66 PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPES. A B C D return to the gate, one of the centinels miftaking them for the enemy, not knowing of the detachment, fired upon them, and wounded this unhappy friend in the thigh. On the 27th, as ufual, a continual fire was briskly kept up on both fides. A fhell from the enemy unhappily coming down a chimney in the artillery barrack, and burfing, deftroyed every thing in the house except the people. During this night, the garrifon kept a very brifk, and the enemy a very flow fire. On the 28th, a brifk fire was continued on both fides, when the ferjeant-major of the artillery died of his wormds, and one man was bruifed at night, by the fall of fome ftones, as he was at work, but nothing more remarkable happened this day. On the 29th, in the morning, the enemy's fleet bore towards the harbour, when two of them coming, as we imagined, within reach of our guns, the captain of the Anftruther guard ordered two 32 pounders to be fired at them from the Royal Battery, upon which they tacked about, and flood off to fea. This was the only time we fired at their fleet. The enemy continued a flow, and the garrifon a brifk fire, which difmounted two of their guns at the Windmill battery, and one of our fhells alfo blew up a fmall magazine. One of their shells falling into the main ditch, fet it on fire, which, however, by the affiduity of the foldiers, was foon extinguifhed, which elfe, being contiguous to E the grand powder magazine under the castle, might have proved of very fatal confequence. On the 30th, in the morning, we obferved the enemy had opened a three gun battery from Turk's Mount. A continual fire was kept on both fides all the forenoon, then ceafed till almost night, when it was renewed on both, fides, for fome time, with great vigour, and then ceafed for the night. Much about this time we finished the battery near the draw-bridge. On the 31st, a regular fire was continued on both fides, during the forenoon; in the afternoon each party exerted great vigour; we received, however, but little damage, having only one man wounded. This night was remarkable for the defertion of two grenadiers, whom we had reafon to imagine did us great damage, confidering our then fituation. Both ides continued their fire till morning; H this night we had one man torn to pieces in a moft miferable manner by a fhell. On June the ift, the cannon and mortars played with unufual briskness, which con F G Feb. tinued till night, when one foldier was mortally wounded in the head by a splinter of a fhell. Night approaching, the enemy flackened their fire, being busy in erecting a new battery between the Tennis-Court and Stanhope's Tower, upon an eminence which commanded the garrifon, at which we kept a conftant-fire to no purpofe. This night we fired our fmall arms from the Weft Lunette, that being moft contiguous to their new battery. On the 2d, we discovered a breast-work, which they had thrown up for cover in erecting this battery. The garrifon ftill continued their fire with little fuccefs, but in hopes to diflodge them; their lofs of men proved no impediment to finishing the work they had begun, and they were very brifk in their attac for the whole day. One foldier was wounded by a splinter of a fhell, and one by a musket-ball; two additional gunners were mortally wounded by the explosion of fome powder, as they were loading a gun to which they were ftationed. This night brought no decreafe of firing, during which one man was loft by the splinter of a fhell. On the 3d, our fire ftill continuing very fierce, in the afternoon the enemy opened part of their battery at Stanhope's Tower, when orders were given to prepare the veffel from Genoa, if it were poffible, to flip by the French fleet, and get to Gibraltar, with information of the condition of the garrifon; but this defign was laid afide, upon a fuppofition that the two deferters, before-mentioned, had acquainted the enemy with it; for one veffel, or more of. the French fleet, never quitted that station afterwards. One man was this day wounded by a fplinter of a fhell, and at night another had the like misfortune. On the 4th, we had one killed and two, wounded. On the 5th, in the morning, the enemy opened the remaining part of the battery near Stanhope's Tower; and from thence, as well as all the reft, kept an inceffant fire, affailing us with their utmost efforts, and indeed, doing us greater damage than we had hitherto fustained. The brave garrifon was nothing behind hand in their return. We had killed and wounded on this day 30 men; among the wounded was lieut. Armstrong, of lord Effingham's regiment, who received his wound by a splinter of a shell, as he was viewing the enemy's battery, and died in a few days after. Night clofing this unfortunate day, the enemy flackened their gun-battery, but kept up a conftant fire. from 1757. DISMAL SITUATION of the GARRISON. 