112
RETIRED CAPTAINS.
having under his command the first battalion of grenadiers, commanded by Brigadier-General Fisher, and the first and second light infantry, led by Colonel Gomm, with a detachment of seamen from the Boyne[1] and Veteran, commanded by Captain Robertson of the Veteran, marched from the heights of Mascot at about nine o’clock at night, on the 1st of July. They first descended into a deep ravine thick planted with coffee bushes, through which there was no road, the seamen bringing up the rear. The night was uncommonly dark, which rendered their march both dangerous and fatiguing. After proceeding about a mile they halted on a road, and were joined by two small field-pieces, which were put under the charge of Lieutenants Thomson and Maitland, to be dragged by their seamen. During the halt some people, who were heard to speak French, were seen near the rear; Lieutenant Wolley endeavoured to secure them, but they escaped through the bushes, and no further notice was taken of this. The army moved forward about two miles further, on a road leading through deep ravines, and made a second hall for about an hour; the march was then re-commenced, but no orders ever passed during the time: they now proceeded for some miles without meeting with any obstruction, when an order came for the seamen in the rear to advance to the attack, which they did by running as fast as they could for upwards of a mile. The parties they passed were not in the best order, owing to the quickness of the march, until they came to the grenadiers, who were drawn up as a corps de reserve. About this time the bugle horn sounded to advance, and soon after a heavy firing of round and grape-shot from Morne Government, and also from several other batteries of the enemy, commenced, as also from some twelve-pounders, landed from the shipping in the harbour, which were placed in tiers, and entirely enfiladed the road along which the troops were advancing. After passing the grenadiers, the seamen were halted for a few minutes to form, they being perfectly out of order from running; but scarce thirty of them were got together, when Lieutenant Wolley was ordered to advance with them, and Captain Robertson remained to form and bring up the rest. The cannonading from the enemy’s guns was the most severe the oldest soldier ever witnessed, especially from the guns which were on the road; two or three tiers of which were planted behind each other, from which the enemy were driven by the bayonets of our gallant fellows, who no sooner had taken one battery, but another opened on them from behind. The whole now became a scene of confusion impossible to describe. Instead of any of the heights being attempted, the greater part of the troops and the seamen were got into the town, where they were mowed down by the grape-shot, which played upon them in every direction[2], as well as musketry from the windows of the houses.
