The necessary arrangements having been made, the fleet moved forward in two divisions on the 8th of March, in order to silence the different forts, preparatory to the landing of the troops.
After about one hour’s cannonade, the forts of St. Jago and St. Philip were deserted by the enemy, and were taken possession of by the troops; and by the 15th all the soldiers, with their tents, tools, artillery, and stores, were landed, the ground cleared, and an encampment formed.
The reduction of the Castle of Bocca Chica next took place, which, on a practicable breach being made, it was determined to storm; but, in consequence of a well-judged diversion of the navy, the Spaniards retired without firing a shot, and when the grenadiers advanced to storm at the hour appointed, they met no resistance.
A panic had seized the enemy, who set fire to one of their ships; taking advantage of this state, the boats resolved to attempt the fort of St. Joseph, which was immediately evacuated. The Spaniards appearing to be determined to sink their vessels, the British crews proceeded to board the ship Galicia, which carried the flag of the Spanish Admiral.
After various services the castle of Grande Castello was gained, and the enemy had sunk all their ships of war; preparations were made for landing the troops near the town, in order to cut off all communication with the main land.
Two channels having been made through the sunk vessels, with which the Spaniards had blocked up the entrance of the harbour, the troops and artillery were re-embarked, and commenced landing on the 5th of April near the city; and, after a spirited contest, the British bivouacked within a mile of the castle of St. Lazar, which commanded the town. The men passed three nights in the open air for want of tents and tools, which could not be landed sooner, and the health of the troops became seriously injured.
As affairs were now drawing to extremities, and the men were fast diminishing in numbers from hard duty and the effects of climate, Brigadier-General Wentworth resolved to attack St. Lazar by escalade, it being judged necessary to forego the ceremonies of a regular siege, and, however hazardous, to rest the issue upon a storm.
Accordingly before daybreak on the 9th of April, a force under the command of Brigadier-General Guise, of the sixth foot, consisting of five hundred grenadiers, supported by a thousand Marines, and some American and Jamaican levies, advanced against the enemy’s lines in front of the fort; these were followed by a body of Americans, with woolpacks, scaling-ladders and hand-grenades.
The grenadiers, led by Colonel Grant, of the fifth Marines, rushed forward with astonishing bravery, and, leaping into the entrenchments, carried the works in gallant style, driving the Spaniards into the fort over a drawbridge which communicated with the lines. Colonel Grant fell mortally wounded, and the troops, after sustaining a most destructive fire for several hours with intrepidity and perseverance, were ordered to retreat, having lost many officers, and 600 men in killed and wounded.
This repulse was succeeded by the violent periodical rains; the country was deluged with water; and the change of atmosphere, which is always attended with epidemical diseases, produced the most fatal effects. The troops were so drenched with rain, and their health so seriously impaired, that all hope of further success vanished; they were accordingly re-embarked, and the forts and castle of the harbour of Carthagena having been demolished, the fleet sailed for Jamaica on the 6th of May, where it arrived on the 9th of that month. After re-embarking, the distempers, peculiar to the climate, produced numerous casualties among the troops.