SIEGE AND RELIEF OF GIBRALTAR.
At this time the siege of Gibraltar, and the resolute defence of its garrison attracted the attention of all Europe. After the relief afforded to the garrison in the preceding year by Admiral Darby, the Spaniards opened a dreadful cannonade and bombardment, from batteries on land and from large gun-boats in the bay. Under cover of this fire they continued their approaches and nearly completed their fourth line; but on the night of the 26th of November, a detachment under the orders of Brigadier General Ross, and accompanied by General Elliot, the governor, made a sortie, succeeded in spiking all the artillery, and then having dug mines and laid trains, they blew the fourth line of the Spaniards into the air. Previous to this, General Elliot had so improved his own formidable works that they were stronger than they were at the commencement of the siege, and the Spaniards for a time were lost in amazement, and relaxed their exertions against the wonderful rock. In the month of April, however, the Duke of Grillon, the conqueror of Minorca, arrived to take the chief command of the besieging army and their efforts were renewed. The Duke brought with him a numerous body of skilful artillery and engineer officers, and he was likewise joined by about 20,000 French and Spanish troops to aid him in the enterprise. The whole besieging force on land now amounted to full 40,000 men, and de Crillon had more artillery with him than had ever been collected on so narrow a point. Success seemed certain, and princes of the House of Bourbon, with along retinue of French and Spanish nobles, were present to witness the final triumph. Some time was spent in deliberating upon the plan of attack. A thousand projects were proposed and some were adopted and failed. At length the Chevalier d’Arcon, a French engineer, proposed a plan which seemed to ensure a complete triumph. This was the employment of floating batteries so constructed as to be impervious to shot and indestructible by fire. The bottoms of these batteries were made of massive timber, and their sides were secured with a rampart or wall composed of timber and cork, with an interstice between, filled up with wet sand. Raw hides were fastened on the outside, and to prevent the effect of red-hot balls a number of pipes were laid to convey water through every part, and pumps were provided to keep these constantly supplied. As the garrison had an opportunity for maintaining a fire right on the heads of their assailants, the besiegers contrived hanging roofs of strong rope-work netting, laid over with a thick covering of raw hides. These roofs were to be worked up and down by mechanism, and it was calculated that by their sloping position they would throw off the shot and shell of the garrison into the sea. Above eighty gun-boats and bomb-ketches were to second the operations of the floating batteries, together with a multitude of frigates and smaller vessels, while the combined fleets of France and Spain amounting to fifty sail of the line, were to cover and support the attack. On the isthmus also there were stupendous works, mounting two hundred pieces of heavy ordnance, and protected by 40,000 troops. In the whole the numbers employed by land and sea against the fortress were estimated at nearly 100,000 men. Time was required to complete the preparations, but at length they were completed, and the 13th of September was named for the grand attack. In the meantime General Elliot, aware that inventions of a peculiar nature were in preparation provided against every circumstance of danger that could be foreseen, and his vigilance had the effect of increasing the confidence of the garrison. General Elliot, however, was ignorant of the construction of the batteries until he saw them ranged before the fortress. It was intended to make one simultaneous attack on every part of the British fortifications, and on the appointed day, showers of shot and shells from the land-batteries and ships of the besiegers were directed against them. But the besieged were as much in earnest as the besiegers: shot was given for shot, and shell for shell. At one moment four hundred pieces of the heaviest artillery were playing on the garrison, and the fire was returned by incessant showers of red-hot balls and shells from the rock. The whole peninsula was involved in one terrible blaze, and the surrounding hills were covered with people, who assembled to behold the awful spectacle. The besiegers were sanguine of success, but their hopes were disappointed. For a time the floating batteries seemed to answer their expectations, for the heaviest shells rebounded from their tops, while the red-hot balls, just taken from old Elliot’s furnaces, made no visible impression on their hulls. By two o’clock, however, the effects of these fiery globes became visible. The floating battery commanded by the Prince of Nassau, and