Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/382

 374 THE HIGHLAND FORTS July would be needed at the fort, and he made good use of a week's forced stay at Eilean Stalker, by having fascines and stakes cut in Aird Woods. 1 At last the wind changed and at daybreak on 14 March Scott got to Fort William. He reported that the governor and garrison were resolved to do their utmost, and the captains of the king's sloops hearty and zealous to assist. But the fort itself he found in so bad a condition that he forbore to say more, lest it might be thought the prelude to an apology for a bad defence. There was so much to do that he had to bustle night and day. He was no sooner landed than he went round the works, took account of stores, and set men to heighten the parapet, where an attack might be expected. 2 The rebels were already gathered in force, but in the midst of his preparations Scott contrived by sallies to do something to keep them busy. It was not till the night of 20 March that the besiegers first threw some shells into the fort. This created a little confusion, and a militia officer made the guard beat to arms and started firing. Scott, however, had no intention to be drawn, and soon put a stop to it, sending all off to bed but the picket, which was to stand by with the fire-engine. The siege now began in earnest, and from this point we may best follow its course in Scott's own journal. 3 21 March. This day we saw an intrenchment thrown up on the Hill about 700 yards off, or rather more, from behind which they threw some shells, upon which all other work ceased, the garrets were ordered to be laid [with] three feet of earth, the floors shored up with beams, and all the bedsteads removed from the lower barracks to the garret, so that the men might have room below. These orders being either through laziness or carelessness neglected, in the evening a shell came through and wounded a man of Argyll in the shoulder and gave another a thump on the nose, which bled him and frighted the rest. This day we began a parapet to make a covered way, but for want of tools made little progress. 22 March. Past twelve in the morning they began and threw 67 shells into and about our Fort. Two men, a lieutenant of the Volunteers of Maryburgh, and the Collector's daughter wounded. At daybreak ceased firing at us. We fired some coehorns at them, against Captain Scott's inclination. But the Argyll men seemed to be uneasy to be fired at and not fire again. This day our men, convinced of the good advice to fill their garrets, wrought undesired very strenuously. The rebels opened three embrasures on their work on the Sugar Loaf Hill and fired a few shots at us, which we returned, more with an intent to practice our gunners than that we cared for the effects of their battery. About noon a fine, 1 State Papers, Scotland, ii. 29, no. 14 ; Scott to General Campbell on 7 March from Dunstaffnage ; and ii. 30, no. 2, Scott's Diary. 3 Ibid. ii. 30, no. 2 ; for 28 February to 27 March. There is another account in a journal of a captain in the Argyllshire militia, ibid. ii. 30, no. 3 ; it does not differ materially.
 * Ibid. ii. 29, no. 27, and 30, no. 2. Scott to Colonel R. Napier on 15 and 25 March.