Military Memoirs of Capt. George CarletonDefoe, Daniel
History
Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories; Great Britain -- History, Military -- Fiction; Soldiers -- Fiction
Such were the General's Reasons then and there given; after which,
having promis'd ample Rewards to such as discharg'd their Duty well, a
Lieutenant, with thirty Men, was order'd to advance towards the Bastion
nearest the Town; and a Captain, with fifty Men, to support him. After
the Enemy's Fire they were to leap into the Ditch, and their Orders were
to follow 'em close, if they retir'd into the upper Works: Nevertheless,
not to pursue 'em farther, if they made into the inner Fort; but to
endeavour to cover themselves within the Gorge of the Bastion.
A Lieutenant and a Captain, with the Like Number of Men and the same
Orders, were commanded to a Demi-Bastion at the Extremity of the Fort
towards the West, which was above Musket-Shot from the inward
Fortification. Towards this Place the Wall, which was cut into the Rock,
was not fac'd for about twenty Yards; and here our own Men got up; where
they found three Pieces of Cannon upon a Platform, without many Men to
defend them.
Those appointed to the Bastion towards the Town were sustain'd by two
hundred Men; with which the General and Prince went in Person. The like
Number, under the Directions of Colonel _Southwell_, were to sustain the
Attack towards the West; and about five hundred Men were left under the
Command of a _Dutch_ Colonel, whose Orders were to assist, where, in his
own Judgment, he should think most proper; and these were drawn up
between the two Parties appointed to begin the Assault. My Lot was on
the Side where the Prince and Earl were in Person; and where we
sustain'd the only Loss from the first Fire of the Enemy.
Our men, though quite expos'd, and though the Glacis was all escarp'd
upon the live Rock, went on with an undaunted Courage; and immediately
after the first Fire of the Enemy, all, that were not kill'd or wounded,
leap'd in, _pel-mel_, amongst the Enemy; who, being thus boldly
attack'd, and seeing others pouring in upon 'em, retir'd in great
Confusion; and some one Way, some another, ran into the inward Works.
There was a large Port in the Flank of the principal Bastion, towards
the North-East, and a cover'd Way, through which the General and the
Prince of _Hesse_ follow'd the flying Forces; and by that Means became
possess'd of it. Luckily enough here lay a Number of great Stones in the
Gorge of the Bastion, for the Use of the Fortification; with which we
made a Sort of Breast-Work, before the Enemy recover'd of their Amaze,
or made any considerable Fire upon us from their inward Fort, which
commanded the upper Part of that Bastion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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