67 and wounded this day, chiefly on the covered way of the Argyle, two of which number were killed by one cannon-ball, by taking off one's head, and thattering the other all to pieces. A fhell from the enemy falling into a carriage fhed of the weft counter guard, blew it up, but providentially did no other damage; and a conftant fire was kept up, on both fides, till morning, but with very little loís to us. On the 10th, in the morning, the enemy opened an eight gun battery, at a piece of land in the middle of the harbour, called Philopel, almoft oppofite the castle. This battery played upon the Anftruther angle, and Queen's-redoubt, continually, fave a few random fhot at the caftle. The fire flackened a little on both fides, which it had done for fome time. We received very little damage, fave that three men were wounded. On the 11th, the enemy fet fire to our new battery, by the bursting of a fhell, which however was foon extinguished by the foldiers, who always exerted themselves upon every occafion. We had three wounded this day: By night one man wounded. On the 12th, we had a corporal killed by a musket-ball upon the Weft Lunette. At night we had one killed and four wounded. On the 13th, our guards parading in an under ground gallery for fafety, where, in the centre, was a hole for the uses of light, and receiving wood from a neighbouring magazine; thro' this hole a thirteen inch hell making way, burft among the guards, without the least hurt to one man; and a ten inch fhell fell into a barrack, the habitation of cap. tain Lind, in the cattle, breaking every thing before it, forcing its way thro' the floor, and burfted, without touching one body, tho' a piece of the shell even alighted upon the bed, on which captain Lind and his lady then lay. This day we had four men wounded. At night the fire continued very warmly, when we had one man killed, and one wounded. A deferter coming over from the enemy, gave an account, that upwards of 2000 men had been killed and wounded in the camp; alfo that they were erecting a twelve gun battery in the centre of the town, having had fresh fupplies of men, with an expec tation of more; and also that they had a defign of beating a parley, to invite the garrifon to furrender. On the 14th, in the morning, the enemy opened another bomb battery on the right of Stanhope's Tower. One of the enemy was made prifoner as he was bathing, at the upper from their mortars. The garrifon likewife kept a conftant fire, from both cannon and mortars, till morning. On this night our flag was fhot away, and staff damaged; we had five men wounded, before the termination of this unhappy night, which, with the preceding day, A were very fatal to a number of brave men, many of whom afterwards expired of their wounds. On the 6th, with the dawn, we hoitted a new flag on a short Ataff; the vehemence of firing renewed with the day, and lafted, without any abatement, until night, with less execu- B tion among our men, but greater injury to the caftle, than the preceding day, elpecially on the weft, where their new battery played. Two of our wounded died this day; and we had four men, and two women wounded, before night came on, when we kept as brifk an attack on both C fides, as by day. We had one man killed by a cannon-ball at the new stone battery, and another by the splinter of a fhell. On the 7th, in the morning, we opened the new battery, near the draw-bridge, but abandoned it before night, as infignificant, chiefly owing to its being erected in the D night, and the conftant fire of the enemy fo impeding the work, as to render it infufficient. The firing continued, without any abatement of its ufual finartnefs on either fide. On this day Mr. Harvey, a volunteer, had his head shot off by a cannon-ball. One man was killed upon E the Queen's-redoubt by a cannon-ball alfo, and twelve were wounded. In the afternoon the enemy opened a five gun battery at the lower end of the town, which bore upon the Argyle and Anstruther batteries, and now having erected many batteries, and all open upon the garriton, they kept fo brifk a fire from them, that we were compelled, thro' caution, to flacken our fire, which was still however kept up with as much vigour as poffible. This night the embrafure of our new battery were demolished, and most of the carriages broken; we had but one man wounded this night. On the 8th, we kept an inceffant fire for the whole day, and difmounted three of their guns on the Windmill battery; they alfo difmounted two of ours. We now again fuffered a great lofs of men, having two killed, and 11 wounded. On the 9th, our fhattered H garrifon now wore a difmal afpect, more efpecially the Anftruther, and covered way of the Argyle batteries, which were fo damaged, that our gunners could fcarcely and to their guns. We had eight killed F G end 68 RUINOUS CONDITION of the FORT. B Feb. end of St. Stephen's Cove, by lieut, At- their five gun battery, deftroyed and broke kinfon, of the Marlborough guard, who down all our embrafures, difinounted one iffuing out of the fort, brought him naked of our guns, and broke another to pieces; into the garrison. We had one man killed fo that our gunners were compelled to and one wounded. This night a very abandon the battery for that day. Upon brilk fire continued on both fides, and we this day our allowance of wine was rehad four men wounded. A Spaniard, who A duced to half a pint a man for the day; worked in the cattle, was torn to pieces by and alfo the aquadent, which usually and the fall of a dead fhell, and was