was immediately opened on them. This battery incommoded them much, but never could have made any impression on the walls of the parapet, as they were eighteen feet thick. "The Spaniards pointed, that evening, three guns more towards the land-side, and in the morning dismounted one of ours. Observing there were some houses near the fort which the Spaniards had neglected to burn, parties of marines, Baymen, and Indians, occupied them, and kept up so incessant a fire on the embrazures of the fort, that the Spaniards' fire from the guns was often silenced for hours, and we observed them throwing over the dead. This day six guns more were got up by the seamen and Baymen, one of which General Dalling had sent for the Baymen, three others being swamped coming on shore. Captain Cardan opened a battery of four six-pounders, from the hill which the Pomona's men had gained in the first skirmish at the defile, which also commanded the fort. Foreseeing that by a siege of this nature, before approaches could be made in a regular way, and a breach effected, a vast train of artillery would be required, and a length of time, after which we would be obliged to storm; having also the enemy in our rear all round; and having maturely weighed all these circumstances, and the disadvantage inevitably attending a siege it was therefore determined to escalade the fort, as the ditch was found to be dry: and having consulted with the commodore on the mode of attack, it was resolved that the Pomona should be towed close in, the heavier ships co-operating. "The attack being determined on, the Europeans were formed in four columns in line: four men advanced, with guides, at the head of each column; in each column followed eight men, carrying the ladders, who were followed by a few hand-grenade men. Two columes consisting of seamen, and two of marines, with a few Loyal Irish. "At three in the morning, the disposition being made, and our force consisting of 150, we moved down the hill, and lay there waiting for the signal of the Charon, which was to denote she had got under weigh, and would attack in twenty minutes. The signal being made a little after four o'clock in the morning of the 20th, we advanced under fire of our own batteries, and were encouraged by observing that the Spaniards did not perceive our march, by the direction of their shot over us, pointed at our batteries on the hills. "The Pomona, and fleet also, attracted their notice, by the fire from the sea-side. By this fortunate co-operation, in profound silence, arms trailed, and in order to animate the troops, Naval Chronicle, vol. x. p. 449. the parole was changed to bayonette! and the counter-sign, Britons, strike home! we advanced undiscovered under the Spanish sentries, who were every two or three minutes passing the word alerto! At the entrance into the ditch were two guns, pointed from the flanks of the bastion to scour it. We were perceived by their sentries, and their drum beat to the alarmposts. Our columns were staggered, and stept back; but instantly recovering themselves, they advanced to the wall, in height twenty-eight feet, on which was a battery of five guns. They reared one ladder, a second, and a third. The first ladder was broke by the flank guns of another bastion, killing a midshipman, and badly wounding five men; the other two ladders were also wounded, but not broke. Two seamen got up first by one ladder, and obeyed their orders in not firing; they presented at sixty Spaniards drawn up, but retained their fire until others ascended; and so great was the consternation of the enemy, that it seemed as if they had lost the power of their arms, although their officers were at their head encouraging them. "The seamen scrambling up the ladders, down off the parapets they went, and being reinforced by marines and seamen, the Spaniards fled to the casements; but they could not recover their panic, notwithstanding every exertion of their officers. About 100 Spaniards escaped over the walls on the opposite side, and out of a sally-port. The governor and principal officers then came and delivered up to me their swords, the garrison, and register ships, with the keys of the fort, and saved their lives.' Naval Chronicle, vol. x. p. 449. 