The National Register.
London, England, 1809-02-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER'.

- e.

Miquelets hard pressed by the enemy front their advanceil posts,
was induced to m-ke a sortie from the Citadel w it it the seamen'
and marines, and the ()dicers commanding them; but the very
superior force of the enemy, woo endeav mire,' to surround us,
obliged us to retire, but not till my officers and men had di,:-
,laved a spirit and courage which rave me the most lively sata,
faction. lam sorry I am obliged by this little affair to send
sour Lordship a return of wounded men. Late on the evening
of the 9th, I received from the Governor the unpleasant advice,
that a large breach was mathe in the rampart of the Citadel, by
a part of the bulwark failine, down, sufficiently capacious to ad-
mit twenty-five men abreast. I proffered to the Governor every
assistance that the urgency of the moment required, aad directed
Capt. Collins immediately to weigh, and place the \leaser as neat
the shoal as pos:lble, to flank the breach in the event or an attack.
I sent at the same time two boats to enfilade the beach wit h the
cannonades; cartenately, the lateness of the hour precloded the
• enemy gaining information of the event. The following morning
I sent an Officer and a party of seamen to assist in repairing the
breach, directing the seamen and marines in the Citadel to be
employed on the same service!. By every exertion, the 'sampan
was placed in a state of security for the night, the defence Of
which was entrusted to an ()dicer and forty seamen, whom I sent
on shore for that purpose. On the third day I was happy to see
.the repair completed, and the.work ns defensibte . as it was pre-
viout to the disaster. On the morning of the 15th instant, at'
eight o'clock, the enemy made a most resolute assault on the Fort
Tr!nite with about two hundred men, anti a reserve of about two
thousand to support them. The enemy were bravely repulsed ;
but in a moment again advanced in greater force ; • when two of
the outer gates were broken open; hut by a mils( galling and
steady fire of musketry and hand-greoadea from the fort, the
enemy was a second time obliged to retire, with great I oss,leav-
ing their leader, a Chief of Brigade, and many others, dead under
its walls, and the second in command carried oft' desperately
wounded. Expecting a third assault would be made, I threw iu
a reinforcement of thirty marines, o tit a Ca 'Will) and Subaltern,
by means of a rope-ladder, w filch was effected w itbout-loss, and
with one man hnt slightly wounded, daring an incessant fire of
musketry.-1 cannot speak in terms of sufficient praise of the
officers and men in theirglorious defence of Fort .Trinite, on which
occasion five marines were wounded, and one Spaniard ; but I
have Ihe satisfaction to inclose to
.vour Lordship a letter I have
received from the Spanish Officer commanding its garrison, iv Bich
does him great honour.---1\ o further attempt was made on this
fort till the '2oth instant, w lieu the enemy opened a battery of
three heavy guns from a height commanding it ; but as vet has
made no impression on its wall. The Lucifer bomb had been
throwing her shells the t o preceding (lays to prevent the enemy
making a lodgment on this height ; but was compelled to retire
after being struck three times by the battery. During the pre-
vious night the eaemy threw up an extensive entrenchment three
hundred yards from the Citadel, and at day-hre'zik opened a fire
upon the ships in the Itay front three large mortars, which
obliged us to retire out of their reach : the bomb vessel=, from
having a longer range of shells than the enemy, were enabled to
throw them with effect. Fort Trinite, from its insulated situa-
tion and strength, 1 am of opinion, may stand a long siege. Rut
l ant not so sanguine NI. ith respect to the Citadel, whose garrison
is very inadequate to its defence, and having, as L conceive, a
vulnerable point. I waited on the Governor on Sunday last, to
take my leave, when he inforated me, that he oats in expecta-
tion of A reinforcement ; hut I am opprOwnAive the blockade of
the enemy in Barcelona will prove an obstacle tobiffex peewit
success. I beg leave. to coitclude this dispatch fO your. Lordship,
by expressing how highly•satisficd I have been with the conduct
of time officers and company. of the ship I have the tumour to
command, as likewise of thoselif the Meteor aud Lucifer bombs,
commanded by Captains Collins and Hall, whose great eaer-
lions during the ardeous and most fatiguing- service they have
itu-
periouily been called upon to perform, reflects the greatest credit
upon him. I have, Ike.
(Signed) • • • W2s-r.
Right Hon. Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood, &e.-15zc..
List of men belonging to his Majesty's ship the Excellent, who
we're wounded in actibn with the' enemy between the Sth and
16th day of November, 1808, in Itosas Bay.
Rob. Palmer, John Sands, and F. D. Coke, seamen, dangerously;
Jas. Lambe, and Deli& Nosh ia, mariners, badly; .1, cal,
seaman, slightly.; -J. Brown, Serjeant of Marines, slightly ;
• Ed. Magennis, seaman; Jas. Roberts and P. Hyson, marines;
Jas. Martin, seaman, slightly ; J. Burrows, ditto, badly :
J.
Smith and J Brady, marines, dangerously ; Wm. Wilson.

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