h was the fashion then for the smart
soldier, was done away with soon after we landed in the enemy's
country; of course also partly because it was so difficult to get the
powder.

We never found the Spaniards sally out of the town after this to
engage us, as I expect they did not much like the warm reception they
had received. We set to work building up batteries and breastworks,
some three hundred of us being sent to cut down a copse of peach-trees
that was near to make gabions and fascines to form them with. When our
fortifications were completed, which was in a very few days, we began
bombarding the town, for which purpose we had brought up our
twenty-four pounders from the men-of-war. After about four days' play
we made a breach by knocking down the gate and part of the wall, which
was six feet thick, and though the enemy repaired it at night with a
quantity of bullocks' hides filled with earth, next morning as early
as two o'clock we advanced to storm the town.

Captain Renny of ours commanded the forlorn hope. The ladders were
placed against the hides of earth, and we scaled them under a heavy
fire from the Spaniards. We found the earth better stuff to encounter
than stone, and though our poor captain fell in the breach whilst
nobly leading on his men, we succeeded in forcing our way into the
town, which was soon filled with the reinforcements that followed us.
We drove the enemy from the batteries, and massacred with sword and
bayonet all whom we found carrying arms: the general's orders being
not to plunder or enter any house, or injure any woman, child, or man
not carrying arms, or fire a shot until daylight. On our approach to
the gunwharf of the town, we found some twenty or thirty negroes
chained to the guns, whom we spared and afterwards found very useful,
chiefly in burying the dead.

When the heat of the fighting was subsided, the drums beat to assembly
in the square, and orders were then given for the massacre to be
stayed, but that all the prisoners were to be taken that we could lay
our hands on. Our troops were accordingly despatched to the forts and
batteries, and nearly three thousand prisoners were taken; the
governor of the town giving himself up with all the forts except the
citadel, where there was a separate general in command. The governor
said he had nothing to do with this, so Sir Samuel sent a flag of
truce to know if the commander would give the place up. The answer
being "No," three o