(*) I never heard of any party, whether of militia, or regulars, that could stand against the ambushes of those people.
that report aggravated Mr. Concannen's friends, and then it was as wickedly propagated that because Mr. Concannen, the attorney general, and Mr. Trelawney the governor, were upon bad terms, that the governor had sent his brother, the lieutenant, upon this hazardous expedition, with a handful of men, to sacrifice him to the private resentment, he bore to the attorney general. [break inserted for readability]

I am happy even at this distant period, however, to say, that Mr. Trelawney, was too wise, too good, and of too noble a disposition; to be capable of any base, mean, or spiteful action. The town being found according to the information given us, is sufficient to prove, that it was for the good of the service only that such orders were given, and that us, younger counsel of war, whom Mr. Concannen consulted, led him into that disasterous situation, Spanish River, Mr Grenville, had a statue erected to him, when he quitted his government of Barbadoes, where there were no wild Negroes to subdue; and if the inhabitants of Jamaica, had been as wise, as they were generous, they too should have erected one, to Mr. Trelawney, before his door, at St. Jago, as the preserver of the island, and the author of their present quiet possession of it. [break inserted for readability]

I must now return, to my brother officer, and fellow sufferers, in Spanish river; Mr. Concannen by standing so many hours in the water, with a perpendicular sun upon his head, and a mind deeply suffering no doubt upon many accounts, was suddenly seized with a violent fever. Before we ascended the first steep mountain, but we thought it prudent, if practicable, to ascend to the very highest, and with great difficulty, and crippled as we were, did so; the poor drummer, who had been wounded at the first onset, got a ball through each thigh, when we retreated, and called loudly for water, or he could proceed he said no further; Mr. Concannen, was in the same distressed condition, but not a drop of water was to be had, my friend, and brother officer, then lay down, and desired me to make the best of my way, with such men as were able to follow me, and not to sacrifice the whole to two or three, miserable wretches unable to proceed. [break inserted for readability]

One of the soldiers, had a little hammock, made out of a barrack sheet, at his back, and flinging that between two trees, we with much difficulty got Mr. Concannen into it, for he was a tall bulky man; he then procured water, but of his own making, in his hat, and from time to time, moistened his mouth with it, I say moistened, for he durst not indulge his appetite in swallowing it, for want of the same powers of supply! the night approached, and as a profound silence was necessary, every man bore his wretched condition, without a groan, though we were all in a condition, I hope as bad as those sufferers in the hold at Calcutta, which has been so pathetically related, by a still surviving, and respectable sufferer, Governor Holwell. For myself, I lay down upon my back, by the side of my brother officer, with my tongue out, and praying to god to let that dew fall, which is considered fatal to those who expose themselved to it. The next morning, providentially, we found an enormous cotton tree, the spurs of which, grew so fantastically, that they had formed a reservoir of rain water, it was as black as coffee; but it was more acceptable, than a treasure of gold, on the evening of that day we got to the sea side, and among some inhabitants where hospitality and humanity was not wanting, notwithstanding the present hue and cry about slavery, cruelty, etc.

Jamaica is an island as remarkable for longevity as any part of the known world, and I hope and believe, there are many people living there, and here too, who will remember this transaction, not only as it occassioned much conversation among the principal people of the island, relative to the slanderous reports about the governor and the attorney general, but being our last act of hostility, as will appear in the next chapter, between the wild Negroes, and the civil inhabitants, a most important Era, in the annals of that wonderful, beautiful, and I will add, plentiful and luxurious island.