Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v2p2.djvu/351

 “It was near one o’clock in the afternoon of the 13th, before we could get far enough into the bay to put the men on shore; and they were soon after landed on the beach in the finest order under cover of the Sparrowhawk and Minstrel sloops, without harm, the enemy having posted themselves in the town, supposing we should be injudicious enough to go into the mole without dislodging them; soon after our men moved forward to take the town and batteries in the rear, and the enemy withdrew to a windmill on a hill, where they remained almost quiet spectators of the detachment taking possession of the batteries and the vessels. The mortar was spiked and the cannon thrown down the heights into the sea; the magazine blown up, the whole of the vessels burnt and totally destroyed, save two which were brought out; in short, the object had succeeded to admiration: and at this time with the loss of no more than 4 or 5 men from occasional skirmishing; but I am sorry to relate, that in withdrawing our post from a hill which we occupied to keep the enemy in check until the batteries and vessels were destroyed, I fear that our people retired with some disorder, which encouraged the enemy, who had received a reinforcement from St. Felice, to advance upon them, and by some unhappy fatality, instead of directing their retreat ta the beach where the Cambrian, Sparrowhawk, and Minstrel lay to cover their embarkation, the brave but thoughtless unfortunate men came through Ike town down to the mole: the enemy immediately occupied the walls and houses, from which they kept wp a severe fire upon the boats crowded with men, and dastardly fired upon and killed several who had been left on the mole, and were endeavouring to swim to the boats. Nothing could exceed the good conduct of Captains Pringle and Campbell, and Lieutenant Conolty of the Cambrian, (who commanded that ship in the absence of Captain Fane) both in the landing and withdrawing the men, and the officers in the launches with carronades, and the 2 mortar-boats of the Cambrian: indeed the officers and men of all the boats distinguished themselves beyond all praise in going to the mole to bring off the men who had been left behind. In performing this arduous service they suffered much, but I had the satisfaction to perceive the fire of their carronades and mortars upon the enemy was very destructive.

“Unfortunately Captain Fane, as I am informed, was at the mole giving directions to destroy the vessels, when our men were withdrawn from the hill; he remained there with firmness to the last, and is among the missing, but I have received a satisfactory account that he is well.

“I feel, Sir, with unfeigned grief, that our loss has been severe, but had it not been for the indiscretion of the people straggling from their post and coming into the town, contrary to my caution, the enemy would not have dared to approach them, and the loss would have been very inconsiderable, compared with the importance of the service performed. The French had entered Catalonia with an army of 10,000 men, and as I was ordered to this coast for the express purpose of depriving them of their expected supplies, I considered that some energy and enterprise were necessary to accomplish it; the force I employed was fully adequate to