Source 1

Letter from James Leith, Governor of Barbados, to Earl Bathurst, Secretary of State for War and Colonies, 30th April 1816 (CO 28/85)

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Transcript

Barbados, 30th April 1816

My Lord,

It is with great regret that I do myself the honour of reporting to your Lordship for the information of the Prince Regent, that I received accounts from Mr. President Spooner sent to me express to Guadeloupe that a serious insurrection of the slaves had taken place on the night of the 14th instant and that martial law had been proclaimed. I immediately embarked and arrived at Barbados on the 24th instant, when I found that the force promptly employed for the re-establishment of public order had at once suppressed the insurgents. I have the honour to transmit the report of Colonel Codd, the commanding officer of the troops to which I beg leave to refer for information as to the nature of the insurrection.

Glossary

Insurrection: attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country, usually by force.

Insurgents: rebels; people taking part in an uprising.

Suppressed: put down, stopped.