Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/386

 378 THE HIGHLAND FORTS July With this exploit Captain Scott concluded his regular diary, but on 2 April he wrote to Colonel Napier, the duke's aide-de- camp : x Last night Capt. Carrell of Johnson's Regiment and his company came here, also an officer and 20 men from Castle Duart, belonging to Guises. For the which I send off an equal number of Argyleshire Militia, who some of them are valiant enough and have behaved on occasions with great bravery. Yet there are some, who for want of military education are not so much under command as I could wish. Therefore it is proposed to garble the whole five companies, and send off those we can least depend upon. Otherwise we have not room for our garrison, and when I consider the past twelve days of our siege I believe 500 men, if willing to do their duty, are enough to defend this place against all the Camerons and Mac- Donalds valour and Mr. Stapleton's prudence and engineership. We had this morning a skirmish about water as usual, which made them bring in all their outliers to their batteries, thinking we were for another sally ; and we saw them from our roofs drag off a gun in haste, to get it out of our reach for fear of the second part of Monday's diversion. I have not heard what they think of it now, but believe I shall have a spy back this night or to-morrow. The French gunner who surrendered (as he says) I find a damned lying fellow, and I believe Barrell's man little better, for 1 have certain advice that the rebels have many men wounded by our shells. And really to say the truth we laid them in their battery with great good luck, and I hope some skill too. We fired two barrels of powder the day we blew their battery magazines up. We have just picked up, at a penny apiece, a good many 4-pound shot, and unspiked that gun which was nailed at our first mortaring their battery on Monday, and a bed is making for the mortar which we took without a bed. So that we shall ply them in our turn with their own weapons, as they have done all along to us. For it is a grievous thing and the only thing that vexed me during the whole siege to see on every shot, six, four, three, one-and-a- half, and even grape shot His Majesty's mark -^ on every one of them, and the Crown G.R. on the mortars we took. 3 April. This was to have gone off last night, but winds proving contrary I now have the pleasure to acquaint you our siege is ended for this bout. Last night the rebels threw some 17 or 18 shells and fired a few shot at us, which we never so much as returned, reserving ours for the more certain aim in daytime. This morning they were all gone : we sent out some parties, brought in their guns, 4-pounders of Fort George and Fort Augustus, one brass 3-pounder, and some mortars. But all were spiked up or else had a large shot rammed into the chamber of the mortars. Powder we found none. After bringing all those things in, I sent out a working party and levelled every battery they had, and brought in slippers, planks, faggots, &c., all into garrison ; and now 1 propose doing such necessary works as I think easiest performed in our present circumstances for the future defence of this place in case they 1 State Papers, Scotland, ii. 30, no. 17 (Diary for 27 to 31 March and Letter o' 2 April, two separate enclosures by Cumberland).