1792-Feb.: A mass desertion of ten musicians from the British 10th Regiment of Foot in Jamaica exposed the complex urban underground protecting fugitives.

1792-Feb.: A mass desertion of ten musicians from the British 10th Regiment of Foot in Jamaica exposed the complex urban underground protecting fugitives. The musicians were initially sheltered in Kingston by Jacob Hyam, a brown man and former regimental fifer, before splitting up to elude pursuit. Authorities eventually apprehended several deserters in “Damnation-alley,” a dark and seamy section of the city where they had been hiding. This incident demonstrated how shared musical cultures and multiracial networks allowed military personnel to fashion lives outside colonial scrutiny.