Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-07-26

of the compass, overlooking the pass.
This done, he lay quietly down and
waited for the British to come up.
At last the soldiers came up, drag
ging their cannon, and tired from the
climb. Patiently Cudjoe waited UNI
til they got into the narrow pass,
then he signalled his men at the en-
trance to fire.
A hundred rifles spoke and as many
soldiers fell. Now the enemy turned
quickly in the direction of the shots.
Again Captain Cudjoe gave another
signal and again another volley struck
them down in the rear. And so on,
until they were being attacked from
al sides.
The survivors scurried for shelter,
but all they could see were the puffs
OF smoke bearing death warrants,
and at last abandoning everything
they fled down the mountains in ut
ter rout, leaving the majority Of
their companions dead or wounded.
Maroons Leap to Death
Several other expeditions sent
against Cudjoe met with the same
fate. But in spite of these successes,
ne was weakening because of his in
ability to get ammunition. In 1874
the English, under Captain Stoddart,
led by renegade Maroon, surprised
Maroon camp on one of the high
est peaks Of the island, killing near
ly every one. Many of them leaped
to their death from the precipices
rather than surrender.
Upon this Cudjoe decided to re-
move his entire following, which in
cluded many women and children,
to another and more populous part
of the island. To cover his retreat,
he posted lone sentinels at the old
camp, whose duty was to discharge
guns and blow horns in order to give
the impression of its being still oc-
cupied.
1t was several months before the
settlers knew that Captain Cudjoe
was in their vicinity, and they were
to know it in startling manner for
descending on them he made one Of
his biggest raids, returning heavily
laden with loot
Settlement after settlement was
wiped out. One feature of Maroon
warfare was its ferocity. Indeed this
was characteristic of all combats be-
tween whites and blacks in the West
Indies. No mercy was shown on
either side and the most fiendish
methods of torture were practiced.
Nine years more Of ravaged PLAN
tations and once more the govern
ment decided to make a last des-
perate effort to defeat the invinci-
BILE black leader, and penetrate the
Maroon stronghold at all costs.
Every able-bodied man on the is
land was ordered to assemble for the
attack. But the expedition was des-
tined not to start At the height OF
the preparations it was asked who
would protect the women and chill
dren if the men went off. The ia
maican slave could not be trusted
and was ever ready for revolt, while
the faithful slave, as was said, was
the especial object of Maroon hatred
md farocity.
Differ Peace Terms to CudjOe
The governor, Sir Edward Trelaw-
pey, ssw that there was but one way
out: to ask Cudjoe to come to terms.
Accordingly, he sent a peace mission
under Colonel Guthrie to offer him
his independence and large tract OF
land.
Cudjoe, on his part, signified his
willingness, and assembling his men
at a SPOT where, by the rolling down
of rocks it would be easy to wipe out
Guthrie's force, babe the peacemakers
come on.
1t is in this manner that Dallas
describes the meeting:
"At this solemn juncture, Col
Guthrie advanced unmolested with
hiz troops through situations in which
tha MarnonS might have greatly