on board of which was the Chevalier d’Arcon, began to smoke on the side exposed to the garrison, and it was apprehended it had taken fire. Notwithstanding, the firing continued with unabated fury, and the fortification sustained some damage from the besiegers. At seven o’clock, however, all hope of taking the fortress vanished. By that time the red-hot balls from the garrison had taken such good effect, that the firing from the batteries ceased, rockets were thrown up as signals of distress, and nothing was thought of but saving the crews. The boats of the combined fleet were sent on that service, but it was found to be no easy matter to move the batteries from their moorings, and to have approached them within the range of the British batteries, and when they were expected every moment to blow up, was like rushing into the jaws of death. For five hours they continued in their original position, and in the mean time, the smoke of the batteries had burst into flames, and the fire from the rock was increased with terrific vengeance. At midnight the only flashes from the batteries were the flames that were consuming them, and the only sounds on board were the shrieks of the crew. Their danger was increased by a brigade of gunboats, under the command of Captain Curtis, which sailed out, and by their low fire swept the batteries in the whole extent of their line, and effectually prevented the approach of the French and Spanish boats from coming to their aid. From the evening till the morning the sky was illuminated by the ascending flames of the batteries, and by the fire of the garrison and gun-boats. At five o’clock in the morning, one of the batteries blew up, and soon after, the whole of them were one vast conflagration. Many of their crows now threw themselves into the sea; and touched by the sight, the British showed themselves to be as humane as they were brave. The guns in the fortification ceased, and Curtis and his gallant crew exerted themselves in saving the shrieking and despairing Spaniards. Fearless of danger they dashed among the burning wrecks, snatched many from the fury of the flames, and others from a watery grave: about three hundred and fifty were saved by them from inevitable death. Captain Curtis himself was often in the most imminent danger, while thus showing mercy to the enemy, and, at one time, a pinnace in which he had thrown himself, was close to one of the batteries when it blew up. The pinnace was involved in one vast cloud of fire and smoke, and masses of flaming wood, and it was expected that the brave crew had perished. It was not so: as the smoke cleared away, the pinnace was seen still proudly riding on the waves. Her coxswain was killed, several of her crew were wounded, and one of the burning masses of timber had fallen into her, and had gone through her bottom, but the sailors saved her from sinking by stuffing their jackets into the cavity! In the end all the floating batteries were consumed, and the loss of the enemy, exclusive of that sustained by the troops on the isthmus, was computed at 1500 men, while the garrison lost only sixteen killed, and had sixty-eight wounded. It was a blow severely felt by the enemy; but a gleam of hope burst through the gloom which surrounded them, so that the siege was not immediately abandoned. It was known that Elliot’s stock of ammunition and provisions was greatly reduced, and it was hoped that the combined fleet collected in the narrow bay might be able to prevent any relief. That hope also proved vain. Lord Howe had set sail with thirty-four ships of the line, three fire-ships, and six frigates, having under his protection an immense convoy of transports and trading vessels, with all which, on the 11th of October, he passed between the shores of Europe and Africa, and through the Straits of Gibraltar. On the same day he succeeded in landing the cargoes of four of the transports without meeting with any interruption from the combined fleet; and, subsequently, a violent hurricane having driven the French and Spaniards on the Barbary coast, he landed all the stores and fresh troops which he had brought for the relief of the garrison. His task was completed by the 19th, on which day he repassed the Straits, and spread his sails for England. He was followed by the enemy, and on the 20th as they gained upon him off Cape St. Vincent, he lay in order to receive them. A partial engagement took place, but the French and Spaniards testified no anxiety to come to close quarters; and towards the evening they hauled their wind, and gave up all idea of battle or pursuit. Thus perished the hopes of Spain to recover a barren rock; but a rock, the price of which is above all value to a commercial country like England. For his heroic defence, General Elliot was raised to the peerage by the title of Baron Heath field, with a pension annexed to the title similar to that bestowed on Rodney.