The General's orders were clear, and were executed, as we know, the next night, and I know no reason but the Engineer's not going forward so soon as it was dark, that prevented the batteries being made one night as well as the other. The General is displeased, and it has given Captain Nepean a fit of the gout, so General Stuart tells me. I will, as your Lordship sends my Journal home, alter that part of it, if you will please to send it me, and put into it the exact time of the Agamemnon's parting from her anchor and return. Fox is returned. I am getting the plank from her. If sleepers can be got, the platforms are undoubtedly much the better for them. My Agamemnon's carpenter at Bastia made us much better platforms than these gentry. The General's expression of anger, the night I mentioned — no Engineer to be found-was public: not an Engineer to be found.' Hallowell and myself take, each one, twenty-four hours of duty at the advanced battery. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 10th, 1794. 8 I have just received your letter of last night, and have to request that any part of my Journal which may relate to the misconduct of any Officer, you will alter as you please. I write yours from my own, which contains nothing but the truth; and was intended by me as only a friendly not official communication to your Lordship. In my Journal it stands, 'It was the General's orders, which were as plain as possible for orders to be, for the working party to move forward with the sandbags, casks, and platforms, and as soon as they were got forward, I was to move with the guns. 'At half-past ten not an Engineer had gone forward; and when the General returned, an attempt was made to erect the battery, but it was too late, and all the bags, casks, &c. were obliged to be brought back again.' 8 The Letter referred to is not among the Copies of Letters from Lord Hood to Nelson, now in the Hood Papers. So stands my Journal. If your Lordship's is different, it was the writing of the moment; but the fact is the same, that by a quarter after nine, the Engineer ought to have done what he intended doing at half-past ten. The fact is as I have mentioned, but if your Lordship pleases to alter it, I shall be obliged, to, At half-past ten o'clock the working parties went for'ward, but it was too late, and all the bags, casks, &c., were obliged to be brought back again. In the afternoon of 'the 21st, the Agamemnon parted from her anchors, and 'went to sea. The others, two Men-of-War and four Trans'ports fortunately rode out the gale, for had they parted, being nearer in shore than the Agamemnon, every person 'must have perished. 24th. The Agamemnon returned to her anchorage, as 'did every Transport.' I enclose my Journal up to this morning. I will desire some of the plank which may come in the Brig, to be left on board her for the Victory. I am to land, if possible, two thirty-six pounders this night in the bay close by our battery, and have to request from the Victory two coils of four-inch or four-and-a-half-inch rope : the Agamemnon now is exhausted of every thing. I beg they may be sent to the Gun-boat, and the Boats shall call for them as they row past her. So many and various are the stores which I have landed both at Bastia and here, and for which no regular receipts could be got, such as sails, ropes, blocks, wads, and a number of other stores, that I must request a General Order both for Bastia and this place; for every Ship near me has had Memorandums for many things being landed, and I shall get no pay unless you are pleased to give me some General Order. General Stuart is very well. He sleeps with us in the battery every night. I find it so late, that I cannot send my Journal to-day, but will have it ready for to-morrow. Every thing mentioned, your Lordship may rely is most strictly correct; only we must recollect the truth is not to be spoken at all times, but with your Lordship I have no reserves. Believe me with truest esteem, Your most faithful, HORATIO NELSON. The Mozelle is much battered, as is the fascine battery. By ten o'clock yesterday morning we got the superiority of fire, and by dark the Enemy had [not] a gun in the Mozelle or Fountain battery to fire, all being either dismounted [or] disabled, and the embrasures blocked up. At San Francesco, they have one gun, which annoys us a good deal. They attempted to annoy us with large shells from the town, but very few came home to us, they mostly bursting as they leave the mortar. We kept firing grape and shells from the teninch howitzer, which we mounted last night to prevent their working; and their guns are in the same state as we left them last night. I think, if possible, the Mozelle may be breached by to-morrow night, but certain it will in one day after the thirty-six pounders get against it, as they are to be two hundred yards nearer. One Soldier killed. 