Black Corps; reply to letter of 6 November; refers to activities of corps and what...

Black Corps; reply to letter of 6 November; refers to activities of corps and what duties they should carry out in future; Black Corps has been given more laborious work, rather than exercised as soldiers; states that the idea of adding ten men per company to each regiment in the islands could 'only be affected by an absolute purchase of that number of seasoned slaves, which at our peace Establishment of nine Regiments would cost 42,500 Gp. - at the very lowest, exclusive of the expense of keeping them complete'; enclosing act which has been unanimously passed in Grenada to grant two 'seasoned' enslaved men per company and ten to be attached to the Royal Artillery [not in item]; refers to 'mulatto' man Louis La Grenade and the proposed raising of a corps of 'Free Blacks & Mulattos' which was put to a stop due to Secretary of State's letter of 6 November; a number of the Black Corps are 'nearly worn out from long service, from old age, and from disease'; thinks Corps would be usefully employed by taking any necessary outposts, keeping in 'awe' escaped enslaved persons, and had been at 'disturbances from the Charaibs [Caribs] at St. Vincent.'

Edward Mathew, Grenada, Folios 61 - 63.