During the hottest period of “the enemy’s cannonade (Colonel Drinkwater relates), the Governor was present on the King’s bastion, whilst Lieut.-General Boyd took his station upon the South bastion, animating the garrison by their presence, and encouraging them to emulation. The exertions and activity of the brave artillery in this well fought contest deserve the highest commendations. To their skill, perseverance, and courage, with the zealous assistance of the line (particularly the corps in town, the Thirty-ninth, and the late Seventy-second regiment), was Gibraltar indebted for its safety against the combined powers, by sea and land, of France and Spain.”
The Colonel also adds the following singular circumstance. When Lieut.-General Boyd laid the foundation stone of the King’s bastion in 1773, upon fixing the stone in its place, he remarked that “this is the first stone of a work which I name the ‘King’s Bastion;’ may it be as gallantly defended, as I know it will be ably executed; and may I live to see it resist the united efforts of France and Spain!” This wish was fully accomplished.
In this manner the mighty efforts of France and Spain ended in defeat and destruction, while the conduct of the garrison of Gibraltar elicited the admiration of the nations of Europe. In England the most enthusiastic applause was universal; illuminations and other modes of testifying the joy of the people followed the receipt of the news of the destruction of the supposed invincible battering ships, and every family which could boast a defender of Gibraltar belonging to it, was proud of the honor. The loss of the garrison on the 13th and 14th of September, was limited to one officer, two serjeants, and thirteen private soldiers killed; five officers and sixty-three rank and file wounded: that of the enemy exceeded two thousand officers and soldiers.
Although the enemy gave up all hopes of reducing Gibraltar by force of arms, yet some expectation was entertained, that, if the blockade was continued, the garrison might be forced to surrender from the want of provisions; the combined fleet therefore remained in the bay, the besieging army continued in the lines, and about a thousand shots were fired every day from the Spanish batteries. The garrison was encouraged to continue resolute in the defence of the fortress by assurances of their Sovereign’s favour and high approbation. The principal Secretary of State, writing to General Eliott, stated,—“I am honored with His Majesty’s commands to assure you, in the strongest terms, that no encouragement shall be wanting to the brave officers and soldiers under your command. His royal approbation of the past will no doubt be a powerful incentive to future exertions; and I have the King’s authority to assure you, that every distinguished act of emulation and gallantry, which shall be performed in the course of the siege by any, even of the lowest rank, will meet with ample reward from his gracious protection and favour.”
In October the combined fleet was much damaged by a storm, and soon afterwards a British naval force arrived, and the garrison was again relieved, when two regiments, the Twenty-fifth and Fifty-ninth, landed to take part in the defence of the fortress.
1783.
After the garrison was thus relieved and reinforced a third time, the Court of Madrid relinquished the idea of recovering Gibraltar either by force or stratagem; negotiations ensued, and in February 1783 the Spanish army withdrew, the preliminary articles for a treaty of peace having been signed in the preceding month. Thus terminated the siege of Gibraltar, which is celebrated in the military annals of the eighteenth century; and the successful defence of that fortress ranks amongst the noblest efforts of the British arms: it exceeded in duration the famous siege of Ostend in the beginning of the seventeenth century; and it is a proud circumstance in the services of the Thirty-ninth, that the regiment had twice shared in the defence of Gibraltar, having (as stated at [page 9]) been present when the place was besieged by the Spaniards in the year 1727.
The Thirty-ninth regiment was rewarded, with the other corps which took part in this long and arduous service, with the thanks of the Sovereign, and of the Houses of Parliament, and with the honor of bearing on the regimental colour and appointments the word “Gibraltar,” with the “Castle and Key,” and the motto “Montis Insignia Calpé,” in commemoration of its services during the siege.[19]
The loss of the regiment during the siege was—
| Officers. | Serjeants. | Drummers. | Rank and File. | |
| Killed | 1 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| Died of wounds | 1 | 1 | - | 6 |
| Disabled by wounds | - | - | - | 10 |
| Wounded, that recovered | 3 | 5 | 1 | 44 |
| Died of diseases | - | 1 | - | 37 |
| Total | 5 | 10 | 2 | 113 |