"Edward Nicolls on the Gulf Coast" Topic

At Bermuda, on July 4, 1814, Carron and Hermes embarked a company-strength force of Royal Marines, commanded by Edward Nicolls, for deployment on the Gulf Coast.

The Governor of West Florida requested the redeployment of British forces to Pensacola. They saw action at Fort Bowyer on September 15, 1814. On November 8, 1814, the detachment were evacuated from the outlying Fort San Carlos de Barrancas to Prospect Bluff, the Spanish garrison of Pensacola having surrendered the day before.

At the end of January 1815, a draft of Royal Marine infantry reinforcements and a Company of the West India Regiment were disembarked from HMS Erebus and the transports Mars and Florida. Nicolls was accompanied by a handful of tribal elders and their entourage.

In addition to the cadre of Royal Marines, four companies of Colonial Marines had been recruited from fugitive slaves. A large presence of Creek refugees were assembled, too.

The start of 1815 was to have seen a British offensive in the south, with the Royal Marine Battalions to advance westward into Georgia, to be joined by Nicolls and his forces from the Gulf Coast advancing northwards. These plans were overtaken by events, as peace was declared following the conclusion of the Treaty of Ghent. With the offensive cancelled, Nicolls and his men returned to Prospect Bluff in March. Prior to returning, on March 10, 1815, Nicolls created a treaty on his own initiative, without authorisation, with his Indian allies at Nicolls' Outpost (in modern Chattahoochee, Florida) on the Florida-Georgia border, 60 miles north of Prospect Bluff.

On March 27 Robert Cavendish Spencer arrived at Apalachicola, with supplies and money. The next day, he arrived at Prospect Bluff, 20 miles north. During March 1815, the formal discharge of the Colonial Marines took place, with several more taking place during April, being witnessed by Vicente Sebastián Pintado.

On April 15, the first batch of the cadre of Royal Marine infantry were embarked aboard HMS Seahorse. These totaled 64 men, of which 1 died in transit to Portsmouth in the Solent.

On April 22, the second batch of the cadre of Royal Marine infantry were embarked aboard HMS Cydnus. These totaled 81 men, of whom 2 died in transit. On April 27, Cydnus moored at Pensacola. Pintado was disembarked that day, and 2 days later some slaves were disembarked. On June 13, the men were disembarked at Bermuda, and would remain here for the coming months.

On May 16, Nicolls departed aboard HMS Forward. The artillerymen also departed Florida with Nicolls, aboard the transports Britannia and Mars, with some Colonial Marines, performed garrison duties in Bermuda, and returned to Britain in November 1815.

The National Archives UK,
Admiralty, Navy Department: Letters from Captains, Surnames P.,
William Henry Percy, Portman Square. [By] According with orders from Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
6 July 1815,
ADM 1/2349/44

Folios 103-104: William Henry Percy. He had received on board HMS Hermes, Lieutenant Colonel Nicolls and his detachment, and they remained on board from 5 July to 24 August 1814, so he asks for remuneration. Folios 105-106: enclosure with folios 103-104… Take Nicolls and part of his detachment on board… and to take under his orders HMS Carron… He is to follow the orders being acted under by Captain Nicholas Lockyer of the Sophie. He is to keep up this work and the supply of Nicolls and his men until further orders.

ADM 1 – Admiralty, and Ministry of Defence, Navy Department: Correspondence and Papers
Subsubseries within ADM 1 – LETTERS FROM ADMIRALS ETC. – NORTH AMERICA
ADM 1/506
Letters from [Cochrane as] Commander-in-Chief, North America: 1814, nos. 141-268 [to the Admiralty Office London]
folios 478-479

No. 67
Bermuda 23rd. July 1814
Sir,
I have to request you will be pleased to inform my lords Commissioners of the admiralty that in fulfillment of the intention expressed in my letter no. 48 of the 20th. June.
I have placed under the command of Brevet Major Nicolls of the Royal Marines, the officers and Detachment of that Corps mentioned under-neath and having furnished him with two howitzers and a field Piece and 300 suits of Clothing I have embarked him and his Detachment, with 1,000 stand of arms, on board the Hermes and Carron to proceed in execution of the Instructions delivered to him of which the enclosed is a copy.— The officers have received each, three months pay in advance, and the allowances of his local rank and pay for that period for the Detachment is placed in the hands of the Brevet Major, all of whom together with what officers may be hereafter appointed and such Men as shall be raised are to [be] borne on a suplementary list of the 3rd. Battalion of Marines for Pay &ca.—

I have furnished the Brev[et] Major with—1000 Dollars also, for [the] extraor-dinary expenses of the service upon which he is to be employed [&] have given him directions to Keep an exact account of his disbursements therefrom and to appropri[ate] it only where it may be absolutely required.-

I enclose also a Copy of the orders which I have given The honorable Captain Percy of the Hermes for assisting and cooperating with the Brevet Major— I have the honor to be sir, your very obedient humble servant
Alex. Cochrane
Vice admiral and Commander in Chief

Detachment embarked on the Hermes & Carron.

Names of Officers, Present rank— , Local rank.
Rt. Henry, 2d. Lt. R:M: Artillery— ,Captain
Willm. Allen, 2d. lt. r: M:— ,Captain
J. McWilliam, 2d. lt. r: M:— ,Captain
Jas. Chapman, Sergeant ,Lt and Adjutant
Michl: Goodsir, Surgeon HMS Dominica ,Surgeon

Eleven Non-Commissioned Officers and Ninety Seven Privates

Also joining the 97 enlisted men, & 11 NCOs, detached from Major Lewis's battalion.

William De'Ath, Private, Woolwich Division, 180 Shore Company, Via HMS Tonnant
Peter Williams, Private, Chatham Division, 112 Shore Company, Via HMS Tonnant

Edward Nicolls had been aboard HMS Tonnant since her departure in 1814

William Whiting, Private, Chatham Division, 112 Shore Company, Via HMS Warrior until 5 Aug 1814, transfer at Havana
Thomas Mitchell, 2nd Lieutenant, Chatham Division, 121 Shore Company, Via HMS Warrior until 5 Aug 1814, transfer at Havana