2 Seamen dead of their wounds. JOURNAL C. On the 10th at daylight, we opened our fire on the Mozelle, and occasionally a gun on the Fountain battery, and found that the Enemy had not done any work in that battery during the night, everything being exactly in the same state. the Mozelle they had placed great numbers of sand-bags, to prevent our shot from striking under the arches of the bombproof of the cavaliere, which we did yesterday by beating down the merlins of the lower work. By seven o'clock in the morning the sand-bags were mostly beat down, and our fire went on without any opposition. By the evening, the Mozelle was much shaken, and I am sure a breach may be made practicable, whenever the General thinks it right to turn his attention to it. To the honour of General Stuart, he is not sparing of himself on any occasion: he every night sleeps with us in the advanced battery. At ten o'clock on the same day, saw the Enemy carry off their field-pieces and howitzer, and totally abandon the Fountain battery; which was no sooner done, than they opened a fire from the bastions of the Town over their old battery and the Mozelle, and although they could not see our battery, yet great numbers of their shot struck it. By the evening a very large breach was made in the lower work of the Mozelle; and during the night, Lieutenant Moutray joined, with twenty-five seamen: at ten o'clock they got up two thirtysix pounders and one twenty-six-pounder. We had this day one Soldier killed. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 11th, 1794, 6 A.M. The two thirty-six pounders were landed in the night. Our davit-cast unfortunately has broke its windlass, but if the carpenters can fix another before night, (I have sent for the windlass belonging to the Agamemnon's launch,) we shall, I dare say, get a battery made for them so near the Mozelle, as to insure a breach in the course of twenty-four hours' firing. The General seems as anxious as any of us to expedite the fall of the place; and if I may be allowed to judge, he is an extraordinary good judge of ground. His object is to keep from the town-fire till Mozelle falls. I can only say, that every exertion of mine shall be used to facilitate its reduction. The Royal Louis are bringing the three guns entrusted to them down the hill to an advanced battery. We are now firing red-hot shot at the fascine battery, to endeavour to effectually destroy it, but I am rather inclined to think there is too much sand mixed with the fascines. I shall finish this in the battery. The new battery cannot be made this night, but I hope all materials will be got forward. If the davit-cast is finished, I shall at all events get the guns forward. I have just sent for the two twenty-six pounders to be brought round to-night with shot and shells. With the highest respect, I am, Your Lordship's most faithful Servant, JOURNAL C. At daylight on the 12th, the Enemy opened a heavy fire from the town and San Francesco, which, in an extraordinary manner, seldom missed our battery; and at seven o'clock, I was much bruised in the face and eyes by sand from the works struck by shot. The Mozelle was by this time much breached. At night replaced the guns destroyed, and fired a gun and mortar every three minutes. At half-past twelve the Town was on fire, and burnt for three hours. We had two Seamen and three Soldiers wounded. TO ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Autograph, in the Hood Papers.] My dear Lord, Camp, July 12th, 1794. The Enemy yesterday afternoon abandoned the Fountain Battery, as I am sure they will Mozelle and San Francesco, when they come to be pressed. The bastions of the Town opened their fire upon us, but as they could not see our battery, could not do us much harm. In the night we got to the rear of our battery the two thirty-six-pounders: the twenty-sixpounders are landed, and one also got up. I send your Lordship Lieutenant Caines' letter. When I was on the beach, seeing how necessary it was to give encouragement to the Transport's people to exert themselves in getting Stores on shore, I gave them some wine and provisions rather than any delay should be made, but I did not feel myself justified in always continuing it. However, the people behaved well, and having worked all day probably, and ordered to work all night, if your Lordship will allow me, I will discretionarily order them a little wine as an encouragement. Reports, we know, get about, and as neither time, or many other circumstances, may be mentioned, it is best to say it |