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26th of September, 1762

Twenty-sixth. The Admiral sent on shore the battalion of seamen under the command of the Captains Collins of the Weymouth, Pitchford of the America, and George Ourry from the Panther. They were cantoned between the 79th regiment and the marines. The rest of the company’s troops of all sorts were likewise landed, and put under cover. The Spaniards advanced out of the garrison, under the command of the Chevalier Fayett,^^ with four hundred men, and two field-pieces; and from a church, about two hundred yards to the right of that we yesterday took possession of, near the sea, begun a cannonade upon the right flank of our post. Some Seapoys, under Ens. Carty, who behaved very well, were first sent to skirmish with them, supported by three piquets of the 79th regiment, and one hundred seamen, all under the command of Col. Monson, who soon drove the enemy back into the town. In their precipitate flight, one of the field-pieces was left upon the glacis.

The superior skill and bravery of our people were so evident from this affair, that it occasioned a second summons to the Governor; but to no purpose: the answer was much more spirited than their conduct had been.^® Col. Monson had orders to keep possession of this second church, if he found it tenible : for as we had not men enough, or dry ground to make regular approaches, we were forced into these measures, rash as they seem, and contrary to all rules of our profession, by our critical situation. From the top of this post, which we called N** 2, we had a perfect view of the enemy’s works. The front we were obliged to attack, was defended by the bastions of St. Diego and St. Andrew [i.e,, San Diego and San Andres], with orillons and retired flanks, a ravelin which covered the royal gate, a wet ditch, covered way, and glacis. The bastions were in excellent order, lined with a great number of fine brass cannon; but their ravelin was not armed, the covered way out of repair, the glacis by much too low, and the ditch was not produced round the capital of the bastion of St. Diego, which determined us to attack it, and make our dispositions accordingly.^^ The negligence and omission of the enemy to post centries in the covered way, gave us an opportunity of sounding the ditch; which perilous enterprise was effected by a small party of the 79th regiment, under Capt Fletcher, who begged leave to undertake it. The Spaniards fired from their bastion, and killed or wounded three of our people. The depth of the water was only five feet, the breadth about thirty yards. As the great extent of this populous city made it impossible to invest it with our handful of men, two sides were constantly open to the Spaniards, to introduce supplies of men and provisions, and carry out their effects. They availed themselves of our weakness. Their own garrison of eight hundred men of the Royal regiment, under the command of the Marcus of Villa Mediana, brigadier-general, was augmented by a body of ten thousand Indians from the province of Pampanga, a fierce and barbarous people. These disadvantages were not to be remedied, as we could not take possession of Minondo, Tondo, and La vera Cruz, the posts which commanded the river, and communication with the country. The inundations had secured their Parian suburb; but no difficulties could check the ardor of the troops, who labored incessantly in making fascines and gabions, and preparing everything for the construction and opening of our batteries. One for small shells was completed this night, and played upon the bastion of St. Diego. Its position was behind the church, nearest the sea, called N”* i. The officers of the artillery and engineers exerted themselves in a manner, that nothing but their zeal for the public service could have inspired.

 

^^ Called Cesar Pallet in the Spanish accounts, but Le Gentil

gives his name as Fayette. He was a French officer then in the

Spanish service, and was later at Pondicherry, See post, Rojo’s

JournaL Rojo’s account makes the Spanish force larger.

 

^^The council of war called on the twenty-fifth of Septem-

ber (the twenty-sixth, English date) because of the English sum-

mons for surrender, was attended by the following, under the

presidency of the archbishop: Auditors ViUacorta, Galban, and

Anda; the fiscal Francisco Leandro de Viana; the marquis de

Villamediana, master-of-camp and commandant of the garrison;

Martin de Goicocoa, sargento-mayor of the city; the marquis de

Monte-Castro y Liana Hermosa, Leandro Rodriguez Varela, al-

calde-in-ordinary ; Jose Antonio Memije y Quiros, alguacil-mayor ;

Antonio Diaz Conde, provincial alcalde of the Hermandad ; Alber-

to Jacinto Reyes, accountant; and Fernando Carabeo, royal offi-

cial. After Draper’s letter was read, all voted unanimously:

“That inasmuch as this place was in condition to continue its de-

fense, as no especial harm had been seen to have been done by the

enemy, notwithstanding the continual and lively firing from the

23d when the siege commenced until the present, therefore they

are unanimous and in harmony in their opinion that this place

should be defended until the last extremity ; and the enemy should

be informed to the effect that the Spanish arms did not surrender

to any power, for they alone venerated their sovereign, whose royal

sovereignty never deserted his faithful vassals, not even in the

most remote part of this dominion, as were these islands, in which

the love and loyalty of their inhabitants was great, and obliged

them to the defense of this place,” See Montero y Vidal, ii, pp.

16, 17.

^^ Cf. Rojo’s description of the fortifications of Manila, post.