by John Marshall

“ Captain Hallowell displayed great perseverance, by the unwearied attention which he paid to the difficult and fatiguing service of guarding the harbour’s mouth during the night, with the gun-boats and armed launches, whilst the smaller boats were very judiciously placed in the intervals between, and rather without the ships, which were moored in a crescent, just out of reach of the enemy’s guns.
The total number of British serving on shore at the siege of Bastia was 1433 officers and men; the Corsicans, under Paoli, were in number about the same. ”

“ The path along which these spirited fellows crept, would admit in most places only one person at a time; on the right was a descent of many thousand feet, and one false step would have led to eternity. On the left of the path were stupendous overhanging rocks, which occasionally served as fixed points for the tackle employed in raising the guns, each of which weighed about 42 cwt. ”

“ When these guns were directed against the tower, the enemy were covered with astonishment; and to a constant and well-directed fire kept up from the height, the early surrender of this stronghold is to be attributed.
↑ “After mature consideration” said General Dundas, in a letter to Lord Hood, “and a personal inspection for several days of all circumstances, local as well as others, I consider the siege of Bastia, with our present means and force, to be a most visionary and rash attempt, such as no officer would be justified in undertaking.” ”