The English works were gradually approached to within musketry range of the Citadel; and to enable the working parties to carry on their duties without molestation from the enemy's marksmen, a heavy and somewhat wasteful fire was kept up from the batteries, which had at length to be put a stop to by the Brigadier, for reasons of economy.
That the fire of the English Artillery was effective, was ascertained from prisoners, who said, "Que c'étoit un feu infernal, et qu'on ne voyoit ni ciel, ni terre;" and, when on parole in the town of Palais, a favourite joke among the French prisoners, when they saw an Artillery officer approaching, was to run behind the nearest cover, shouting "Gare la bombe! Gare la bombe!"
When the second parallel was opened, the Navy commenced landing some 32-pounders to arm a battery which some amateur engineers had made, and as additional mortar batteries had also been constructed, the works were now so extensive, that the Artillery was utterly unable to man them all. General Hodgson, accordingly, issued a standing order that as many men from the infantry as Brigadier Desaguliers should require were to be given, and while employed with the Artillery, their pay and allowances were to be made equal to those of the matrosses.
After the occupation of Palais by the British troops, much trouble was caused by drunkenness among the men, and its concomitants, absence and insubordination. The Provost-Marshal was at last ordered to live there, and got very extensive powers. Inter alia, he was permitted "to hang any soldiers committing any kind of irregularities; above all to lay hold of any soldier whom he found drunk on duty, and when he became sober to hang him without trial."
When the civil officials of Palais had occasion to come into the trenches on business, they were always blindfolded while there. Their business was generally of a commercial nature: they were ready to accept English money for their wares, but were anxious to be the appraisers of the value of the foreign coins. At last, it was necessary to publish in orders a standard, regulating the comparative values of French and English specie,—the guinea being valued at 24 livres; and if any tradesman was found cheating in this respect, he was made liable to confiscation of his goods, and corporal punishment.
As the siege approached its end, many of the redoubts near the Citadel fell into the hands of the British; and the duties of the officers of Artillery became somewhat lighter. It is pleasant to find that, instead of availing themselves of their comparative leisure, they all immediately offered their services as engineers, an offer which was greedily accepted.
The Ordnance stores were sadly reduced, and the Navy had not another round to spare; so that fresh requisitions had to be sent to England more than once. Pending a reply, a very strict economy was enjoined; firing in volleys was forbidden, and single rounds were directed to be fired day and night at stated intervals. Twenty-four rounds per gun was laid down as the daily maximum; but an exception was permitted, should the Citadel seem to be on fire, in which case even volleys were allowed. Even to the end, when the number of available guns in the Citadel was much reduced, the fire of the enemy was excellent; twice the English magazines were blown up, and only five days before the capitulation a most severe loss was inflicted on the besiegers, Brigadier Desaguliers himself being among the wounded.
The enemy was able by means of subterranean passages and signalling to keep up a constant communication with the mainland. Nor did he confine himself to these. An apparently innocent and respectable old lady was found traversing the English lines one morning under suspicious circumstances. She was questioned without success. Her profession—she said—was simple; she was a washerwoman, and in the exercise of her vocation had she been seized. A stronger measure was taken: the old lady was searched. Her countenance fell as the operation commenced; fell yet more as dozens of letters were produced from hidden places, containing piteous appeals for assistance from the beleaguered citizens. But even yet she protested her innocence, her astonishment, and her trade; and, yet protesting, with a rope round her neck, she was led away. Whether the rope was afterwards tightened or not, the story does not tell.
Breaching batteries were opened in front of the second parallel and of the town of Palais, the latter at a distance of 230 yards from the Citadel. It was armed with 24-pounders by the Artillery in a single night, although the guns had to be dragged over frightful roads from the landing-place, and without any appliances for diminishing the labour. The zeal and willingness of the men were unmistakable. Yet a third breaching battery was opened to the left of St. Sebastian's Church, about 380 yards from the Citadel; and the guns of the original 16-gun battery were also brought into play to assist in making the breach. At first the energies of the Artillery were confined to a breach which was attempted in the Redan du Havre, between the Bastion du Gouvernement and the Bastion du Cavalier ou du Roy. But a second breach was afterwards commenced in the latter of these Bastions. Powerful enfilading batteries of howitzers and 12-pounders were opened at the same time, whose fire proved most efficacious, as was seen after the capitulation by the number of damaged and dismounted guns along the faces of the works. From the end of May to the 7th June, the day when the Citadel surrendered, there was daily and hourly expectation of submission by the Garrison. The prisoners who were taken at this time all agreed in saying that the commandant merely waited for a breach being made, before he should capitulate. Not merely was the enemy's fire becoming daily weaker, but the ammunition was evidently falling short, wooden shot being not unfrequently fired by him.
Mining had been commenced by the English, a shaft having been sunk under a house in Palais, and a passage commenced under the ditch—which was wet at high water—towards the Redan du Havre. The miners also made several attempts by night, when the tide was out, to cross the ditch and enlarge the breaches made by the batteries, but without much success, the enemy being alert, and throwing hand-grenades among them as they crossed.