indeed duly used to be ferved to thofe on duty, the only Spaniard who was either killed or was entirely taken away, the brave gewounded during the whole fiege. On the neral intending to maintain the garrison 15th, the firing continued as ufual, with while either liquor or provifion lafted. We much greater damage to the castle than to had one man killed and fix wounded this the garrison, the ihattered condition of day. A continual fire was kept up on which the enemy obferving, they played both fides for the whole night, during their ten gun battery with greater violence which we had two men and a boy killed, than ufual from Stanhope's Tower. Our and one wounded. On the 20th, we had embrafures were in fo ruinous a condition, one killed and two wounded. In the night that we were obliged to ftrengthen them five were wounded. On the 21ft, by the behind in the best manner we were able, fierceness of the enemy's fire, which inpart of the castle wall being fo weakened C deed was not inferior to any former day, that it could not bear any repair in the old we concluded they had a defign to storin places. This night one man was killed the garrifon, this being the pretender's and two wounded. On the 15th, the birth-day. One of our fhells fet a five weakness of the garrison occafioned the gun battery on fire, which, however, the Jofs of a great number of our beft foldiers. enemy foon extinguished, although we A thell from the enemy falling into a ftore- kept a continual fire upon them. We room where an officer refided, burst to the D had one wounded, and this day capt. demolition of every thing there; but the Hobby was unhappily killed, being torn officer, who was then these, providentially by a fhell in a moit terrible manner. This efcaped. We had two officers wounded fhell failing into the caftle, broke through this day, with a great many foldiers. a parcel of timber which covered a door, bombardier was killed by a cannon-ball. which made a paffage into the main ditch At night one man loft his leg by a splinter where the officers uied to affemble. This of a fhell. On the 17th, the inceffant fir- E night a continual fire was kept on both ing of the enemy from their five gun bat- fides, in which we fet fire to fome fafcines tery in the lower end of the town, oblig- and houfes in town, which the enemy ened us to abandon the Anftruther battery deavouring to extinguish, we made great for fome time, feveral of the guns and havock among them, with great and Imall carriages being broken, and the others of fhot, for the space of two hours while the no effectual fervice. We had unhappily flame continued. We happily escaped this day four foldiers killed and feven F having any either killed or wounded this wounded. The approach of night con- night. On the 22d, the enemy played with cluding this fatal day, the cannon, mor- great fury on the fouth-west inward ravetars, and small arms, were employed, with Jins, which our foldiers wantonly called all poffible diligence, till morning, during the devil's battery, where, deftroying the which time we had three men wounded. embrafures and carriages, we were obligOn the 18th, a foldier fitting at his bar- ed to abandon it for fome time. We let rack door was killed by a cannon-ball, the Windmill battery on fire, which they at and two were wounded. At night, en- length extinguished, after it had burned for deavouring to hoift a new flag and flag- fome time with great fury, notwithstandftaff, we were prevented by the violence of ing our continual fire upon them; to rethe enemy's fire, having one killed and gardless was the French general of the two wounded; and intimidated the more lives of his foldiers. We had one man by having two killed and one wounded be- killed, and one died of his wounds. Durfore upon this unhappy night. On the Hing the night the enemy did greater da19th, in the morning, we repaired the mage to our works than our men, which embrafures on the Anftruther, and brought could not poffibly be again repaired, tho four 32 pounders from the Royal Battery, nothing was left undone for putting them to replace thofe rendered ufelcis by the ene- in a pofture of future defence; being as my. The enemy playing to warmly from conftantly beat down by the enemy as re A G paired, 1757 The FORT ftormed, but bravely defended. 69 paired, which occafioned the lofs of many terminated the occurrences of the night. men. This night the enemy threw a thell On the 25th, the enemy kept a conftant into the north-weft ravelin, which burft- fire for the whole day, which obliged us ing among lome cartridges and shells, fet to abandon our fhattered batteries again, them on fire, without any further damage. and confequently made a flow fire on our We had one man wounded; and now fide from our cannon, but our mortars again our apprehenfion of their intent to A were brifkly employed for the whole day. ftorm was renewed. The officers and We had two killed and 12 wounded. foldiers very chearfully received and obey- This night the enemy kept a conftant fire ed the order of being very alert, and cau- from their gun batteries, which they had tious of being furprized. On the 23d, the neglected to do for fome time, while our enemy flackened their fire till about 