An Historical Review of the Royal Marine Corps, from its Original Institution down to the Present Era, 1803Gillespie, Alexander, Major
History
An Historical Review of the Royal Marine Corps, from its Original Institution down to the Present Era, 1803
Gillespie, Alexander, Major
Great Britain. Royal Marines -- History
After having spoken of the many virtues of the amiable Captain
Miller, Sir Sidney thus enlarges upon the merits of his departed
friend, Major Oldfield:--"The next is Major Oldfield, of the
Marines. I will tell the company where the body of this brave man
was contended for, and they will judge where and how he died; it
was a sortie of the garrison of St. John D'Acre, when attacked by
General Buonaparte, that Major Oldfield, who commanded a column,
was missing. On our troops advancing he was found--his body was
found at the mouth of one of the enemy's mines, and at the foot of
their works. Our brave men hooked him by the neckcloth as he lay
dead, to draw him off; the enemy at the same time pierced him in
the side with a halbert, and each party struggled for the body. The
neckcloth gave way, and the enemy succeeded in dragging to their
works this brave man; and here I must do them justice, which such
gallant foes are justly entitled to, they buried him with all the
honours of war."
Lieut. Beattie, of Marines, was wounded in this ever-memorable
sortie, which reflected a bright lustre upon all that composed it.
The personal attention of Buonaparte to the operations of the siege
was soon after diverted to another object, in repelling the bold
attacks of the Samaritan Arabs, whom, by a train of able measures,
he beat in every part of an extended line, and drove them across
the Jordan.
My bounds will not allow me to detail the many incidents of this
brilliant siege, where perseverance was constantly opposed to
vigorous effort.
On the 1st of May, the French having cannonaded and made a breach,
they a fourth time risqued a storm, but they were repulsed with
heavy loss. The flanking fire from two ravelins run out on each
side of the enemy's nearest approach, and in which the Marines
of the Tigre and Theseus, to the admiration and gratitude of the
Turkish garrison, worked and fought, though exposed to an incessant
discharge upon them, contributed chiefly to the salvation of the
place upon that day. The disposition of those ships, and of the
inferior craft, was so judicious, that the republican trenches were
unceasingly annoyed. These progressive duties afforded many tests
of Naval zeal and courage. The early fall of Captain Wilmot, of
that Corps, was felt a heavy loss, as he was an excellent Officer
and a worthy man. The unfortunate death of Colonel Philippeaux
would have been considered as an irretrievable disaster, if it had
not been compensated by the active talents of Sir John Douglas,
upon whom devolved the additional cares of an Engineer. These were
much lessened by the co-operating abilities of Sir Sidney Smith,
whose scientific and comprehensive mind promptly embraces a wide
scope of knowledge, and its dictates are ever quickly pushed into
action by the energies of a resolute soul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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