1 Copy of the Convention between the Hon. John Luttrell and William Dalrymple, Esq. on the part of His Britannic Majesty, and Don Simon Desnaux and Don Juan Dastieux, on the part of His Catholic Majesty, for the Officers and Garrison of Porto Omoa, October 24, 1779. "Don Simon Desnaux, lieutenantcolonel of infantry, engineer in second to His Catholic Majesty, and heretofore commandant of the fort of Omoa, and Don John Dastieux, engineer, commandant and captain of infantry, having earnestly solicited the commanders of His Britannic Majesty's forces by sea and land, the Hon. John Luttrell and William Dalrymple, Esq., to treat for the exchange of the Spanish garrison at Omoa on the part of His Britannic Majesty, have set forth that they are ready to treat on the part of His Catholic Majesty for the same; the said request is complied with, upon the following terms and conditions : "1. All the Spanish officers which bear His Catholic Majesty's commission shall be prisoners of war, and admitted upon their parole, that they shall not serve directly or indirectly against the King of Great Britain, his subjects or allies, during the present war, unless they are before exchanged. "2. That all the said officers shall be permitted to choose their place of residence, provided that they are not found beyond the distance of sixty leagues from Omoa, nor nearer to Omoa than forty leagues, until they be exchanged in the manner hereafter set forth. "3. That all the Mulattoes and people of mixed colour, whether men, women, or children, as well as the artificers, shall have liberty to return home, provided "Enclosed is a list of the Spanish officers, with the troops of the garrison, also a list of our killed and wounded, which is very Naval Chronicle, vol. x. p. 449. none of them take up arms against the King of Great Britain, his subjects or allies, or be found within thirty leagues of Omoa until this agreement is fully accomplished. "4. That the said Don Simon Desnaux and Don Juan Dastieux doth engage for the governor of Merida, in case the English prisoners captured in the Bay of Honduras are within his district, and if not, for the governor of whatever Spanish district they may be in, that he shall return an equal number of Mulattoes or people of mixed colour to those that have been liberated at Omoa, and of this number such as were taken in the Bay of Honduras by the Spaniards shall have the preference. And it is further understood and agreed between the parties to this agreement, that all the subjects of the King of Great Britain taken in the Bay of Honduras, and now in the custody of the said governor of Merida, shall be exchanged by giving Mulattoes for Mulattoes, men for men, women for women, children for children; and this exchange to be made the moment the said governor of Merida can be made acquainted with this convention, but at all events not to exceed the space of three months. "5. The serjeants and soldiers of the regulars shall be exchanged for an equal number of serjeants and soldiers of the British army; and if the King of Spain shall not have such in his possession, then to be exchanged for the principal merchants and traders taken at St. George's Quay, in the Bay of Honduras, provided a sufficient number of white people cannot be sent from Omoa to exchange them, and a receipt to be given by the English commissary for such number of men as may have been captured in the Bay of Honduras as shall, exceed the number delivered from the garrison of Omoa; such receipt for the surplus to be given by the Spanish commissary, if the balance is in favour of England. The Spanish seamen to be exchanged in like manner for English seamen as is specified by the parties respecting serjeants and soldiers. "6. The Hon. John Luttrell and William Dalrymple doth covenant, that the Spanish garrison at Omoa shall be on board of vessels properly provided, and shall be conveyed without loss of time to the Castle of St. Philip within the Gulph of Dulce, or to some adjacent Spanish post, and there delivered at the sole charge of His Britannic Majesty. And the said Don Simon Desnaux and Don Juan Dastieux doth covenant, that the officers, soldiers, merchants, artificers, Mulattoes, and people of white or mixed colour, subjects of His Britannic Majesty, which, since the commencement of the present war with Spain, have been taken in the Bay of Honduras, shall be embarked within the space of three months from the day the said Don Simon Desnaux and Don Juan Dastieux shall be landed in the Gulph of Dulce, and sent to Omoa, or the next nearest English settlement, at the sole expence of the King of Spain, provided the said English prisoners, or any of them, are within the jurisdiction of the governor of Merida; but should they have been sent to the Havana, then the said Don Simon Desnaux and Don Juan Dastieux doth covenant, that the governor of the Havana shall embark them from thence, and land them at the expence of the King of Spain as aforesaid at Jamaica, within the space of six months from the date hereof. Provided always, that if every article of this agreement is not strictly performed on the part of the court of Spain, we, Don Simon Desnaux and Don Juan Dastieux, are fully bound for ourselves and for all the Spanish officers of the garrison, to repair without loss of time, and by the shortest mode of conveyance, to Omoa, or to the nearest English settlement, there to deliver ourselves up as prisoners of war. And for the further security hereof, the said Don