en made clear
to anybody yet. "At 10 o'clock," said our guide, "I was at supper with a
little party, some French officers being present; about half after 10
some musket shots were heard; this was no uncommon sound and we took no
notice; however, it rather increased, and the French sent a sergeant to
know the cause, and remained chatting quietly. In about ten minutes in
burst the sergeant, 'Vite, vite, a vos portes! Les Anglais sont dans la
ville.'" I need not add the party broke up in a hurry; our Guide sallied
forth with the rest, and went on the Ramparts for _curiosity_, but
whilst he was gratifying this passion, on a pitch dark night, down drops
a man who stood near him, and whiz flew some bullets, upon which he took
to his heels, got home, and saw no more; indeed, had he been inclined it
would have been impossible, for Patrols paraded the streets and shot
every one who was not a French soldier. Thus far our schoolmaster was an
eye-witness; for the remainder you must trust to my account from as
minute an enquiry as I could make upon the spot with Sir T. Graham's
dispatches in my hand, which threw very little light upon the subject.

[Illustration: BERGEN OP ZOOM.

A. The Steenbergen Gate.
B. Breda Gate.
C. Antwerp Gate.
D. Water Gate.
E. Picket of veteran French Soldiers.
F. River or creek running into the town.
G. Side from whence the English approach.
H. Bastion near Breda Gate.

Under the guidance of some inhabitants who had fled to the English, soon
after 10 o'clock, March 8th, the ground covered with snow and ice, our
troops marched in silence to their respective posts. The Guards, led by
General Cooke, were to go round towards B and C, at A a false attack was
to be made; another column was to force open the gates at B, and the
4th column, led by Generals Skerret and Gore, proceeded by the dotted
line, crossed the river up to their middle, and skirting round between
the works were the first to enter the town behind some houses which
fronted the Quay. Hitherto all went on well, and the object of all the
Columns was to concentrate at G, but no sooner had the 4th Column gained
its point (from what cause nobody knows, for I cannot conceive that the
immediate loss of its two Generals was the sole cause) than all
subordination seems to have been at an end, and the men, instead of
going on, occupied themselves with revelling and drinking and getting
warm in the houses by the Quay,