Fighting Napoleon by Gareth Glover

Author:Gareth Glover [Glover, Gareth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, Napoleonic Wars
ISBN: 9781473886865
Google: kIsTDgAAQBAJ
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
Published: 2017-01-30T16:08:55+00:00

1 Ragusa surrendered in late January 1814. Therefore, if correct, the date of this suspected attack must have been around 8 January rather than February.

Chapter 12

A Near Run Thing, 8-9 January 1814

As the garrison became more and more straitened and hence desperate, the inevitability of a sortie in an attempt to break the blockade became increasingly likely. Despite his own trepidations, having feared such an attack, John had eventually gone to bed, only to be awoken abruptly to the sound of gunfire. It would seem that some 300 of the garrison, half of the total available, had launched a determined attack to destroy this rebel post and to break the blockade.

Emerging from his house, John instantly found himself the main target for the French infantry and the wall behind him was soon peppered with the marks of the numerous musket balls which had mercifully just missed him. The situation was one of great confusion and looked quite desperate, but his gunboats saved the day. Plying their packed assailants with shot at very close range, this devastating fire soon changed the situation and the French retired again within the fortress, having suffered significant losses.

The blockade had held.

And thus I slept for, I believe, four hours and would have slept on for 20; but, at about 5 o’clock (bear in mind this was in a very dark morning of February) I was startled and awoke by the mother and daughter rushing into my room with a lighted candle, in the utmost terror and at the same moment, the sound of [a] heavy fire of musketry close to me, which I instantly understood as being a fierce attack on our quarters come at last; and it was indeed a terrific fire, and I was so bewildered at the alarming and sudden surprise, having sprung that instant from such [a] sound sleep in a strange room and the heavy and increasing firing, with the frequent discharge of the cannon from my gun boats close under my window, that I had some difficulty in getting on my coat and arms and was indeed so agitated (I am not ashamed to confess it; for it was not from fear, of which at the time I was utterly devoid, but an instant consciousness of the responsibility I had incurred) that I quite nervously shook all over in trying to put on my coat. The poor terrified landlady was clinging to one of my knees, the daughter to the other and when I made a move towards the door without thinking of anything but to get out as a matter of course, they clung to me and begged so hard that I should remain indoors, for I must be shot in an instant if I ventured out, that (I should be ashamed to confess such want of feeling on any other occasion) I not only tried to shake them off, but finding that of no avail, [I] actually in my anxiety and agitation kicked them both off on to the floor before I could escape their grasp and get out of the door.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.