foreigners, negroes, and indians, with a few regulars. But no defence can long balance a decided superiority of numbers, with the advantage of position. The trenches were regularly, though slowly, advanced, and the batteries opened with effect against the advanced works which covered the town. A shell having blown up the magazine belonging to the principal battery, the assailants profited by the momentary confusion, pushed forward, and established themselves on the ruins, and the dependent works. The accident decided the event of the siege. From this position, the fire even of their small arms swept all the defences of the place; the commandant, unable to keep his troops to their quarters, obtained an honourable capitulation. The garrison of 800 men marched out with the honours of war, and experienced the treatment due to their gallantry, from a generous conqueror. The reduction of Pensacola completed the subjugation of the whole province.* At the moment when Galvez directed his attacks against the forts on the Mississippi, the governor of Yucatan commenced hostilities against the british settlers on the bay of Honduras, and plundered the principal establishment at St. George's Key. The progress of the spa* Beccatini, p. 309.-Official accounts. CHAP. 71. 1779-1781. CHAP. 71. niards was, however, arrested by the efforts of 1779-1781, these hardy and enterprising settlers; till the Oct. 24, 1779. accidental junction of a small squadron and succours from Jamaica, enabled them to retaliate for the aggression. As a division of valuable register ships had taken refuge in the harbour defended by the fort of San Fernando de Omoa, they formed the daring design of attacking this fortress, which had been constructed with pecu→ liar labour and skill. Without artillery to make an impression on the walls, this motley force, amounting to 500 men, settlers, sailors, and soldiers, scaled a fortress defended by nearly an equal number, and carried the works with a spirit seldom equalled. Of the garrison 100 escaped in the confusion of the assault, and almost 400 were made prisoners. The treasure which had been a temptation for the attack was removed to a place of safety; but on board the vessels in the harbour was found a booty of above three millions of piasters, including a valuable supply of quicksilver for the use of the mines, which the successful assailants disinterestedly refused to relinquish for any ransom. This signal success led to the arrangement of a convention between the british and spanish officers for the liberation of the captive settlers. A garrison was left in the fort, but from the CHAP. 71. unhealthiness of the station it was soon evacuated, 1779-1781. after the artillery and defences had been rendered useless.* * Annual Register, 1779, 1781.—Adolphus, v. 3. p. 193.Beccatini, p. 307, 309.- -Official accounts.- -Beatson, v. 6, p. 163. CHAP. 72. CHAPTER THE SEVENTY-SECOND. 1779-1781. Rising divisions between France and Spain-Secret negotiation with AFTER tracing the principal operations in 1779-1781. the new world, in which the spaniards were concerned, we resume the narrative of their transactions in Europe. The disputes which arose with France after the failure of the expedition against England, nearly produced a separation between the two bourbon courts. Commodore Johnstone, the british commander on the Lisbon station, having hinted that lord North might be induced to purchase the friendship of Spain by the cession of Gibraltar, Florida Blanca induced his sovereign to make a direct though clandestine proposal to England. It was transmitted through the channel of Mr. Hussey, an Irish priest, chaplain to the king of Spain, and belonging to the houshold of Almodovar, who had been left in England He CHAP. 72. 1779-1781. after the departure of the embassador. employed the agency of a person who acted as a spy both to the spanish embassador and the british cabinet, and opened the negotiation with Mr. Cumberland, then private secretary to lord George Germaine, minister for the american or war department. A communication was immediately made, both to lord George Germaine and lord North, conveying the most positive assurances that Spain was disposed to withdraw from the french alliance; requiring, however, the restoration of Gibraltar as an indispensable condition, but offering to purchase it with liberal concessions in ships, treasure, and territory. As the affairs of England were at this crisis in a deplorable situation, the two ministers, to whom the secret was confided, were possibly not disinclined to accede to the demand. At all events they deemed it impolitic not to listen to the proposal, and to decline a negotiation, which, even if unsuccessful, might tend to weaken the mutual confidence between Spain and France. Accordingly, Mr. Hussey was encouraged to return to Madrid, under pretence of his private affairs; but he was not authorised in the slightest degree to make any promise relative to Gibraltar. With the approbation of the king of England, he was charged with a letter from lord George Ger November 1779. |