Very rare: an unpublished plan for the defense of Jamaica written by the Governor, Sir Archibald Campbell (1739-1791) during the Revolutionary War. This copy was presented to then Prime Minister William Pitt (1759-1806) with his inscription to front. “To the Right Honble William Pitt. This copy is presented as a testimony of the high respect and attachment of - His most Faithful and Most Obedient Honbl Servt. Archd Campbell Major General.”
While the Memoir was almost certainly composed in Jamaica, this copy in a secretarial hand and handsome red morocco binding would’ve been made on Campbell’s return to London.
During his brief tenure as Governor of the island - he was appointed in 1782 and returned to England in 1784 - he devoted much of his time to reorganising Jamaica’s defences. At the time, of writing, a French invasion seemed a near certainty - they previously captured Saint Lucia (1778), Grenada (1779) and Tobago (1781) - but was largely averted by the success of Admiral Rodney’s victory at the Battle of the Saintes, plus the devastation of French troops by disease at their base in Saint-Domingue. Nonetheless, Campbell produced this report for future reference which was circulated in just a handful of copies.
It commences with an overview of the island’s history, plus some geographical, agricultural notes, before turning to political and governmental matters, such as “Division of the Island with a state of Inhabitants, negroes, stock and produce” and furthermore, notes on the role of “Black Pioneers.”
Campbell then gets to the matter at hand with his “Ideas respecting the defence of Jamaica,” plus “orders issued to the custos’s of the island” and “the Nature and Consequence of the attack expected.” This is augmented by an account of the “Relative state of the forces for the attack and Defence” plus the “General Disposition for the attack.” As Governor General, he also outlines a number of scenarios such as: “Retreat from Dallas Castle”; “Rock Fort”; “Situation of Port Royal”; “Improvements and Preparations at Port Royal”; “General description of the first ridge of Mountains” and more.
He outlines his strategy in detail when he proposes a retreat from Drummond’s Hill: “The troops from Drummond’s Hill when hard pressed and unable any longer to resist the Progress of the Invaders, were after destroying their Artillery to have retreated to Dallas Castle distant about two miles and a quarter; at which Plantation the main road through those Mountains terminates after passing often over the Fords of Mammee and Cane Rivers.”
By retreating to the interior, Campbell essentially advocates an insurgent campaign: “An Army posted in the healthy Mountains of Jamaica, with fresh provision at their command, sufficient to supply the Inhabitants and them for two years most abundantly, were not to be subdued by the loss of the Coast. On the contrary an Army so provided would become formidable and troublesome in proportion to the inactivity of the Invaders. It was most probably therefore that as soon the Forts on the Coast were reduced; the combined forces would be immediately against our first chain of Posts in the mountains; where I meant to receive and seriously oppose them; from a confidence that such attacks would be attended with great fatigue and loss on their part, and wirg little risque or disadvantage on ours.”
The work is considerably augmented by the handcoloured map of Jamaica at the rear. Published as the Act Directs London, June 1st 1774, Campbell has used this as a base upon which to illustrate his strategy in ink and watercolour. Throughout the interior he’s marked twenty points of retreat, which are clarified on the key to the bottom left of the map.
Campbell gives us a detailed insight into military strategy and planning for the Caribbean theatre during the Revolutionary War.
This is likely the only copy in private hands. We locate other copies of this ms. at the BL and the National Library of Jamaica.