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A38923
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An Exact journal of the siege of Tangier from the first sitting down of the Moors before it on March 25, 1680 : to the late truce, May 19, following : in three letters / written by three eye-witnesses of the whole transaction.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing E3649; ESTC R8717
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10,856
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16
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night Captain St. John speaking to our Governour in Town in the Speaking-Trumpet the Moors fell a hallowing and shouting all along their Lines Saturday 17. They continued their work in making their Trenches deeper they proceeded little or no farther to any purpose this day We made use of our Hand-Granadoes out of a small Mortar-piece which threw some of them into their Trenches amongst their Colours This night they made a Blind of Stones upon their Trenches about a mans height whether for their own or Colours shelter we could not certainly tell but supposed both Monday 19. They continued working on each side particularly towards Henrietta as if they intended to Gap Tuesday Wednesday Thursay Little or no extraordinary Business was acted by them save the cleansing of their Trenches with the augmentation of a small Line between Charles Fort and Henrietta Lines of Communication Friday 23. At night the Moors cut another small Trench through the Bullet Store betwixt us and their former Trenches Little or nothing else was acted by them saving their bringing a great deal of Timber but for what use is not yet known Saturday 24. The Moors cut our Lines betwixt their Trenches and Peterborough Tower into gaps at 5 or 6 yards distance each gap and took away their Blind upon the little Hill near Pond Fort and cast up the Earth in the form of a Half Round and likewise advanced that Trench begun the night before in the Bullet-store about 20 yards towards the Henrietta Sunday Monday Tuesday They wrought little or nothing They sent a Flag of Truce with a French-man and an English-man from Teinan to tell us that they had undermin'd all our Forts and if we would not yield our selves Prisoners at VVar every one of us to be Slaves they would set Fire to their Gun-powder within an hour which was all the time they would allow for an Answer and for our satisfaction brought a Seguro from the Alcaide for some of our Men to view the readiness of their Mines VVe sent two of our Miners who returning within the limited time and the Moors having the Answer of our Commanders in Chief That we would stand it out to the last They sprung their Mine between 3 and 4 a Clock without any dammage to us God be praised Friday 30. They did little or nothing save cleansing their Trenches of some Rain that fell the night before and this morning they removed all their Colours to the number of 17 or 18 out of their Trenches which had stood night and day ever since the 31th of March last Monday May 30th Tuesday and Wednesday They did attempt little or nothing save making a small Line between the Bullet-store and our Line from Henrietta I believe for Loop-holes to fire out of their other Trenches being so deep since the time the Rain has continued so violent that they were troublesom to them Thursday May 6. They brought the small Trenches next us to meet and cut some of our old Lines betwixt us and Henrietta heightning their Trenches in the bottom by Kendal Fort where our Shot did much trouble them in mounting their Guards by reason their former Trenches were full of Water Saturday May 8. They swarm'd from their Camp into their Trenches as we thought to the number of 400 or 500 who fell to cleansing their Trenches of the Rain About Two a Clock in the Afternoon we spy'd them halling Carriages of great Guns along Jews River which they placed on a little Hill near to Henrietta from whence they fired their Shot 5 or 6 times against the place We understand by some of their Balls that went into Town that they were not much above two pound which we thought would come as short of Battering down any of our Forts as their Mine came short of blowing up Charles Fort. Sunday May 9. Our People from Henrietta called to us that they could hold out no longer by reason that the Moores had made a Breach in their Wall and that their Mine was under their Fort. At night Captain St. John declar'd the same to our Governour his Excellency the Earl of Inchiquin for his better satisfaction Monday May 10. A Flag of Truce came out of Town as we thought with some Letters which was received by the Moors and answer was given in the same manner which caused the Alcaid to draw down all his Forces upon the Lines and place them one by another like so many Sheep as we thought to the number of 5 or 6000 the result not yet known They likewise began Three more Trenches One inclining to pass through the Bullet-store between our Fort and the rest of their Line another from Henrietta pointing straight towards us the Third from the brink of the Hill where they sprung the last Mine and as we think laid the Foundation of Three other Mines which we hoped to be to as little effect as the first Tuesday and Wednesday From every one of the Moors former Trenches they seemed to Mine against us insomuch that by reason thereof and their covering themselves with Boards we found our selves not in a condition to resist them Thursday May 12. We fell into a Consultation among our selves and considering on one side that our Men had declar'd that if they were not relieved in three days they would leave us there and on the other