The following officers of the Thirty-ninth regiment were appointed to the staff at Gibraltar: Captain James Horsburgh, from town-major, to be adjutant-general; Captain William Wilson and Lieutenant Richard Henry Buckeridge, to be aides-de-camp to Lieut.-General Robert Boyd, Colonel of the Thirty-ninth, and Lieut.-Governor of Gibraltar.
On the 20th of August the marksmen of the garrison were embodied into a company of two non-commissioned officers and sixty-four men, and the command was given to Lieutenant Charles Burleigh of the Thirty-ninth regiment.
As the enemy’s works progressed, the pavement of the streets was taken up, the towers of conspicuous buildings were pulled down, the guard-houses unroofed, the stone sentry-boxes removed, traverses raised, a covered way commenced, and every measure adopted to lessen the effects of a bombardment.
In Colonel Drinkwater’s Work on the siege of Gibraltar, from which the particulars relating to the Thirty-ninth, in connection with that event, have been chiefly collected, is given the following account of an experiment recommended by Captain John Mercier of the regiment; “namely, to fire out of guns 5½ inch shells, with short fuses, which were tried on the 25th of September, and found to answer extremely well. These small shells, according to Captain Mercier’s method, were thrown with such precision, and the fuses cut by calculation with such exactness, that the shell often burst over their heads, and wounded them before they could get under cover. This mode of annoyance was eligible on several other accounts: less powder was used, and the enemy were more seriously molested. The former was an advantage of no small consequence, since it enabled the Governor to reserve, at this period, what might be probably expended to the greater benefit of the service on a future occasion. It will also account for the extraordinary number of shells which were discharged from the garrison.”
1780.
Early in 1780 provisions became short, and the soldiers willingly submitted to privation; but soon afterwards the garrison was relieved by a fleet from England: the wants of the troops were, however, not supplied in many important articles.
1781.
The Spaniards renewed the blockade by sea, and sent nine fire-ships into the harbour, but failed in their attempt to destroy the shipping. Provisions again became deficient: vegetables were cultivated on the rock with partial success: a precarious supply of several articles was obtained from the Moors, and in April 1781 the garrison was again relieved.
The siege was continued, and a severe bombardment reduced a great portion of the town to a heap of ruins.
The efforts of the enemy were deliberately watched by the Governor, General Eliott, who kept his garrison close within the fortress until a favourable opportunity occurred for a sally, and on the evening of the 26th of November the following garrison order was issued:—