Page:The Siege of London - Posteritas - 1885.djvu/61

 mander attempted to change front, but he had not time, either for that or forming squares; the consequence being his line of infantry was rolled up in confusion, without the possibility of order being restored. A hasty retreat was, therefore, made to the west, with the French cavalry in pursuit, while strong bodies of infantry and artillery were marched to the town, and halted in the Grass Market and its adjoining streets, in order that the Castle might be reduced; for although very few troops had been left to defend it, the French were unaware of this.

French engineer officers, together with a body of sappers and miners, advanced to the Castle gate and succeeded in laying a mine, which on being fired blew the gateway into ruins. The troops were at once put in motion, but now a remarkable scene occurred. The defenders had placed cannon in position so as to command the approach to the gateway, and they opened a fearful enfilading fire. In addition to this, many hundreds of the townspeople had crowded into the houses on either side, and poured down a rain of bullets on the advancing troops, while from the roofs men hurled the parapet stones over and buckets of blazing petroleum. Raving women, who had seen husbands, sons, sweethearts, and fathers shot down, rushed out armed with knives, pokers, and other weapons, and attacked the French, who were absolutely forming a barricade in the narrow streets by their dead and wounded. The slaughter was fearful, and for a time it really seemed doubtful whether the Castle could be taken in face of the storm of fire which withered them on all sides. In a little while, however, the cannonade from the Castle slackened, owing to the ammunition running short, and taking advantage of that the French pressed forward over their comrades' bodies, and through the blazing wreck and tumult, and succeeded in gaining an entrance and putting the devoted garrison to the sword, as they refused to surrender; but scarcely had this been done when a tremendous explosion laid the Castle in ruins and hurled hundreds of the conquerors into eternity. It has never been ascertained whether this explosion was the result of accident or design; but it is generally supposed that some of the citizens, who had previously sought shelter within the walls of the fortress, fired the magazine rather