The Loyal Black Grenada Rangers (Black Corps)
Depiction of a West Indian Soldier (1803) with the same uniform as the Black Corps were equipped with in Grenada
Active	1795–1836
Disbanded	1836
Country	British Empire (Colony of Grenada)
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Defending Grenada and hunting maroons
Size	540 (1797)
Garrison/HQ	St George’s fortified system
Engagements	Fédon's Rebellion

The Black Corps ^[1] also know as the Loyal Black Rangers and the Loyal Grenada Black Rangers ^[1] was one of the main defence forces on the island of Grenada. ^[2] It was an infantry unit made up of predominately slaves ^[3] created in the mid-1790s in Grenada, it was one of the precursors to the West India Regiments.

Contents

• History
• List of Commanders
• References

History

In 1784, Edward Matthew brought the Carolina Corps (which had fought during the later-half of the American Revolutionary War) to Grenada to hunt slaves, the Black Corps was created off the back of the Carolina corps and was heavily inspired by it. ^{[4] [5]} One of the reasons the Black Corps was founded was to help against the growing losses in the Caribbean of European troops who died from diseases, which African-descent troops were more immune to. ^{[5] [6]} The corps was founded with 300 men in 1795 during the Fédon Rebellion to bolster the inadequate St George's Coloured Militia and the small amounts of British regulars on the island. The Rangers partook in skirmishes and an attack on a rebel encampment south of St George's between the 23rd and 25th of March 1796; 2 captains and 5 rank-and-file (normal troops) were killed. ^[7]

After the rebellion was defeated, the Black corps was established permanently as a military force in Grenada. In early 1797, 3 new companies of 80 men were created, paid for directly by the colony. ^[8] The regiment was given red-coat uniforms, a standard of the British infantry forces. It was also in 1797 when the regiment was renamed to the “Loyal Grenada Black Rangers”. ^[6] Alexander Houstoun (the governor of Grenada) started to integrate parts of the Black corps into the larger West India Regiments during his tenure.

The Rangers along with the Carolina Corps mainly carried out duties against runaway slaves (maroons), capturing around 556 slaves in total between the years 1815 and 1829. ^[6] In the 1810s the rangers consisted of 25 privates, one captain, one sergeant and one army surgeon. ^[6] The rangers were sent to various estates to quell the amount of escaping slaves, one notable example was when the Rangers discovered the negligence of Mr. Whitfield whose slaves were fleeing and dying due to poor treatment, Whitfield was convicted of negligence which was very rare for an estate owner. ^[6] The corps was stationed on Richmond hill and the forts surrounding (including Fort Matthew and Fort Frederick). ^[6]

The Corps was disbanded on the 22nd of April 1836 with the coming of emancipation for slaves. ^[9]

List of Commanders

• 1796, Captain Thomas Wade ^[2]
• 1815, Captain John C. Ker ^[6]
• 1829, Captain L. Otway ^[6]

Three individuals are noted as having been officers or captains in the corps although their tenure dates are unknown, these men are George Garry, Alexander Reach and John Munro. ^[2]

References