and had a hurricane occurred, as was expected, the fleet would have been
driven off, and the army probably captured. But no storm came, and the
English, with characteristic stubbornness, repaired their damaged works,
and erected others. On the 9th they renewed their fire, having twelve
guns, and the Spaniards but nine. The English increased the strength of
their batteries, while the Spanish guns were reduced to two by the 16th;
and on the 17th the castle made no reply to the fire of the Valiant, a
line-of-battle ship. Sapping-operations began that evening, and on the
18th a small lodgment was effected. The Spanish commander made a morning
sally against the besiegers in three columns, which, if successful,
would have necessitated the abandonment of the siege; but the first and
second columns were driven back with heavy loss, and the third retreated
without firing a shot. In this action a battalion of North Americans
bore a prominent part, aiding to drive the first Spanish column to the
water, where one hundred and fifty men were drowned. The total loss of
the assailants was four hundred, besides those wounded who returned into
the town.

The result of this action decided the fate of the Morro. The work of
sapping went on. Reinforcements arrived from New York; and on the 30th
a practicable breach was made. Lord Albemarle had previously summoned
Don Luis de Velasco to surrender, in the most complimentary terms; but
the gallant Spaniard declined to abandon his duty, preferring death to
dishonor. On the afternoon of the 30th, the English storming-party,
headed by Lieutenant Forbes, of the Royals, mounted the breach, taking
the defenders by surprise, and dispersing them. Don Luis disdained to
fly, and was mortally wounded. He lived until the afternoon of the 31st,
receiving every possible attention from the victors, who sent him over
to the Havana, where he was buried with military honors. His son was
created Vizconde del Morro, and it was ordered that in the Spanish navy
there should always be a ship named Velasco.

The storming of the castle cost the English but two officers and thirty
men. The Spaniards lost five hundred and thirty men, besides those who
were drowned in seeking to reach the town. During the siege the Spanish
loss exceeded a thousand men. The conquerors found a large number of
cannon, mortars, muskets, and hand-grenades, and great quantities of
powder and ball, and fixed ammunition, in the castle.

As so