North Carolina Troops
In South America
('«in para lively few people know of flic e\-
peililion to Vene/uelu in which IN'ortli Caro-
lina plavetl an ini|H»rtant part and which
took place more than 200 years a£o.
American troops at the present time
are fighting in Korea. In the Spanish-
Amcrican War they fought in Cuba.
Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
We also have sent troops to Mexico
and Nicaragua. During World War I
our men fought on European soil, and
in World War II they fought all over
the world.
The only time prior to 1898 that
troops from any part of the United
States have ever served beyond the
limits of this continent was in the ex¬
pedition to Venezuela in 1740. known
as the Cartagena expedition. North
Carolina was represented there and.
both by land and sea. her troops did
their duty.
She sent 400 men, a contribution
as large in proportion to the popula¬
tion of the colony at that lime as if
the state were now to furnish
100.00Э
troops. We know that these men
served, that they took an active part
in the sea attack upon Boca Chico,
and that they subsequently aided in
the deadly assault by land upon the
fort ol San La/.aro. when half the
storming column was left dead and
wounded on the field. We know that
not a fifth of the gallant 400 returned.
But the expedition itself is almost un¬
known to North Carolinians ol the
present day.
War Again >1 Spain
In October, 1730. England declared
war against Spain. I lie real object, all
pretexts aside, was to open the ports
of Spanish America to British vessels.
It was a contest for the enrichment
of the merchants and traders ol ling-
land. Small interest had the North
American colonists therein, but Iming
letters and proclamations were sent
out calling on them for aid.
In the latter part of 1740 a British
expedition left Spilhcnd. England, for
the West Indies, composed of 15.000
sailors. On arriving at their destina¬
tion they were joined at Jamaica by 36
companies containing 3.600 men from
the North American colonics, includ¬
ing the 400 from North Carolina.
These men were included in four com¬
panies. Governor Johnson, in his letter
to the Duke of New Castle, states
that three of these companies were
raised in the northern part of the
province, i. c.. in the Albemarle sec¬
tion. The other, it seems, was recruited
in the Cape Fear section. There is
some reason to believe that Col. James
Inncs of subsequent fame served as
the captain of this company. All four
companies embarked on transports in
the Cape Fear on November 5.
1740 and sailed directly for Jamaica
where they joined Admiral Vernon's
squadron.
The licet sailed to attack Cartagena
on the coast of Venezuela, at which
port they arrived on March 4. 1741.
after having had an engagement with
a French fleet which was the result of
a misunderstanding and for which Ver¬
non and the French admiral gravely
apologized. Many men were killed.
In the attack on Cartagena. 200
American tri>ops. led by Captain Law¬
rence Washington, were mentioned for
their gallantry. The town was pro¬
tected by the formidable fort. San
l.azaro. Had there been proper con¬
currence between the attacks made
by the land forces and the fleet. San
Luzaro would have been readily taken.
But the worst of feeling prevailed be¬
tween General Wentworth and Admir¬
al Vernon, and thus there were two
p«H»r commanders instead ol one good
one. The town was bombarded three
days. After repeated demands by
Admiral Vernon that a land attack
should be made, troops finally disem¬
barked. The ill feeling and rivalry
between General Wentworth and Ad¬
miral Vernon thwarted every move¬
ment. An attack was made on Fort San
Lazaro on April 9. but it was not aided
bv the fleet and was repulsed, losing
hall ol the 1 .200 men of the storming
column on the field.
The whole expedition was shame¬
fully mismanaged. The troops were
brave but the leaders were incompe¬
tent. The heat and diseases of the
climate slew more than the sword.
The army finally withdrew but it num¬
bered on reaching Jamaica only 3.000
of the original 15.000. Of these only
2.000 survived to return home.
The loss among the sailors also was
heavy. The number of North Carolina
troops who returned home is not
known, but it is presumed that their
ratio of loss equaled that of the rest
of the army. Of the 500 men sent by
Massachusctts only 50 returned.
Such, in brief, is an outline of this
ill-starred expedition. Admiral Vernon,
incidentally, touches later American
history by the fact that his name was
bestowed by Lawrence Washington,
(who served under him) on his resi¬
dence which afterwards took its place
in history as Mount Vernon. It is the
irony of fate which thus links his name
with immortal fame, for few men so
incompetent ever trial a quarter-deck
as that same vice-admiral of the Blue,
Edward Vernon. He was subsequent¬
ly dismissed from the service — cash¬
iered.
Did Her Full Share
Thus early in her career — more
than 200 years ago— North Carolina
came to the front. She responded to the
King's call for aid with men and means
to the full of her ability. Her soldiers
served faithfully. Beneath the tropical
sun in the sea fight, at the carrying of
the passage of Boca Chico, in the
deadly assault upon San Lazaro. amid
the ravages of strange diseases with
which they did not know how to cope,
they responded to every call that was
made upon them.
(Editor's note: "North Carolina
Troops in South America" was the sub¬
ject of an article written by Chief
Justice Walter Clark in 1904.)
о
THE STATE. March
Ю.
1951
