Oct. 4.—This morning, on leaving the ground, the enemy were complaisant enough to favor us with a shot, but did no execution. Fatigues were continued in the works as usual, and suffered little or no harm. This day’s orders give us an account of Tarleton’s defeat on the Gloucester side on the 3d. He was attacked by Duke Leziome’s[9] legion and the militia grenadiers, commanded by Mercer. Tarleton lost 50 men, killed and wounded, the officer who commanded his infantry killed, and himself badly wounded, with very little loss on our side.
Oct. 5.—We had more firing from the enemy last night than any night since the commencement of the siege, but don’t learn that they did any other harm than delay the operation of the works. This day the regiment was employed in cutting and making fasseines, and a regiment from every brigade in the army ordered out for some extra fatigue duty this evening.
Oct. 6.—The parties did not go out, and nothing extraordinary happened this day.
Oct. 7.—The regiments ordered for the extra duty were last night employed in drawing the line of circumvallation. This line extends itself to the river on each side the town, and at all places nearly equally distant and better than 200 yards in front of the former works. The enemy discovered us, although the night was pretty favorable, but the chief of their fire was directed against the French. They were, no doubt, much astonished in the morning to find themselves so completely hemmed in on all sides, and trenches so deep that we could sustain little or no harm from their fire. The trenches were this day to be enlivened with drums beating and colors flying, and this honor was conferred on our division of light infantry. And now I must confess, although I was fond of the honor, I had some fear, as I had no notion of a covered way, and more especially as I was posted in the center with the colors. We, however, did not lose a man in relieving, although the enemy fired much. The covered way was of infinite service. Immediately upon our arrival the colors were planted on the parapet with this motto: Manus Haec inimica tyrannis. Our next maneuver was rather extraordinary. We were ordered to mount the bank, front the enemy, and there by word of command go through all the ceremony of soldiery, ordering and grounding our arms; and although the enemy had been firing a little before, they did not now give us a single shot. I suppose their astonishment at our conduct must have prevented them, for I can assign no other reason. Col. Hamilton gave these orders, and although I esteem him one of the first officers in the American army, must beg leave in this instance to think he wantonly exposed the lives of his men. Our orders were this night that if the enemy made a sortie and attempted to storm the trenches we were to give them one fire from the barquet, rush over the parapet and meet them with the bayonet.
Oct. 8.—Some time before daylight this morning we were very much surprized at the conduct of a picket that had been posted some little distance in front of our works. They were fired upon by the enemy, never returned a single shot and retreated into our works in the utmost disorder. Captain Weed, who commanded the picket, was again ordered out, but the enemy had retired. How he will be answerable for his conduct time will discover as I dare say he will soon be obliged to give an account. One man of our picket was killed, though some think it was by our men, as there had been other parties ordered out.
The fire of the enemy was this day chiefly directed against the parties employed in erecting batteries. We were relieved about 12 o’clock and sustained no harm during our tour excepting two men badly wounded; but we had scarcely left the trenches when a man working on the parapet had his arm shot off. As soon as we arrived in camp we changed our ground further to the right. Nothing extraordinary happened the remainder of the day.
Oct. 9.—Last night the troops in the trenches, as well as a great part of this day, were busily employed in finishing the batteries, and about 4 o’clock this afternoon an American battery was opened, consisting of three 24-pounders, three 12’s and four 10-inch mortars. The enemy’s fire was chiefly directed against this battery, and the others that were nearly finished.
Oct. 10.—Last night the men were busily employed in finishing the batteries, and early this morning four more were opened against the enemy, viz.: One American battery on our left, consisting of four 18-pounders; the grand French battery, consisting of 11 24-pounders, two 13-inch mortars, two howitzers, and six 10-inch mortars; and another French battery of four 18-pounders and two howitzers. The fourth is on the left of the French, but am not able as yet to ascertain the number of guns. About 12 o’clock this day our division relieved the trenches, and from that time the enemy fired but very little until the evening. This afternoon our American bomb battery was opened of four 10-inch mortars. A flag came out with Secretary Nelson. He informs us our fire did great execution last night; that we had killed 11 or 12 of their officers, that his black servant was killed by his bedside, and that the first gun fired killed two commissarys as they were sitting at their wine.
Oct. 11.—Last night commenced a very heavy cannonade, and the enemy returned the fire with no less spirit. Being apprehensive of a storm, they often fired in every direction. The largest of the enemy’s vessels was set on fire by the bursting of a shell or a red hot ball from some of our batteries, and communicated it to another, both of which were burnt down. They must have lost a considerable quantity of powder in the last, as there was an explosion which made a heavy report. The whole night was nothing but one continual roar of cannon, mixed with the bursting of shells and rumbling of houses torn to pieces. As soon as the day approached the enemy withdrew their pieces from their embrazures and retired under cover of their works, and now commenced a still more dreadful cannonade from all our batteries without scarcely any intermission for the whole day. We were relieved about noon this day, and went home very much fatigued.
Oct. 12.—Last night we began the second parallel and extended it better than half round the enemy. This parallel is better than three hundred yards in front of the other, and close upon the enemy’s right works. No sooner had the morning made its appearance and the enemy discovered our very near approach, than they commenced a very heavy fire from the batteries and in the course of the day no little surprised us by opening five royals, as we were in hopes they had no shells, by their not giving them on the first parallel.