10, poor garrifon looked with a horrid aspect. when they began again with their usual A party of the enemy, under the combrifknefs, which we returned as well as B mand of an officer, advanced almost to pofible. The enemy had now pulled the Kane Lunette, yet avoided firing; down feveral houfes to open a paffage for but our centinels obferving them, fired uptheir battery in town, which we expected on them, and, being exceffive dark, we to be opened every hour on the garrifon, could only diftinguifh by their groans that where it was well our courage did not di- many had been killed and wounded. We minish with our works. We had one had five wounded this night. On the 26th, killed and five wounded. This night the C the brave governor iffued orders that the enemy kept a brifk fire, when the garri- gunners fhould keep, as much as poffible, fon were obliged to flacken theirs, the under cover, and fire when opportunity works being fo damaged, that we were offered, owing, as was faid, to the capobliged to abandon the Anftruther fort, tain of the artillery's having acquainted the cannon, carriages, and works, being him with the impoflibility of their standing almoft deftroyed, without poffibility of to their guns: Our mortars, nevertheless, repairing them, thro' the continual fire of D played conftantly upon them. This day the enemy upon that place; all others we five were wounded. At night we had continued diligently to keep up as well as four wounded. On the 27th, major Godour unhappy fituation would allow. This frey, with five others, were wounded by night two were killed and seven wounded, the burst of one shell which fell in the main and Sir Hugh Williams received a flight ditch. A dark night approaching, the wound on the piquet. On the 24th, in enemy began to play upon us from all their the morning, the enemy opened part of E batteries, with their cannon, mortars, their battery in town, whence they kept a fhells, and finall arms, with greater fury very brifk fire, at the fame time keeping than they had hitherto done. We conti a continual fire from all their other bat- nued our fire upon them with all our canteries, which damaged our works more non and mortars, of every denomination, than ever, when our gunners were again which continued on both fides until a sudobliged to abandon their ftations. This den filence reigned in the enemy's camp, day part of the embratures on the Kane F who, however, rufhing impetuoufly, like Lunette were set on fire, they having been a torrent, from the town, made their way repaired by fafcines when the stone work upon the Anstruther, to the amount of was deftroyed. The fire was foon extin- about 3000; our centinels efpying them guished. We had two men killed this as they paffed the Quay guard houfe, beday, and four wounded. At night we gan to fire, and our guards catching the fet fire to fome of the enemy's fafcines in alarm, formed themfelves for their recep-. the town, which burnt a long time with tion, gave them a discharge, and fell back great fury, but were at length extinguished, to load again, then mounting the bancket! altho' we played upon them with our great gave them two more. They on their part and fmall arms, fhot and fhells. This kept a terrible fire upon us, and we conti night a fmall party of the enemy came, in nued ours upon them until they came close bravado, almoft to the palifadoes, and fent to the palifadoes; we being only 20 in two of their party, upon their hands and number, with one cfficer for the guard of knees, to alarm our centinels, but who, H that place, were compelled to retire in the upon being fired at, thought proper to re- beft manner we were able to our captain of tire, as did likewife the whole party, with the guard, who had nobly maintained his what lofs we could not discover, exceffive poft, and ordering us into the left of his darkness then prevailing. We had one guard, gave the enemy another volley or man wounded in this short skirmish, which two; but being at length forced to retreat before G 70 KILLED and WOUNDED at the SIEGE. Feb. this fort, than that it was defended by a captain and 50 men. When the day appeared, the enemy, fatigued with the night's encounter, beat a parley, when our men forbore their firing with fuch reluctance, that our officers were obliged to stop them, with menaces, fword in hand. We had about 40 killed and wounded, and the enemy 1500. Four regiments and one company of artillery thus maintained the garrifon against fuch number of the enemy by fea and land, for fuch a length of time, and with a gallantry perhaps scarce paralleled in history. It is not to be wondered then that we were bore down by fuch an army, fupported by fuch a fleet, to whom we were, comparatively peaking, but an handful. Amidst our dif treffes, fo harraffed, shattered, and neglected, upon what honourable terms the fort was at laft furiendered, the articles of capitulation beft will speak. (See our lait volume, p. 310.) A Lift of the Killed, Wounded, and fuch as died of their Wounds, with those who died of Disorders, and fuch as were miffing, &c. REGIMENTS, &c. Miffing. Died of Dif cafes. Wounds. Died of their Wounded. Killed. 16 Comp. of artillery 8 Total 277 22 70 76 8 52 71 6 10 71 301 25 10 17 |