when he was ordered to the Mediterranean to reinforce Rear-Admiral Nelson, who was at that time watching the port of
They were not discovered till about 1h 30’ A.M., when, being within half gun-shot of the landing place, Sir Horatio directed the boats to cast off from each other, give a huzza, and push for the shore. But the Spaniards were excellently well prepared; the alarm-bells answered the huzza, and a tremendous fire from 30 or 40 pieces of cannon, with musketry from one end of the town to the other, opened upon the invaders. The Fox received a shot under water, and instantly sunk, by which unfortunate circumstance Lieutenant Gibson, her commander, and 96 of the brave fellows that were on board, met a watery grave. Another shot struck the Rear-Admiral on the right elbow, just as he was drawing his sword, and in the act of stepping out of his barge. Nothing, however, could check the intrepidity with which the assailants advanced.
The night was exceedingly dark; most of the boats missed the mole, aud went on shore through a raging surf, which stove all to the left of it. The Captains Thompson, Freemantle, and Boweii, and four or five other boats, found the mole, and instantly stormed and carried it, defended as it was by about 400 men, and six 24-pounders. Having spiked these, they were about to advance, when a heavy fire of musketry and grapeshot from the citadel and the houses at the mole-head, mowed them down by scores. Here the gallant Captain Richard Bowen, of the Terpsichore, met a glorious death; and here, indeed, fell nearly the whole of the party, by death or wounds.
Meanwhile Captain Troubridge, of the Culloden, having missed the mole in the darkness, pushed on shore under a battery, close to the south end of the citadel. Captain Waller, of the Emerald, and two or three other boats, landed at the same time. The surf was so high, that many others put back; and all that did not were instantly swamped, and most of the ammunition in the men’s pouches was wetted. Having collected a few men, they pushed on to the Great Square, hoping there to find the Rear-Admiral, and the rest of their party. The ladders were all lost, so that they could make no immediate attempt on the citadel; but they sent a Serjeant, with two of the town’s people, to summon it; this messenger never returned; and Captain Troubridge having waited about an hour in painful expectation of his friends, marched to join Captains Hood and Miller, of the Zealous and Theseus, who had effected their landing to the S.W. They then endeavoured to procure some intelligence of Sir Horatio Nelson and the rest of the officers, but without success. By day-break they had gathered together about 80 marines, 80 seamen, armed with pikes, and 180 with small-arms; all that survived of those who had made good their landing. They obtained some ammunition from the prisoners whom they had taken, and marched on, to try what could be done at the citadel without ladders. They found all the streets commanded by field-pieces, and several thousand Spaniards, with about 100 French, under
