Journals of Sieges Carried on by the Army Under the Duke of Wellington, in Spain, Between the Years 1811 and 1814, Volume 2T. Egerton, 1827 - Peninsular War, 1807-1814 |
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Common terms and phrases
10-inch mortars 18-pounders 24-pounder guns 8-inch howitzers Adour ammunition Antwerp approaches army artillery assailants assault attack August balls bastion Bathz batteries Bayonne Bergen-op-Zoom besiegers bombardment breaching batteries brigade canister shot Captain carriages carried carronades castle chassemarées Ciudad Rodrigo column command commenced consequence corps Count Carnot counterscarp cover covered-way defence detached directed distance ditch division duty dyke effect enfilade engineers feet flank Flushing force formed fortress gabions garrison grape guard high curtain hornwork horses island isthmus July killed land front Lieutenant Colonel Marshal Soult means ment musketry night officers operation ordnance parallel parapet party Portugueze posts powerful rampart ravelin rear rendered resistance retrenchment revetement river round shot sand-bags sappers scarp scarp-wall Scheldt shells siege sortie South Beveland Tholen tion town transports traverses trenches troops Urumea Veer vertical fire waggons wall Wellington western Scheldt whilst whole wounded yards
Popular passages
Page 47 - I am sorvy to say, that notwithstanding the distinguished gallantry of the troops employed, some of whom did force their way into the town, the attack did not succeed. The enemy occupied in force all the defences of the place which looked that way, and from which, and from all...
Page 373 - Enfin, nous entendons et voulons qu'il courre les hasards d'un assaut pour prolonger la défense et augmenter la perte de l'ennemi. Il songera qu'un Français doit compter sa vie pour rien si elle doit être mise en balance avec son honneur, et cette idée doit être pour lui et pour ses subordonnés le mobile de toutes ses actions.
Page 11 - Victoria, firing through embrasures. The whole chain of redoubts was speedily in a state of defence. Garrisons were allotted to the several works, which were kept in them constantly prepared to receive and repel any attack ; but the remainder of the blockading force was either placed under cover in the villages, or bivouacked on favourable spots just without the fire of the place ; the whole however being in constant readiness to form under arms, at their several alarm-posts, on the first intimation...
Page 247 - Scheldt, having for its object the capture or destruction of the enemy's ships, either building at Antwerp or Flushing, or afloat on the Scheldt; the destruction of the arsenals and dock-yards at Antwerp, Torneux, and Flushing; the reduction of the Island of Walcheren; and the rendering, if possible, the Scheldt no longer navigable for ships of war.
Page 409 - Sea staircase to the boats, when they were exposed to a most tremendous galling fire both of grape and musketry from the enemy, till such time as they could pull out of the reach of it. I am happy to add, that the loss of the troops in this exposed situation was only four killed and five wounded, and that of the seamen one killed and ten wounded.
Page 47 - Though this attack has failed, it would be great injustice not to assure your Lordship, that the troops conducted themselves with their usual gallantry, and only retired, when I thought si further perseverance in the attack would have occasioned a useless sacrifice of brave men.
Page 409 - In the mean time we discovered him attempting to mine the right bastion, upon which he continued at work for three nights, but I apprehend without the expected success. In the night of the 15th the French pushed round the foot of the rock, with the intention of destroying the Sea staircase, but we happily discovered them, and beat them off with the slaughter to which their desperate situation exposed them. The fire from the breaching batteries had been variously directed...
Page 404 - On examining the interior of these casemates, whilst the terms of surrender were still copying out fair, and, consequently, before steps could be taken to clear or purify the castle, it was altogether surprising to observe the mischief which had been produced by shot which had deflected from the cheeks of the embrasures, and entered the casemates.
Page 12 - At the period when the army of Marshal Soult had penetrated to within a few miles of the fortress, and a desperate sortie might naturally be expected, all the advanced posts were reinforced at night, and chains of sentries were pushed out in advance, to guard against surprise...
Page 401 - The mortar was then elevated to 75°, and with two ounces of powder and 42 balls made nearly the same range as before ; but the spread was increased to about 40 yards, so that it was difficult to hit the surface aimed at. Several balls did, however, at length fall on the targets and wadmill tilts. The impression on the former was something increased, but still so trifling as hardly to be measured ; the balls did not go through the cloth, and the penetration on the meadow was only increased to about...