Complex sentence: Cotton became Governor of Barbados and commander of the West Indian forces in March 1817 and is mentioned in unverified stories of the Chase Vault as being a witness to its allegedly "moving coffins" while serving as Governor of Barbados.
Split into simpler sentences: Cotton became Governor of Barbados and commander of the West Indian forces in March 1817. He is mentioned in unverified stories of the Chase Vault as being a witness to its allegedly "moving coffins" while serving as Governor of Barbados.