The second epoch—the Bombardment—was at first hardly believed to be possible. The fire of the garrison was directed against an assailant and a masculine force; but a bombardment of Gibraltar meant—in the minds of its defenders—a wanton sacrifice of women and children; a wholesale murder of unwarlike inhabitants, who could not escape, and to whom the claims of the conflicting Powers were immaterial. The wailing of women over murdered children, of children over wounded parents; the smoking ruins of recently happy homes; the distress of the flying tradespeople and their families, seeking safety to the southward of the Rock, and abandoning their treasures to bombardment and pillage; all these told with irritating effect upon the troops of a country whose sons are chivalrous without being demonstrative. In days coming on—in terrible days which many who read these pages may have lived in and seen, English troops shall clench their hands, and set their teeth with cruel hardness, as they come upon little female relics—articles of jewellery or dress—perhaps even locks of hair, scattered in hideous abandonment near that well at Cawnpore, whose horrors have often been imagined—never told. To those who have seen this picture, the feelings of the beleaguered garrison in Gibraltar will be easily intelligible, as they stumbled in the town over a corpse—and that corpse a woman's. No wonder that when the great sally took place, historical as much for its boldness as its success, there was an angry desperation among the troops, which it would have taken tremendous obstacles to resist. It was a brave morning, that 27th of November, 1781, when "the moon's nightly course was "nearly run,"[[28]] and ere the sun had risen, a little over 2000 men sallied forth to destroy the advanced works of the enemy—an enemy 14,000 strong—and works, three-quarters of a mile from the garrison, and "within a few hundred yards of the enemy's lines, which mounted 135 pieces of heavy artillery."[[28]] The officers and men of the Royal Artillery who took part in the sortie, numbered 114; and were divided into detachments to accompany the three columns of the sallying force, to spike the enemy's guns, destroy their magazines and ammunition, and set fire to their works. It was the last order issued in Colonel Tovey's name to the brave men whom he had commanded since the promotion of Colonel Godwin. For Abraham Tovey was sick unto death; and as his men were parading for the sortie, and the moon was running her nightly course—his was running fast too. Before his men returned, he was dead. For nearly half a century he had served in the Royal Artillery—beginning his career as a matross in 1734, and ending it as a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1781. He died in harness—died in the command of a force of Garrison Artillery which has never been surpassed nor equalled, save by the great and famous siege-train in the Crimea.
The troops for the sortie paraded at midnight, on the Red Sands, under Brigadier-General Ross. They consisted of the 12th Regiment, and Hardenberg's—two which had fought side by side at Minden—and the Grenadiers and light infantry of the other regiments. There were also, in addition to the Artillery, 100 sailors, 3 Engineers, with 7 officers and 12 non-commissioned officers, overseers, 40 artificers, and 160 men from the line as a working party. A reserve of the 39th and 58th Regiments was also in readiness, if required.
On reaching the works, "The ardour of the assailants was irresistible. The enemy on every side gave way, abandoning in an instant, and with the utmost precipitation, those works which had cost them so much expense, and employed so many months to perfect.... The exertions of the workmen, and the Artillery, were wonderful. The batteries were soon in a state for the fire faggots to operate; and the flames spread with astonishing rapidity into every part. The column of fire and smoke which rolled from the works, beautifully illuminated the troops and neighbouring objects, forming altogether a coup d'œil not possible to be described. In an hour, the object of the sortie was fully effected."[[29]]
The third epoch, culminating in the grand attack on the 13th September, 1782, is deeply interesting. The fate of Minorca had released a number of Spanish troops, to act against Gibraltar; and large French reinforcements had arrived. On the land side, there were now "Most stupendous and strong batteries and works, mounting two hundred pieces of heavy ordnance, and protected by an army of near 40,000 men, commanded by a victorious and active general, the Duke de Crillon; and animated by the immediate presence of two Princes of the Royal Blood of France." From the sea, the Fort was menaced by forty-seven sail of the line:—"Ten battering-ships, deemed perfect in design, and esteemed invincible, carrying 212 guns; besides innumerable frigates, xebeques, bomb-ketches, cutters, gun and mortar-boats, and smaller craft for disembarking men."[[29]]
It was during the bombardment immediately preceding the grand attack, that Major Lewis was wounded, and Lieutenant Boag received his second wound, the latter in a singular manner. He was in the act of laying a gun, when a shell fell in the Battery. He immediately threw himself into an embrasure for safety when the shell should explode; but when the shell burst, it fired the gun under whose muzzle he lay. Besides other injury, the report deprived him of hearing, and it was very long ere he recovered. Another officer of the Artillery, Major Martin, had a narrow escape at the same time, a 26-pounder shot carrying away the cock of his hat, near the crown.
The 26-pounder was a very common gun, both in the Rock and in the enemy's land-batteries; but as it was not used on board their ships, and to prevent them returning the shot of the garrison against themselves, all the 26-pounders were moved to the seaward batteries, and fired against the ships, guns of other calibres being employed against the land forces.
The battering ships, with their supposed impregnable shields, were the mainstay of the enemy's hopes; but the use of red-hot shot by the garrison made them after a time perfectly useless.
When the cannonade was at its highest pitch, on the day of the grand attack, "the showers of shot and shell which were directed from the enemy's land-batteries, the battering-ships, and, on the other hand, from the various works of the garrison, exhibited a scene of which, perhaps, neither the pen nor pencil can furnish a competent idea. It is sufficient to say that four hundred pieces of the heaviest Artillery were playing at the same moment: an instance which has scarcely occurred in any siege since the invention of those wonderful engines of destruction."[[30]]
At first the battering-ships seemed to deserve their reputation. "Our heaviest shells often rebounded from their tops, whilst the 32-pound shot seemed incapable of making any visible impression upon their hulls.... Even the Artillery themselves at this period had their doubts of the effect of the red-hot shot.... Though so vexatiously annoyed from the Isthmus, our Artillery totally disregarded their opponents in that quarter, directing their sole attention to the battering-ships, the furious and spirited opposition of which served to excite our people to more animated exertions. A fire, more tremendous, if possible, than ever was therefore directed from the garrison. Incessant showers of hot balls, carcasses, and shells of every species flew from all quarters; and as the masts of several of the ships were shot away, and the rigging of all in great confusion, our hopes of a speedy and favourable decision began to revive."[[31]]
Towards evening, signs of great distress and confusion were visible on board the ships, and the Admiral's ship was seen to be on fire. But not until next morning did the garrison realize how great was their advantage. In the meantime the fire was continued, though less rapidly; and "as the Artillery, from such a hard-fought day, exposed to the intense heat of a warm sun, in addition to the harassing duties of the preceding night, were much fatigued; and as it was impossible to foresee what new objects might demand their service the following day; the Governor about six in the evening, when the enemy's fire abated, permitted the majority of the officers and men to be relieved by a piquet of a hundred men from the Marine Brigade; and officers and non-commissioned officers of the Artillery were stationed on the different batteries, to direct the sailors in the mode of firing the hot shot."[[31]]