On the 12th August the Maroons opened the war by attacking a militia post, and killing and wounding a few men. On the same day Lord Balcarres ordered Colonel Sandford to attack and carry the new town from his side, and having done so, to halt and cut off the retreat of the Maroons, while he himself attacked the old town from his own side. [Sidenote: 1795.] Off started Colonel Sandford, accordingly, with forty-five of the 18th Dragoons, mounted, a body of militia infantry, and a number of volunteers--the latter men of property in the country, and “all generals,” as Balcarres sarcastically remarked. In spite of the steepness and difficulty of the ground the little column advanced rapidly with great keenness. [Sidenote: 12th Aug.] The Maroons on their approach quietly evacuated the site of the new town, and withdrew into a deep defile, three-quarters of a mile long, which formed their communication with the old town. Presently up came Sandford, and to his great joy carried the new town without opposition. Flushed with success he started off, in disobedience to orders, to take the old town, pressing on with his mounted men, dragoons, and volunteers, at such a pace that the militia could not keep up with him. Thus hurrying into the trap laid for him, he plunged into the defile. The column, which was half as long as the defile, had passed two-thirds of the way through it, when a tremendous volley was poured into its whole length. Not a Maroon was to be seen, and the column continued its advance. A second volley followed: Colonel Sandford fell dead; and then the column began to run. The officer of the 18th, seeing that retreat through the defile would be fatal, dashed straight forward at a small party of Maroons which he saw ahead, broke through them, and galloping headlong through a breakneck country, brought the remains of his detachment safely to Lord Balcarres’s camp. Two officers and thirty-five men were killed, and many more wounded in this little affair; and the militia (who had not been under fire) were so far demoralised that they evacuated the new town and retired. That night (though Balcarres knew it not) every Maroon warrior got blind drunk. Sixty of them were so helpless even on the following afternoon that they had to be carried into the cockpit by the women. [Sidenote: 1795.] Though the Seventeenth was not engaged in this affair, it has been necessary to describe it at length in order to show how formidable an enemy these Maroons were. [Sidenote: 14th Aug.] Two days after the engagement the second troop of the regiment was disembarked from the transport in Montego Bay, and moved up to the front. British dragoons have rarely been better mounted than these detachments in Jamaica. The island is famous for its horses; and every trooper rode a thoroughbred.