ill the
Tartar troops defended themselves with the greatest bravery. The
field-guns were advanced to within 500 yards of the forts, and redoubled
their efforts. The fire of the forts having ceased, a breach was
commenced near the gate, and a portion of the storming party were
advanced to within thirty yards, to open a musketry fire. No sooner had
the artillery fire slackened, than the enemy emerged from their cover,
and opened a heavy fire of musketry on the Allies.

No less than fifteen men of the sappers carrying the pontoon-bridge were
struck down, and the French who had pushed on were unable to escalade
the walls.

While the fire was hottest, an hospital apprentice, Arthur Fitzgibbon, *
who had accompanied a wing of the 67th, quitted cover, and proceeded, in
spite of the shot rattling round him, to attend to a dooly-bearer whose
wounds he had been directed to bind up; and while the regiment was
advancing under the enemy's fire, he ran across the open to attend to
another wounded man, when he was himself severely wounded.

At this juncture Sir R. Napier caused the two howitzers of Captain
Govan's battery to be brought up to within fifty yards of the gate, in
order more speedily to create a breach, when the storming party was
joined by the headquarters wing of the 67th, under Colonel Knox, who had
partly crossed by the French bridge, and partly swam over. A space
having been made sufficient to admit one man, the brave band forced
their way in by single file in the most gallant manner, Lieutenant
Rogers, * 44th Regiment, and (All marked thus * obtained the Victoria
Cross) Lieutenant Burslem, * 67th Regiment, being the first to enter,
when they assisted Ensign Chaplain, * who carried the regimental
colours, to enter; and he, supported by Private Lane, * 67th Regiment,
was the first to plant them on the breach, and subsequently on the
cavalier, which he was the first to mount. Accompanying Lieutenant
Rogers was Private John McDougall, * 67th Regiment, and Lieutenant E.H.
Lewis, * who gallantly swam the ditches, and were the first established
on the walls, each assisting the others to mount the embrasures.
Lieutenant Burslem and Private Lane more especially distinguished
themselves in enlarging the opening in the wall, through which they
eventually entered, and were severely wounded in so doing. At the same
moment the French effected their entrance, and the garrison was driven
back step by step, and hurled pellme