side our having refused their giving us quarter which we could not expect if they forced us out by that means likewise our Guns might be taken without being spiked and wedged which would be a great Assistance to them to batter the Town weresolved to quit the Fort on Friday and Fight our way throught whereupon we spiked and wedged all our great Guns broke and made useless all the rest of our Ammunition of Warr putting them amongst our Powder which we made ready to Blow up so soon as we should be gone out of the Fort which we abandoned about 7 or 8 of the Clock but we found their Trenches so deep that we could not make the defence we expected so that from a 170 odd men we brought off but 44 Captain Trelawney being cut to pieces amongst the rest The Town made a Sally at the same time to favour us as follows Forlorn Hope Captain Humes Lievtenant Pierson Lievtenant Bagley 4. Serjeants 80 Soldiers Main Body 150 yards in the Reer of the Forlorn Hope Major Boynton Captain Gyles Captain Eley Captain Winkefield Lievtenant Talbot Lievtenant Grimes Lievtenant Bellinger Ensign Dean Ensign Adams 8 Serjeants 128 Soldiers Reserve 100 yards in the Reer of the Main Body Captain Muneresh Captain Barber Lievtenant Tate Ensign Bowen Ensign Withers 4 Serjeants 104 Soldiers 6 deep On the Right of the Reer towards the Burying place 40 yards Captain Lesley Lievtenant Ogleby Ensign Winkefield 3 Serjeants 66 Soldiers In the Ravellin without Peterborough Tower Captain Row Lievtenant Fitzgerald Ensign Bowen 4 Serjeants 66 Soldiers The Pallizado without the Ravellin was lined with Seamen Commanded
First brake Ground and began to Intrench the design of the month March day 26 Enemy being to Intrench between Charles Henrietta and Giles Forts His Excellency our Governour took all possible care to furnish them with the best of his Men with Ammunitions of War and Provisions requisite for five Months Siege hoping in that time that either the Moors would be tired out or we furnished with Succours from England to raise the Siege The Moor worketh incredibly fast their Trenches being in all places deep and in most places treble a mans height They did not cut off our Communication from the said Forts until April the 8th all which time we were night and day firing with great and small shot but they only small From the beginning of this Siege the Moors began a Mine from the Southward of Charles Fort and We a Countermine The mouth of their Mine was about two hundred Yards from the Fort. At night the Moors attacqued Henrietta Fort designing to sap month April day 11 it They brought a Shed or Penthouse of Timber against the Walls of the Fort that under the cover of it they might digg a hole and so blow it up but were repelled with a very considerable loss When this way succeeded not the Moors began a Mine against it drilling through the Earth as they went that they might not mistake the Fort. The Alcaide sent to summon Charles Fort telling them that he had a Mine ready to Spring and threatning if they refused to surrender day 29 to blow them up with it Captain Trelawny and Captain St. John the Commanders of the Fort returned this Answer That he should do his worst they were sent thither to maintain the Fort and not to yield it The Alcaide sent again desiring them if they would not give credit to the danger he informed them of they should send out two of their Men to view his Mine They did so and upon the return of their Men they made no other Answer than Vollies of small shot and displaying of their English Colours in defiance About Eight of the Clock that day the Moors Mine sprang but without success short at least of the Fort thirty yards The Alcaide sent to Complement Sir Palmes Fairbon upon his day 30 Arrival and to tell us that though this Mine did not take effect the next might That he was there for a long Life or a short and that the King his Master commanded him not to stir from the Field till he had taken the Forts and reduced the Garrison to the condition it was in when the Portuguez had it and that if they had any mind to make an end of the War they should surrender the besieged Forts and quit the rest The Moors played against Henrietta Fort with a Falcon Shooting a month May day 8 two pound Ball. Henrietta Fort inform'd Charles Fort of their distress the Moors day 11 having a Mine to spring under their Fort and Charles Fort by their Speaking-Trumpet inform'd his Excellency who presently sent out to the Alcaide to offer the Surrender of Henrietta Fort on condition the Men might return to the Town with Bagg and Baggage or at least Naked the Alcaide's answer was that he wanted not Stone-walls but Slaves for his Masters Service that he could Destroy them when he pleased All that he promised was that if they would yield he would give them good Quarter The Moors played a six Pounder against Henrietta and made a little day 12 Breach this night Charles Fort Spake to us in Irish that Henrietta was distressed the Moors having Intrenched nearer and begun three Mines desiring his Excellencies assistance to further their Retreat to the Town Resolved at a Council of Warr that Charles Fort be quitted the day 13 next Morning by seven a Clock that we should Sally out with about five hundred Men in five parties Forlorn Main-body a Reserve a Right and a Left Wing and receive them to further their Retreat That the Men of Giles Fort should in the Hurry make their escape to the Sea-side where a Sloop and all the Boats of the Fleet lay ready to receive them About Eight or Nine at Night Henrietta Fort surrender'd About break of day the Moors Blew up Henrietta Fort with their Mine About seven a Clock the Men of Charles Fort having Spiked day 14 and