Simon Desnaux and Don Juan Dastieux will deliver up as hostages Colonel Antonio Fernandes, second commandant of the garrison; the Rev. Blass Mercenario, chaplain of the register ship St. Joseph; the Padre Antonio Mercurdetio, late chaplain of Omoa, to whom we promise to give the ornaments of the church (which we refuse to ransom), upon condition that every part of this agreement is fulfilled by the court of Spain within inconsiderable. We found eleven Spaniards wounded, some of whom are since dead. They will not acknowledge the number they have lost, but it is thought it exceeds thirty. "As to the behaviour of the officers and men under my command, the British displayed that bravery which is their known characteristic. The Baymen and the Indians were also of the utmost service in all duties of fatigue, in skirmishing and dragging up the cannon. "Your lordship will pardon my mentioning an instance of an elevated mind in a British tar, which amazed the Spaniards, and gave them a very high idea of English valour. Not contented with one cutlass, he had scrambled up the walls with two, and meeting a Spanish officer without arms, who had been roused out of his sleep, had the generosity not to take any advantage, but presenting him one of his cutlasses, told him, You are now on a footing with me.' The orders were not to spare while they resisted, but to grant quarter to all who requested it. Only two Spaniards were wounded by the bayonet by resisting, nor was any person pillaged or plundered. "I have the pleasure to inform your lordship, that the greatest harmony subsisted between the sea and land-forces during the whole of this expedition; and that Commodore Luttrell, and the captains of the navy, have on every occasion made the greatest exertions to forward the service on shore; and all underwent the most severe fatigue, in this hot climate, with uncommon alacrity. "Of this fortification your lordship will judge of the importance, from the incredible expence the crown of Spain has been at in erecting it, as the stone of which it is built is raised out of the sea, and brought twenty leagues. The outworks are not finished, notwithstanding they have employed constantly 1000 men at work for twenty years. It is the key of the Bay of Honduras, and where the register-ships and treasure are sent to from Guatimala, in time of war. The morning of our arrival the treasure was conveyed into the country; so that what we have found in the military chest, and what belonged to the public, does not exceed 8000 piastres; but the register-ships must be very valuable, if they arrive in safety in England. "I send these dispatches, with the colours of Omoa, and also plans of the fortification, by Lieutenant Cardan, of the 60th regiment, whom I appointed to act as captain of artillery, and engineer to this expedition; and humbly beg he may be permitted to lay them at his Majesty's feet. (Signed)" W. DALRYMPLE, "Commander-in-chief of the land-forces." Return of Killed and Wounded acting on Shore at the Siege and Attack of One midshipman, five men, killed; one subaltern, thirteen men, wounded. Names of Officers killed and wounded. Mr. Lloyd, midshipman of the Lowestoffe, killed. Second Lieutenant Wightman, of the Chatham division of marines, wounded. Commodore Luttrell settled most of the Baymen on the island of Rattan, which he fortified: he left the Porcupine sloop to assist Captain Dalrymple and the garrison at Omoa, which place was invested by the Spaniards on the 25th of November. Sickness had so diminished the garrison, that after spiking the guns and embarking the ammunition, they abandoned the fort. Robert Maxwell, Esq. was appointed (by patent under the great seal) governor of the Bahama Islands. In Antigua, every part of the surface of the ground became parched up, and all the ponds were dry. The importation of water was altogether insufficient to supply the demand. The stock and Negroes perished in the greatest agony; and a malignant fever, at the same time, threatened total destruction to all. The Negroes' allowance was but one pint of horse-beans a day. Mr. Baxter, the methodist preacher, appointed the 28th of May as a day of fasting and prayer among his followers: he says, "It is remarkable, that while we were assembled for prayer, the Lord granted our request by sending rain in abundance. And at the same time that he was pouring out floods upon the dry ground, the times of refreshing came from his presence in such a manner, that many were constrained to cry, My cup runs over! Some strangers also joined us, who acknowledged the power of God." At this time he had joined 600 in society. In 1779, Antigua exported 3382 hhds. of sugar. His Majesty's ship Ruby, Captain Everitt, in company with his Majesty's sloops Eolus and Jamaica, on the 2d of June, off Beatson's Memoirs, vol. iv. p. 488. Annual Register, 1779, p. 245. |