On another occasion, when the troops were out in quest of the Maroon bands, the dragoons came suddenly upon a number of warriors deliberating in council in one of their recesses called the Cock-pit, when Lieutenant Oswald Werge leaped in among them at the hazard of his life, saying, "I bring you peace;" fortunately they did not fire at him, but received him in a friendly manner, and the consequence was, that a treaty was entered into with them; a number of the warriors surrendered in January, 1796, and in March the Maroon war terminated by the surrender of the other warriors, who were afterwards removed from the island. Five troops, with the head-quarters of the regiment, embarked from Ireland for St. Domingo on the 25th of February, 1796. One squadron had, in the mean time, been selected to form part of the force to be employed in reducing to obedience the insurgents in the island of _Grenada_, whose atrocious conduct had procured them the designation of brigands. Having landed on the south of Port Royal, the troops, under Brigadier-General Nicolls, advanced, on the 25th of March, to attack the enemy, who occupied a strong position on a hill of steep ascent. During the action two vessels arrived from Guadaloupe with reinforcements for the enemy, and were landing men on the beach, when the SEVENTEENTH were ordered to interpose between them and the fort. Passing swiftly along a lane strewed with killed and wounded, exposed to the fire of both parties, the SEVENTEENTH reached the beach, and instantly charging, put every enemy to the sword that had landed; no quarter being given. When this service was completed, the cannonading was so hot on both sides, that the squadron could not return without being destroyed, and it took post under the cover of a hill. The infantry having gained the crest of the enemy's position and carried the redoubt by storm, the republican troops fled in dismay,--some throwing themselves down precipices, and others escaping through the thick underwood; when they arrived at the low grounds, the SEVENTEENTH under Captain John Black, and St. George's troop of light cavalry, darted upon them and slew three hundred men in the space of a few hundred yards[7]. The SEVENTEENTH were commended in orders for their distinguished conduct; their loss was limited to one horse killed, four men and two horses wounded. The SEVENTEENTH took part in several other operations and skirmishes; in June the Commandant of the French troops at Goyave surrendered, and a number of brigands retired, under a desperate and atrocious character named Fedon, to their strong hold in the mountains, where they were invested and forced to submit. In addition to Captain Black, Captain Johnson, Lieutenant Werge, and Cornet Brown of the regiment were also engaged at Grenada. [Sidenote: 1797]