Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-08-24

could render every assistance to their comrades 1T
the breach, without any great risk To themselves;
beside this, two guns Of heavy calihrc, separated
from the breach by ditch of considerable depth
and width, cnhlatcd IT, and as soon as the French
infantry were forced from the summit, those guns
opened their fire upon the troops
The head of the column had scarcely attained
the top, when discharge OF grape cleared ti"
ranks OF tho three leading battallonS, ana cauSru
momcntary wavcrimS; at the same instant fright
full explosion the gun at the left OF the breach
winch shook the bastion 10 the foundations COM
plCtcd the disorder. This was undvoldobic, because
those of the advance beng either killed or wound
| cd, were necessarily flung back upon tho troops
that followed close upon their footsteps, and there
WAS not sufficient Splco for The men VINO were
| ready Ia sustain those placed hVIS a" oOh'os,' To
rally. For instant all was CONFUSION, the oiaHc
of light caused by the explosion. roscmOlcd hugo
meteor and presented 10 our sight tie havoc which
| the cneny's fire had caused III our ranks; while
from aiir, the aStonlshcd Spanirds viewed Tor AN
instant, with horror and dSmay, the soldiers OF the
| two nations graphing with each other on the top
of the rugged breach which t;cmDled beneath Their
feet, while the fire Of the French artillery played
upon columns with irresistible fury, "wccplng
from the spot the living and the dead. Amongst
the latter wasthc General oil our briyaoe, Mackin-
non, Capt. Robert Ilardyman, and Lieut. Pcarcc,
OF the I5th Lieut.. Bcrcsi0rd, of the SSth, and
many more whose names cannot recollcct Ma
ny others we're so stunned by ihc shock, or wound
cd by the stones which were hurled forth by the
\
ton; of this number | enc, for being close 20
the magazine when it blew up, | was quite over
powered, and owed my life to The Sergeant Ma
Ior of my regiment. Throne, who saved me from
being trampcd to death hy our soldiers in their
advance ere could recover strength sufficient to
move forward, or protect myself
The French, animated by this accidental success,
haStencd once more TO the breach which they had
abandoned, but the leading regiment of Pictons
division, which had been d,sorgunizcd for the mo-
ny tIn nN,Nlnc llIn
it's summit, when another discharge from the tw o
flank guns swept away the foremost o&those bat
talons
There was at this time hut one officer alive upon
the breach, (Maicr Thompson OF the 7i;h, acting
cngnecr,) Inc called out TO those next to him tn
seize the gun To tho left, which had been fatal
to his compahions-but this was desperate SER
vice. The gun was completely cut of from the
breach by deep trench, and soldiers, encountered
with their urclockS could not pass il in sufficient
time to anticipate the next dischargc--hut to dcib-
crate certain death. The French cannonccrs,
five i'll number stood TO- I'd served their gun with
much sang J0id If parade, and the Ii Int
which their torches threw forth, showed 20 our men
the peril they would have 10 encounter it they
dared TO attack gun so dcicndcd-but this was OF
avail. Men going to storm breach, generally
make up their minds that there is great proba-
by OF their ever returning from it To tell their
adventures to their friends; and whether they die
at the bottom or top of it, or at the muzze up
on the breach of cannon, it is to them pretty
nearly the same.
The first that reached the top after the last dis
charge, were three the 6oth. SERGEANT Pat Bra
Zi--thc pravc Brazil of the Granadicr company,
who saved his Captains life at Busaco-called
out TO his two companions Swan and Kelly, to I'M
screw their bayonets and to follow him; the three
| men passed the trench in moment, and engaged
the French cannonccrs hand to hand--A terrific
but short combat the consequence. Swan
was the first and met 10y the two gunners on
the right OF the gun, but no way dauntcd, he en-
gagged them, and plunged his bayonet into the
breast of one; he was about to repeat the blow
upon the other, but before he could discutaugle
the weapon from his bleeding adversary, the Sc
cond Frenchman closed upon him and by cOup
de sabre, severed his left from his body lit
tie, above the elbow; lie icll from the shock and
was ON the eye of being massacrcd, when Kelly,
after having scrambled under the gun rushed
onward TO his comradc, He bayonctcd
two Frenchmcn OIL tho spot; and at this instant
Brazil came up-thrce of theiive gunners lay life
less while Swan resting against an ammunition
chest, was bleeding TO death.
1T was now equal numbers, two against two,
hut Brazil III his over anxiety to engage, los
ing his life ut the onset; in makinga Iungo az the
man next TO him, his foot slipped upon the bloody
platform, and he fell forward against his antagon-
Ist, but as both rolled under the gun, Brazil felt
the socket of his bayonct strike hard against the
buttons of the Frcuchnan's coat. The remaining
gunner III attempting to escape under the age
from Kelly, was Killed by soe soldiers of the 5th
VINO Just low reached INC top oil inc breach, and
seeing the serious dispute at the gun pressed for
ward TO the aid OF the three men OF the Connaught
Rangers
w hle this was taking place on the Left the head of
the column mounted the breach, and regardless of
the cries of their wounded companions, whom they
Indlscrimlnate.y tramplcd TO death, pressed for.
ward i'll one regular huL heroic mass, and putting
every man TO death that opposed their progress,
forced the enemy from the rampnrts at the bayu-
nets point. \ ct the garrison still rallied, and de-
Tended the several streets with the most uninch-
ing bravery; nor was 1T until the musketry of the
light division was heard in the direction of the
Plazo Major, that theY.gave up the contest! but
from this moment ali &sgular resistance ceased,
and they fled in disorder t" the citadel
Daring contest OF such nature, kept up <
the night, may be supposed much was of ne
ccssty left to the guidance of the subordinate
officers, if not to the soldiers themselves Each
afray Ill the streets conducted in the best
manner the moment would admit Of and decided
more by personal valour than discipline, and in
some instances officers well privates had to
combat With the imperial troops. In of these
encounters Lieut.. George Farris OF the 68th, by
an accident so likely to III affair of tins
kind separated littc TOO far from dozen or so
OF his regiment, found himself opposed TO French
soldiers who apparently similarly placed 1t
was Il curious coincidence, and it would seem as
if each felt thahe individually was the represent
alive of the country to which belonged; and had
the fate of the two nations hung upon the issue of
the combat | about to describe, it could
not have been more hcrocally contest
ed. The Frenchmen fred at, and wounded For
ris in the thigh, and made dosparate push with his
bayonet at his breast, but Farris parted the thrust
and the bayonct only lodged III his leg: he at
glance the peril of his situation and that nothing
short of miracle could save him;-the odds against
him were too great, and If he continued scien-