Part 1 (2/2)
The General afterwards a.s.sembled a Council of War, composed of Land Officers; when a Disposition was made for landing the Troops.
_March_ the 9th, in the Morning, Sir _Chaloner Ogle_, accompany'd by the General, proceeded, with his Division, to the Attack of the Forts: Three eighty Gun s.h.i.+ps; the _Norfolk_, Capt. _Graves_; the _Shrewsbury_, Capt.
_Townshend_; and the _Russel_, Capt. _Norris_, were order'd to batter those of St. _Philip_ and St. _Jago_: Which Service they perform'd very gallantly, having, before the Evening, drove the Enemy from their Guns, and forced there, to retire out of the Forts.
About Two, the General and Sir _Chaloner Ogle_ went on board the _Norfolk_, and afterwards the _Russel_, for the better reconnoitring the Enemy, and viewing the Ground where the Troops were proposed to be landed.
The Loss on board the _Norfolk_ and the _Russel_ was not very considerable, but the _Shrewsbury_ suffered much more; for having received a Shot in her Cable, she drove so far, as to open the whole Fire of the Castle of _Boca-Chica_, &c. to which she lay exposed till the Night gave her an Opportunity of removing to a safer Birth. As there were no Guns either in _Fort Chambra_, or on what was called the Fascine Battery, the _Princess-Amelia_, and the _Litchfield_ met with no Opposition.
About Five, Sir _Chaloner Ogle_ made a Signal for landing the Troops, which was repeated by the Admiral, who lay then with his Squadron at about a League's Distance.
As soon as the Grenadiers appeared, the General joined them, with an Intention to have landed immediately; but the three princ.i.p.al Officers, and two of the Companies, being still wanting, he order'd the Boats to lie under the Cover of the _Russel_ and the _Norfolk_, there to wait their Arrival: They were in a short Time joined by the Lieutenant Colonel and Major, and one Company; but Col. _Wynyard_, ”who was detain'd with his Company of Grenadiers, on board the _Strumbulo Fire-s.h.i.+p_, _from the want of Boats_,” being still absent, the Landing was further post-pon'd to about Seven, when they were, without Opposition, put on Sh.o.r.e on the Strand, to the Left of Fort St.
_Philip_, under the Command of Lieutenant Col. _Cochrane_: After having seen them in Possession of the Forts, the General returned and went on board a Vessel, which lay near the Sh.o.r.e, and there pa.s.sed the rest of the Night.
In the Disposition for Landing, the Grenadiers were to have been sustained by a Brigade, commanded by Brig. _Guise_, and Col. _Wolfe_, who themselves join'd the General; but the Brigade did not come down till the Day following, being prevented by the strong Breezes.[4]
The same Evening the Bomb Ketches began to fire upon the Castle.
_March_ the 10th, as soon as the Day appeared, the General went on Sh.o.r.e, and gave Orders for forming the Grenadiers upon the Beach, for covering the landing of the rest of the Troops; which not being compleated till late in the Evening, the whole lay that Night upon their Arms.
_March_ the 11th, the Negroes, Tools, and Tents being put on Sh.o.r.e; the Ground was clear'd, the Tents pitch'd, and the Troops under cover the same Evening.[5]
Two Coupures or Lines were begun into the Woods; one for cutting off the Communication of the Castle of _Boca-Chica_ with the City, the other for opening a way to the Skirts of the Wood, for the erecting a Battery; which last was this Day advanced 500 Yards.
Mr. _Moor_, the princ.i.p.al Engineer, landed in the Night; the Ordnance s.h.i.+p, on which he was embarked, having been drove to _Leeward_.
_March_ the 12th, a Mortar Battery was begun, between the Forts St.
_Phillip_ and St. _Jago_; and the Coupure leading to the Castle, was carried on to the Skirts of the Wood, but that for cutting off the Communication, was discontinued by the Advice of the princ.i.p.al Engineer.[6]
All the Negroes, and as many Soldiers as could be spared, from their other Duty, were employed in cutting Fascines and Pickets. A Traverse was raised in the Coupure leading to _Boca-Chica_, and an Epaulement was thrown up for the covering the Workmen, which were to be employed in raising the great Gun-Battery.
_March_ the 13th, A Defence was made of Casks filled with Sand, to cover the Mortar Battery from the Enemy's Fire; this Evening, (not the 17th, as the Author is pleased to alledge, Page the 10th,) it was finished, and began to play upon the Castle.[7]
The Bomb-Ketches likewise continued to throw their Sh.e.l.ls, and it was observed that _several_ of them did not take place in the Castle. The Ground was traced out for the great Gun-Battery.[8]
The Coupure leading to the Castle of _Boca-Chica_, was enlarged. A Lieutenant Colonel's Guard was mounted to cover the Workmen to be employed on the great Gun-Battery.
The Enemy fired very smartly, both Yesterday and this Day, and killed several Men in the Camp.[9]
_March_ the 14th, the Works were carried on with all the Expedition our Circ.u.mstances would admit of; but were much r.e.t.a.r.ded, not only from the Heat of the Climate, which renders _Europeans_ almost unable to support the least Fatigue, but from the Negroes throwing down their Loads, and working Tools, whenever a Shot came near them. These Difficulties having been represented to a Council of War by the princ.i.p.al Engineer, signifying at the same time, that an Addition of 1600 Men to the Forces then on Sh.o.r.e was wanting, to enable him to push on his Works with Vigour, a Demand was made of that Number of Soldiers to be landed from the Fleet, which the Admiral was pleased to refuse, alledging, that we could have no Occasion for them.
_March_ the 15th, the General, accompany'd by Mr. _Moor_ and Capt.
_Knowles_ view'd the Works at the great Gun Battery, and pa.s.sed the Skirts of the Wood to reconnoitre the Castle, which had then received little or no visible Damage from the Sh.e.l.ls.
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