The Second Anglo-Carib War
The Second Anglo-Carib War (1795-1797) fought for control of the island of Saint Vincent between 1795 and 1797. The conflict pitted large numbers of British military forces against a coalition of Black Carib runaway slaves and French revolutionary forces. During March 1795, the Caribs successfully gained control of most of the island except for the immediate area around Kingston, which repelled direct assaults on several occasions after the arrival of British reinforcements. British efforts to penetrate and control the interior and windward areas of the island were repeatedly frustrated by incompetence, disease, and effective Carib defenses, which were eventually supplemented by the arrival of French troops. A major military expedition by Lt. General Sir Ralph Abercromby eventually suppressed the Carib opposition in 1797. The Caribs were deported from Saint Vincent to the island of Roatan off the coast of present-day Honduras, where they became known as the Garifuna people. The Garifuna people stem from mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry, which originated on St Vincent and who speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Creole. The Garifuna are the descendants of indigenous Arawak, Kalinago (Island Carib), and Afro-Caribbean people.
The Second Anglo-Carib War (1795-1797) fought for control of the island of Saint Vincent between 1795 and 1797. The conflict pitted large numbers of British military forces against a coalition of Black Carib runaway slaves and French revolutionary forces. During March 1795, the Caribs successfully gained control of most of the island except for the immediate area around Kingston, which repelled direct assaults on several occasions after the arrival of British reinforcements. British efforts to penetrate and control the interior and windward areas of the island were repeatedly frustrated by incompetence, disease, and effective Carib defenses, which were eventually supplemented by the arrival of French troops. A major military expedition by Lt. General Sir Ralph Abercromby eventually suppressed the Carib opposition in 1797. The Caribs were deported from Saint Vincent to the island of Roatan off the coast of present-day Honduras, where they became known as the Garifuna people. The Garifuna people stem from mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry, which originated on St Vincent and who speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Creole. The Garifuna are the descendants of indigenous Arawak, Kalinago (Island Carib), and Afro-Caribbean people.
Garifuna People
Instituted in 1795 by the United Kingdom, the St. Vincent's Black Corps Medal was awarded to non-commissioned officers and men of the Black Rangers, who were raised from the island's slaves for service against rebellious Caribs and French Forces during 1795. The round, bronze medal measures 48.5mm. The obverse depicts the winged Victory holding a palm branch and brandishing a sword over a fallen Caribbean native. The curved inscription reads ST VINCENTS BLACK CORPS. The reverse depicts a native holding a musket and the curved inscription BOLD LOYAL OBEDIENT. The artist's name is signed H. G. FEC. in the exergue. The medal was awarded without an official ribbon, although examples with a hole-punch or a small loop to accommodate a ribbon exist.
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