Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 1 (of 2): A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present dayLanaghan, Mrs.
History
Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 1 (of 2): A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present day
Lanaghan, Mrs.
Antigua -- Description and travel; Antigua -- History
As Antigua did not eventually join in this expedition, it will be
sufficient to remark, that the attack upon St. Domingo was very
disastrous; for, although upon the first approach of the English,
the Spaniards left their town and fled into the woods, the troops
did not follow up their advantage. Venables allowed the soldiers
to disembark, without a guide, ten miles from the capital; and,
wandering about without any fixed purpose for the space of four
days, they gave the Spaniards time to recover themselves from
their alarm, and, rushing from their place of concealment, they
fell upon the English, who were almost dead with fatigue and
hunger, killed six hundred of them, and drove the remainder on
board their vessels. In order to atone for their indiscretions,
the English commanders resolved to proceed against Jamaica, also
under the dominion of Spain, and which island immediately
surrendered to the English flag, without a blow being struck in
its defence. Colonel Doyly being appointed governor of the new
gained colony, with about 3000 land forces under his command, and
a fleet of men-of-war under Vice-Admiral Goodson, Pen and
Venables prepared to return home. Landing the West India troops
at their respective islands, the commanders sailed for England;
but, upon their arrival, they were both sent to the Tower, for
their failure upon St. Domingo, entirely owing to their want of
proper conduct as English officers.
Upon the Restoration, Antigua held out for the Commonwealth, as
strenuously as in 1651 it had opposed the pretensions of
Cromwell, and for this cause, Charles II. appointed Major-General
Poyntz, a former deserter from the Parliamentary power, to act as
governor, which situation he filled until 1663, when Lord Francis
Willoughby, of Parham, obtained a grant of the entire island from
Charles II. as a reward for his eminent services in the cause of
that monarch; and Major-General Poyntz retired to Virginia.
During the period this latter gentleman resided at Antigua as
governor, he owned and planted an estate called by him Cassada
Garden, a title which it still bears.
------
[4] The following extract alludes to the invasions of the Caribs
(Rochfort’s Histoire des Antilles, published at Rotterdam, 1665,
tome 4, page 310):—“Les Caraibs ont fait des descent dans les
isles de Montserrat, d’Antigoa, et en d’autres qui sont occupées
par les Anglais, et après avoir brulé quelques maisons, et pillé
quelques meubles; ils ont enlevé des hommes, des femmes et des
enfans, qu’ils ont conduit à la Dominique et à St. Vincents.”
[5] An estate in Antigua called by that name.
[6] This rock is still pointed out upon an estate, called
Patterson’s, belonging to the Hon. John Athill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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