Wedged their great Guns broke their small Arms put all their Powder and Hand-Granadoes into the Countermine and rendred all the Provision and Ammunition as unserviceable to the Enemy as possibly could be And having set fire to their Train made their way towards the Moorish Trenches Captain St. John leading the Van with the Granadiers and Captain Trelawny bringing up the Rear our Forlorn at the same time consisting of Eighty Men Advancing towards the Trenches Two Trenches our Charles Fort Men safely past but the third being very deep and watry and a great number of Enemies pressing on hard upon them a Hundred and twenty four were there kill'd Fourteen taken Prisoners only Forty seven escaped among which Captain St. John but afterwards wounded in the Side and all the other Officers except the brave and never enough to be lamented or Commended Trelawny Our Countermine took Fire and blew up the left Bastian but the Granadoes did not Our Forlorn did bravely under the Command of Captain Hume a Scotch Officer we kill'd several Moorish Horse-men an Alcaide of great note called Garboose who endeavoured to cut off our Men that escaped the Trenches When the Forlorne Retreated one brave Moor Charged them all but his Horse riding over Captain Home stumbled at him and threw him down our men Clubb'd their Muskets and presently dispatched him In the Forlorn three or four were kill'd several wounded a Captain Shot in the Legg and a Lieutenant Shot in the Body one Man Swam to the Vice-Admiral's Boat from Giles Fort the rest pretending they could not Swim thought it better to commit themselves te the mercy of the Moors than the Sea One Voluntier was kill'd and about ten Men and two and twenty Wounded in the Boats We got leave of the Alcaide to fetch in our Dead all miserably day 15 Mangled and without their Heads which were afterwards brought in to us and Buried with the Bodies The Enemy from the side of an Hill near Charles Fort played a day 16 twelve Pounder against Pole Fort and hit it five or six times The Enemy began a Trench from Monmouth and another from day 17 Pond Fort I mean the places where they formerly stood designing to Intrench between the Town and Pole Fort and Norwoods redoubt They raised two Batteries within an Hundred and fifty yards of day 18 Pole Fort and Fired twice but the Flag of truce comming in all further hostility ceased His Excellency made a Truce with the Alcaide for four Months in day 19 in order to a lasting Peace upon the condition the Alcaide was to withdraw his Army and great Guns within three dayes and to remove his Batterie We were in the same time to Demolish Pole Fort and Norwoods redoubt and to have the liberty of feeding our Cattle within fixt bounds His Excellency had an enterview with the Alcaide hoping to win day 22 his friendship by shewing so great a confidence as the trusting his person with him who entertain'd him civilly dismist him safely and saluted him with Nine Guns of Charles Fort which he had Unspiked and Unwedged The Alcaide drew up all his Army and made them Fire three great Vollies of small Shot and so went their wayes In the three dayes the Alcaide staid after the Truce we had free entercource with the Moors they coming freely in to us and we going securely among them Two Boyes belonging to our Garrison and a Seaman went out and turn'd Moors One of our Men belonging to Henrietta Fort is turn'd Moor and made Master Gunner A Moor run away to us who informs us that the Moors have lost day 24 three Alcaides and several Almuckades that is Captains a great many Moors kill'd two died of their Wounds the day he came in that the Alcaide had drawn his great Guns into a Wood in sight of us where he left them till his next return which would be shortly after the expiration of the Truce In the whole service we had about an Hundred and sixty Men kill'd Fifty three taken Slaves among which is Lieutenant Wilson Commander of Henrietta Fort. The Moors grow a formidable Enemy being improved in all the Arts of War as Mining Sapeing Intrenching Scaling and Battering In Charles Fort they took thirteen great Guns seven they had taken formerly from other Forts They have a morter-Morter-piece likewise taken in Charles Fort and three thousand three hundred hand Granadoes with an incredible number of great Shot part from Charles Fort the rest which we have in many years Shot at them which they carefully gather'd up and kept After the expiration of this Truce it is to be feared they will not only Batter the Town from Pole Fort an overlooking piece of Ground but from a Battery on the sand Hills will hinder all imbarkation riding in the Mould from whence also they may Batter down all the Houses and Stables on the Mould We have three Forts left as Cambridge Fountain and Bridges Fotr which be not defensible when it shall please the Enemy to design to reduce them So that we shall be brought to the condition the Portuguez were in but we can't bring the Moors to the same they were in being in my short abode of four years here from a cowardly and inconsiderable Enemy turn'd to a puissant and formidable Foe All that we have to hope is these three things either that the Moors will make a Peace with us as the Alcaide seems inclined or that the King of the Countrey will be ingaged in civil Wars and so have other occasion to imploy his Force or that our King will send such strong recruits as we may Sally out and beat them from their Trenches and great Guns when next they Besiege us The number of our Soldiers is few but of Fighting Men much less many being superannuated but more disabled by Debauchery The Freemen be not to be trusted in case of distress they being not under Military Command FINIS