, 1843-03-04

were drowned. lost my cap. bu,
still held my sword; on recovering,
looked towards the beach. 1t was
stunning and empty! fire balls were in
plenty, and the French troops stand.
ing upon the walls, taunting, and in.
wiling our men TO come up and try il
again. What a crisis. what a militia.
ry misery! Some of the finest troops
in the world PROSTATE; humbled to
the dust.
Colonel M'Leod was killed while
trying TO force the left corner Of the
large breach. He received his MOI tai
wound wi,hia three yards of the enc
my, Just at the bottom of some nine
feet planks, studded with nails, and
hanging down The breach from under
the cheraur, de fise. A few moments
before he fell he had BEEN wounded
in the back by Il bayonet of one OF
our soldiers, who slipped. Steele
told me this, and he was will. the
colonel ut the time.
At half past eleven tie fire slack
ened. and the French detached men
from the breaches 10 repuIse the 9th.
er attacks, and To rndeavour Ia re.
take the castle. ] heard the enemy
calling out on the ramparts in Ger
nan. "AH is well IN BidaiGZrI 1t
sounded very like English.
But this repulse may he called a
victory. The British soldiers did rs
much as men could do. The wood
work of the cheyaur-dc.friS was pom
bristling with short, stout
sword blades fastened in it, and chain
ed together. 1t vas on obstacle not
to be removed, and the French SOL
diers stood close to it, killing deliber-
ateiy every man who approached it.
The large breach was at one time
crowded with our brave troops; |
mean the fourth division, the heroes
of many hard fought victories ana
crimson fields. The ligh, division
had recently been crowned with VIC
tory; To rcvome such Obstacles BY
bodies puShiugi against il up j
steep breach, and sinking To- the knees
every step in rubbish. while a firm
and fearless enemy stood behind it, is
too ridiculous. | must recover pc.
lience.
Two hundred and fifty olficersand
nearly 6 thousand soldiers ell around
these ramparts. Let justice prevail!
ct not the foul tongue of Calumnv
lear those laurels from the 5rows OF
men who 50 noblv earned them.--
.ook Oh those blood-stained uniforms;
gaze on those noble forms stretched
On the earth, and think on their ago
mics.
The left breach had not been at.
tempted at all until 4 quarter before
twelve O'Clock, when Shaw. collect
NJ about seventy men Of different
and with great difficulty,
Is you may suppose, after such mill
NJ for two hours, made Il desperate
flor to gain the top; but when half
way up, as if by enrhanlment, he
stood alone. Two rounds of grape
md the muskctrv prevented any
more trouble, for almost the whole Of
he party lay stretched in various at
itudes!
Captain Nicholson, Of the engi-
leers, was Of the number; he now
bowed great courage; and when ask
d by Shaw if he would try the left
preach, answered he would do any
hing 10 succeed. A grape shot went
trough his lungs, and he died three
after.
This attack was very daring. Ii
vas a forlorn hope under accumula-
ed dangers; almost all the troops
adj retired, and a lew moments be-
ore. a great alarm vas excited by a
ry from the heaps of wounded, that
be French were descending into the
itch. To exaggerate this sanguina-
Y strife is not possible 10 men or 10
ny other person. The small groups
f soldiers seeking shelter from the
art-wheels, pieces of timber, fire.
alis, and other missiles hurled down
pom them; the wounded crawling
asst the fire balls, many of them
corched and perfectly black, and
overed with mud, from having fallen
ITO the Mnete, where three hundred
suflocated and drowned; and
Il this time the French on the top
( the parapet. jeering and cracking
leir jokes, and deliberately picking
# whom they chose, while, | am
10 say, the troops lining the
Iacis did not fire sufficiently, al
| must confess, they were
exposed, and could scarcely {
We from the cross-ire of grape.shot. E;