TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 4th, 1794. The Monachesco getting additional strength, the General ordered the three-gun battery which is manned by the Royal Louis, to open on them at daylight this morning. A great deal of the Enemy's battery is beat down, but I fancy it is not the General's intention to storm it to-night. I hope our advanced battery will be finished this night—at least for five guns, but we are very slow. I have not yet quite wrote out my Journal, but will endeavour to do it this afternoon. I am most truly your Lordship's faithful, A deserter came in this day: he says that two boats sailed for France within these three days past, that they do not come out by Cape Revellata, but go close round Cape d'Espano. The Brig would have gone last night, but the wind was unfavourable: she will go to-night if the weather is favourable. JOURNAL C. July 4th.-The Royal Louis Battery opened at day-light on Monachesco, and, before evening, did considerable damage to the Enemy's works. It being the General's intention to make our battery this night against the Mozelle, he judged it proper to endeavour to draw off the Enemy's attention from that place by a show of an attack on Monachesco.- In the evening the Royal Irish marched from the right, whilst the Light Corps moved to the left. The Corsicans also, as soon as it was dark, began to fire; which the Enemy thinking to be an attack on Monachesco, fired in all directions; not only from the latter place, but from the Mozelle, Fountain Battery, San Francesco, and the Town. In a short time, thinking, I suppose, that we were in possession of Mona chesco, they directed their cannon against it; and their musketry was fired entirely across the isthmus, apprehending, doubtless, a general attack. It was General Stuart's orders, which were as plain as it was possible for orders to be, that the working parties should move forward with the sand-bags, casks, and platforms, after sun-set; and as soon as they were got a little forward, I was to have moved with the guns; but at half-past ten o'clock, when the General returned, not an Engineer had advanced: an attempt, however, was made to erect the battery, but by midnight it was found impossible to accomplish it, and mount the guns before daylight. The General, therefore, ordered all the materials to be taken back to the place whence they had been brought. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 5th, 1794. I am sorry all the firing last night produced nothing. It was the General's intention, as he told me yesterday, to make a feint of attacking Monachesco, which of course would draw off the attention of the Enemy from our people making the battery. From some cause it was eleven o'clock before the battery could be begun, and before twelve, from the impossibility of completing it, and getting the guns into it before daylight, every bag and cask was obliged to be carried back again. The failure of any plan must be distressing to him,— I am sure I feel it. Wherever it lays, it does not rest with us. We were at our posts one hour before any creature made their appearance. I think, from what the General told me last night, our battery will not be begun this night. A 2 On the 4th of July General Stuart wrote to Captain Nelson : “Every time I write delay, my dear Sir, I suffer more than I can describe, for it very little suits with my inclination or warmth of disposition. I must, however, crave it for one night more, and beg from you 100 men at eight o'clock this evening to forward shot still nearer the Enemy, while a hundred and fifty are employed by me in carrying other articles. Your very faithful servant, CHAS. STUART."-Original, in the Nelson Papers. happy degree of irregularity I can't help thinking is sometimes better than all this regularity. I mentioned about the boats, as the way they securely go out, the same way they may attempt to get in, and the deserter said we guarded Cape Revellata, but not the other. Lieutenant Cox has his orders to join the Victory, and [is] getting some men to lay in the Cove with Mr. Fennel. I shall see the General before I close this letter, to know if he has anything to say to your Lordship. Believe me, Your most faithful I am just come from the General, and I hope we shall get on better this night. He is very much displeased. The Return of Stores still on board the Transports the General wished to look over: therefore I have deferred sending them to your Lordship till to-morrow. JOURNAL C. July 5th.-Carrying junk for mortar platforms, and placing the mortars on their beds; getting also things forward for the advanced battery: one hundred seamen were employed all night. Lieutenant Moutray made a battery for two eighteen-pounders inside Revellata, with twenty-five men. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 6th, 1794. General Stuart is very anxious if your Lordship cannot get two eighteen pounders on the point inside Revellata, that one may be got, as it will take much fire from our battery, which I have now no doubt will be opened at daylight tomorrow morning. If opportunity offers during the feint of this night, Monachesco may probably be stormed. I send you my Journal, and an account of what is in the remaining Transports. Believe me, your most faithful, HORATIO NELSON. JOURNAL C. July 6th.-Procuring some planks, and preparing everything to be ready to work briskly in the evening. At halfpast nine o'clock, a feint of an attack was carried on against Monachesco, which succeeded amazingly well. Not a shot was fired at us; for the Enemy turned their whole fire during the night towards the post which they imagined was attacked. By excessive labour, and the greatest silence in every department, the battery was completed for six guns, within 750 yards of the Mozelle, and without the smallest annoyance, before daylight On the 7th, and the guns brought close to it; but from unavoidable circumstances, the guns could not be mounted on the platforms until two hours afterwards. The Enemy did not fire at us until the fifth gun was getting into the battery, probably never thinking of looking so near themselves for a battery, when they opened a heavy fire of grape shot on us: but the Seamen did their duty. Considering our very exposed situation, our loss was small in numbers; yet amongst those who fell was Captain Walter Serocold, of the Navy, who was killed by a grape-shot passing through his head as he cheered the people who were dragging the gun. In him, the service lost a gallant Officer, and a most able Seaman. Three soldiers were also killed, one of the Agamemnon's Seamen, and Mr. Thomas Corney, Mate of the Grand Bay, Transport, who was one of the volunteers. A little before six o'clock, we got two English twentyfour-pounders, and four twenty-six-pounders, mounted on their platforms, in defiance of all opposition. At ten o'clock opened our fire from this battery on the Mozelle and Fountain battery: not a gun from the Town can bear upon us, being so much covered by the Mozelle. We also opened our hill-battery of two twenty-six-pounders and a twelve-inch mortar, fifteen hundred yards from the Mozelle, with the Royal Louis battery of three thirty-six-pounders and two twelve-inch mortars in the rear, and to the left of our advanced battery; all which kept up during the whole day a constant fire on the Enemy. At three o'clock in the afternoon the Enemy set fire to the fascines in Monachesco, and abandoned the post, which the Corsicans took possession of. We had considerably damaged the works by night, during which we fired occasionally on their batteries. The Enemy repaired much of the fascine battery during the succeeding night. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord. Battery, Noon, July 7th, 1794. The feint on Monachesco succeeded most amazingly well. Not a shot was fired at us, but from unavoidable circumstances our guns could not be mounted on the platforms till two hours after daylight, and being within grape-shot of the Enemy it is wonderful our loss has not been greater. Your Lordship will be sorry to hear that Captain Serocold3 is amongst the killed. The Agamemnon lost one Seaman, and a Mate of a Transport had his leg shot off. The Troops had a Sergeant and two Privates killed. Our battery seems to have had a good effect on the Cavalier of the Mozelle, the two 3 Lord Hood thus replied to this Letter, on the 7th of July : "My dear Nelson,-You judge very right; I was anxious to hear from you, and all things considered from your statement, I wonder our loss has not been more considerable. But I feel struck for the fate of poor Serocold, as the King had not a more gallant and deserving Officer in the Navy, and I had a very sincere regard for him. If you, with the assistance of that brave fellow Hallowell, feel yourself equal to the service that may arise, I shall not send you another Officer, but I shall hold one ready to rejoin you whenever you wish it. There is a Transport not far off to which I have sent a boat, and I want its return to make a communication of her to the General, before I send away your messenger. Very faithfully yours, Hood. Be so good as to order the Crescent to join me immediately, that she may be discharged. The Transport is the Jamaica from Bastia the enclosed note specifies what she has on board."— From a Copy, certified by Nelson, in the Hood Papers. : |