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Thomas Dundas succeeded as Laird of Carron Hall upon the death
of his father in 1786. He had entered the army in 1766 and served in
America during the Seven Years War, which commenced in 1775, as Lieutenant
Colonel of the 80th Regiment of Foot.
In 1782, Colonel Dundas returned home and in February of that
year, peace was concluded with America and the treaty signed, which
declared the United States "free, sovereign and independent." The
war with America had ended, but it had left its legacy to the nation in a
long list of claims for compensation to those "who having remained
loyal to the mother-country, had suffered in their rights, properties and
profession."
By an act of Parliament dated "the 23rd year of the reign
of his present Majesty George the Third," 1783, a commission was
appointed to examine the nature and justice of these claims. The
appointment of commissioner was thus offered to and accepted by Colonel
Thomas Dundas.
In 1793, Thomas Dundas joined Sir Charles Grey's expedition to
the West Indies. He was now "Major General." The horrors of
the French Revolution were at their height in the year 1793. The National
Convention, under its leaders, Danton and Robespierre, had declared war
with Great Britain early in the year and the object of the expedition, now
starting at its close for the West Indies, was to attack the French in
their possessions in those islands.
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Major General Dundas was buried in the principal bastion of
Fort Maltilde, on the island of Guadeloupe. When the French regained
possession of Guadeloupe on the 10th December 1794, Victor Hughes,
Commander of the French army issued the following proclamation;
" That the body of Thomas Dundas, interred in Guadeloupe, shall be
taken up and given as prey to the birds of the air."
Many years later, there was discovered in a garden in Trinidad
a marble urn and tablet and on the tablet was the following inscription;
"To the memory of MAJOR-GENERAL THOMAS DUNDAS,
who, with great professional abilities and with a mind generous and brave,
fell a sacrifice to his zeal and exertion in the service of his King and
country, on the 3rd day of June 1794, in the forty fourth year of his age.
His remains were interred in the principal bastion of Fort Maltide, in the
island of Guadeloupe, in the conquering of which he bore a most
distinguished share, and which he commanded at his death.
This tablet was erected by his brother officers as a mark of their high
esteem for his many valuable qualities, and their regret for his loss"
The outrage shown to the treatment by the French to the
remains of so distinguished an officer, excited strong feelings in England
and by a vote in the House of Commons it was agreed that a monument should
be erected in St. Paul's Cathedral to the memory of Major-General Thomas
Dundas.
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