Page:Historical Record of the Fifty-Sixth, Or the West Essex Regiment of Foot.djvu/52

42 were gallantly executed, and two guns, which had annoyed the advance, were captured. The sustained some loss from the enemy’s fire, and had several men drowned in crossing the dike; but they succeeded in gaining the left flank of the enemy, and were warmly engaged until the French retired under the guns of Antwerp, when they pursued until recalled, and ordered to take post under the embankment of St. Ferdinand’s dike, which was not accomplished before several round shot had passed through the ranks. The regiment had thirteen rank and file killed; Ensign Sparks, and twenty-four rank and file wounded. Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Graham stated in his despatch,—“All the troops engaged behaved with the usual spirit and intrepidity of British soldiers;” and the conduct of Lieut.-Colonel Brown of the was particularly noticed.

After this success the British troops were employed in constructing a breastwork and battery, and the took their share in this labour, the men working all night. On the 3rd of February, several pieces of heavy ordnance opened upon the city of Antwerp, and on the French shipping in the Scheldt, and the cannonade was continued until the 6th, the taking their turn in the trenches, and being under fire each day; but General Bulow having received orders to march southward, to act with the grand army of the allies, it became necessary to relinquish the attack on Antwerp, when the British retired towards Breda,—the  halting a few days at Rysburg, ten miles from Breda.

In the beginning of March the battalion again moved towards Antwerp, and was employed in services connected with preventing the enemy throwing a relief into Bergen-op-Zoom, which fortress Sir Thomas Graham had resolved to attack; and the battalion afterwards