Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 5.djvu/320

306 He continued by night, and at all other opportunities, to repair actively the damages done; and, reserving his fire for occasions when he saw a chance of doing particular damage, he caused the enemy to wonder at the little impression that they made.

But, in the autumn of 1781, they resolved on a renewed attack of the most vigorous kind. Elliot received information of this, and determined to anticipate the plan. At midnight of the 26th of November he ordered out all his grenadiers and light infantry, including the two veteran regiments with which he had seen service in Germany so many years ago, the 12th, and the regiment of general Hardenberg.

These amounted to about two thousand men, under the command of brigadier-general Ross. Three hundred sailors volunteered to accompany them, and the brave old general himself could not stay behind. The detachment marched silently through the soft sand, and entered the fourth line almost before the Spanish sentinel was aware of them. In a very few minutes the enemy was in full flight towards the village of Campo, and the English set to work, under direction of the engineer officers, to destroy the works which had cost the Spaniards such enormous labour to erect. They spiked the cannon, dug mines, and blew the fourth line, with all its bastions and magazines of gunpowder, into the air. They then marched back in perfect order into their own defences, having lost not a single musket, spade, or tool of any kind. There were only four men killed, twenty-six wounded, and one missing. In the quarters of one of the officers a report was found drawn up, to be dispatched to the general the next morning, saying, "nothing particular had occurred." The news that morning was rather different; and the Spaniards for several days appeared so stupefied that they allowed their works to burn without any attempt to check the fire. In the following month of December, however, they slowly resumed their bombardment. It was not till the spring of the present year, 1782, that the Spaniards were cheered by the news that the duke of Crillon was on his way to join them with the army which had conquered Minorca.

In April, De Crillon arrived, and was followed by the Spanish and French troops from Minorca. From eighteen to twenty thousand men were added to the army already encamped before the place, and the most able engineers were engaged from almost all countries of Europe, at extravagant salaries, and great rewards were offered for inventions which might demolish the formidable works of the English on the rock. Nearly forty thousand troops were now congregated against the old fortress, and vast numbers of French princes and Spanish nobles flocked to St. Roque to witness the anticipated triumph over Gibraltar, as over Fort St. Philip in Minorca. One hundred and seventy pieces of heavy artillery were directed against it, and immense stores of ammunition were accumulated for this final and triumphant achievement. On the other hand, general Elliot had now repaired and strengthened his defences more than ever. His garrison was augmented to seven thousand men, including a marine brigade; eighty pieces of cannon frowned from the walls, and the bulk of his men were of the best and most seasoned kind. At this conjuncture, the Corsican general, Paoli, with, sixty volunteers, joined the garrison, and two princes of the blood, the comte D'Artois and the due de Bourbon, were, on the other hand, with the French troops.

The coming encounter fixed the attention of all Europe, and at length roared forth such an inferno of fire, and balls, and shells against the fortress, that its continued resistance appeared impossible. Charles III., the king of Spain, a man whom nothing had ever appeared capable of rousing into anything like life and interest, was now so much excited