THE military importance of the capture of Minorca from the English in 1782 was not, perhaps, such as to warrant a separate chapter for its consideration. But the defence of St. Philip's Castle by the English against the combined forces of France and Spain was so exceptionally gallant, their sufferings so great, and the zeal and courage of the Artillery, especially, so conspicuous, that something more than a passing mention is necessary in a work of this nature. The siege lasted from the 19th August, 1781, to the 5th February, 1782. General Murray was Governor, and Sir William Draper, Lieutenant- Governor. The strength of the garrison at the commencement of the siege was 2295 of all ranks; at the end of the siege, this number had been reduced to 1227, but so many of these were in hospital, that the whole number able to march out at the capitulation did not exceed—to use the Governor's own words—"600 old decrepit soldiers, 200 seamen, 170 of the Royal Artillery, 20 Corsicans, 25 Greeks, Moors, &c." In a postscript to the official report of the capitulation the Governor says:—"It would be unjust and ungrateful were I not to declare that from the beginning to the last hour of the siege, the officers and men of the Royal Regiment of Artillery distinguished themselves. I believe the world cannot produce more expert gunners and bombardiers than those who served in this siege." This alone would make imperative some notice of this siege in a narrative of the services of the Corps. In the Castle of St. Philip's, there were at the commencement of the siege 234 guns and mortars. At the end, no less than 78 of these had been rendered unserviceable by the enemy's fire. The batteries were almost demolished, and the buildings a heap of ruins. The following officers of the Royal Artillery were present: Major WALTON. Captains: FEAD, LAMBERT, SCHALCH, PARRY, and DIXON. First Lieutenants: IRWIN, WOODWARD, LEMOINE, NEVILLE, and BRADBRIDGE. Second Lieutenants: HOPE, WULFF, and HAMILTON. In addition to the Artillery the garrison was composed of two Regiments of British, and two of Hanoverian troops. The commandant of the enemy's forces was the Duke de Crillon, the same officer who after the capitulation of St. Philip's proceeded to command at the Siege of Gibraltar. He drew upon himself a well-merited rebuke from General Murray, whom he had endeavoured to bribe, with a view to the immediate surrender of the Castle; a rebuke which he felt, and answered with great respect and admiration.