For some days the weather was so tempestuous that it was impossible to land the heavy guns, or Artillery stores; and the enemy was enabled to strengthen his position unmolested. The bomb-vessels stood close in to the shore, and plied the Citadel, but without much effect. Picquets of 500 men were on duty every night in the English camp; the inhabitants of Palais, the capital of the Island, were strictly watched; and a village in a good position was taken and set fire to, from which circumstance it was always after this time called "the Burnt Village." The Artillerymen were hard at work making their batteries and parallels, assisted by large working parties from the Line; and every officer in the Army who knew anything of engineering was invited to submit his name with a view to employment at an increased rate of pay. The trench work was not a favourite duty with the infantry, even after working-pay was allowed for it; and Brigadier Desaguliers had to make the strongest representations on the subject to General Hodgson. The men did not dislike idling and loafing about the trenches; it was the spade-work which was unpopular; and this led to an amusing order being issued, that any Artillery officer who found a man near his post, idling or curious, was to "lay hold of him, and make him work for 12 hours."
The town of Palais was soon occupied by the English troops, and being near the Citadel, to which the enemy had withdrawn, it afforded excellent cover for the English marksmen, whom the reluctance of the enemy to fire on the town left quite unmolested.
The armament for the batteries had at length been landed and mounted, although not without the greatest difficulty. The Brigadier had at this time, and later on, repeatedly to acknowledge the assistance he received from the Navy, between which and the Artillery there was then, as now, a strong entente cordiale.
And now commenced the regular siege:—Sebastopol in miniature; daily and nightly bombardments; the trenches flooded with rain; and Artillerymen so reduced in numbers as to be without the requisite rest or relief. Three important batteries were opened against the Citadel, known respectively as the 16-Gun, the 10-Gun, and the 4-Gun Batteries. Mortar batteries were made, as the siege progressed, containing two 13-inch, three 10-inch, and six 8-inch land-service mortars; two 13-inch, and two 10-inch sea-service mortars; besides fifteen Royal mortars, and ten Coe-horn's. The guns in the batteries were heavy 24-pounders, medium 12-pounders, and 8-inch and 4½-inch howitzers. There were a few 3-pounder guns, and the Battalion guns, which were 6-pounders. Although it is somewhat anticipating matters, it may here be mentioned that the expenditure of ammunition by the Artillery during the siege amounted to 1500 barrels of powder, 17,000 shot, and 12,000 shell.
The infantry had been divided into three brigades, with a total of all ranks of 6254, exclusive of Artillery, Marines, and Burgoyne's horse, the last-named being chiefly employed in duties of transport and foraging. The duties, which were very heavy, were taken alternately by brigades. The marines did duty in corps, and had to find 378 men for various guards every day.
When Palais was taken, the bells of the churches became, according to custom, the property of the commanding officer of Artillery. A piteous letter, however, was written to him by the priests, pleading the poverty of their parishes, the destitution of many members of their congregations, and the precarious livelihood earned by the most fortunate, concluding by offering 300 livres in ransom for their bells. "So miserable and wretched," wrote the Rector of Palais, was his parish since the bombardment—more so even than before, when no repairs could be executed without the assistance of private charity, that the Church would be unable to exist, did the Commandant of Artillery act on his rights with rigour." They therefore prayed him to leave the bells untouched, that the services might be notified to the people; and to suffer them to be redeemed by the sum above mentioned: with which request Brigadier Desaguliers complied.
Various interesting occurrences took place early in the siege. On the 2nd May, some guns under cavalry escort were ordered to occupy a village on the left of the English camp, which had given considerable annoyance. So warm, however, was their reception, that the cavalry withdrew, with some precipitation. The guns pressed on, nevertheless, unsupported, for about 700 yards, cannonaded the village, and dislodged the enemy. Artillery in a village, without escort, was a strong temptation; and towards night, 300 men made an attempt to cut them off from the main body. The gunners were awake, withdrew their guns behind some rising ground about 1450 yards from the Citadel, and kept their assailants at bay. Next morning, General Hodgson visited the spot, and was so charmed with its natural advantages that he ordered it to be entrenched, and strong batteries mounted. The same was done at this time in front of the Burnt Village, about 900 yards from the Citadel.
The enemy did not content himself with answering the English cannonade. Sorties were frequent; and on one dark night, Major-General Crawford and his staff, taken unawares, were made prisoners in the trenches. Many more would have met the same fate, but for the presence of mind of the gunners in charge of two light field-pieces which happened to be in the trenches that evening. They were charged by several hundred men, including a spiking party, but with well-aimed and frequent volleys of grape, the gunners utterly routed them.
The fire of the enemy was by no means contemptible; in fact, until a number of their guns were dismounted, it was both admirable and effective. On one occasion, a sergeant and thirteen men in the trenches were killed by the explosion of one of the enemy's shells; and so numerous at last were the casualties among the Artillery, that the Brigadier had to apply for 200 men from the infantry to assist in working the guns. There was great difficulty in obtaining even that number: the duties of the camp were hard; and the importance of keeping the Artillery ranks at a siege well filled was not yet fully understood. But with the progress of the siege, came an increase of wisdom; and, before long, not a requisition from the Brigadier was unattended to.
All the available sea-service mortars had been landed from the ships; but a few vessels of lighter draught stood in to attack the Citadel from the sea with their guns. The effect produced was but slight, perhaps because—as an old diary of the siege says—"There were no Artillery people, either officers or men, aboard."