Military garrison

“ The garrison seemed still paralyzed by the shock, and except the sentries at the storehouses and stables, there was little appearance of military duty going on. Guard-mounting was conducted without music, and the customary drills of the recruits were out of sight. It was an atmosphere of gloom that pervaded the garrison, and only one of its ladies had been seen on the promenade for two days. Mrs. Whaling, like some [Pg 346] human fungus, seemed to thrive in the pall-like depth of the social darkness and depression. ”

“ The whole garrison got under arms, not only the military, but every available man taking up some weapon to assist in withstanding the onslaught. It was felt to be a desperate situation, desperate for both sides, for the enemy knew that something must be done, and that quickly, to prevent the pending arrival of relief by Sir Redvers Buller, while the garrison, in face of reduced rations, disease, dysentery, and decreasing ammunition, was aware that it was a case of now or never. ”

“ The peasants, unused to war and lacking all military training, streamed in and out at pleasure, leaving the gates wide open, and taking no precautions against the enemy. Suddenly, to their surprise and alarm, they saw a strong [Pg 97] body of armed men entering the open gates and marching boldly into the court-yard of the stronghold, the heedless garrison gazing with gaping eyes at them from the windows and the inner courts. It was a body of English men-at-arms, two hundred strong, who had taken the unguarded fortress by surprise. ”

“ Very few cases permit a strong sally from the garrison at the opening of a siege; the present was in some measure justified by the supposition that the enemy's troops were intoxicated and in confusion: but, notwithstanding the ardour of the onset, it left no advantageous impression of the Armness of the garrison with the French officers ”

“ Those whose wounds permit it are also employed to do garrison duty in fortified places not exposed to an attack by enemies, and to assist in the different arsenals and laboratories, foundries, and depots of military or naval stores. ”

“ The instruction in the field will continue as much as possible, and especially in the garrisons where troops of different arms are quartered, one part of the force can be opposed to the other, and, where the service of the place permits it, by calling in the assistance of the National Guard, the garrison will be able entirely or in part to absent itself for two or three days. ”

“ At one point a small fort, covering a creek, by which gun-boats could get up behind Savannah, displayed its “garrison” on the walls, and lowered its flag to salute the small blue ensign at the fore, which proclaimed the presence of the commodore of the naval forces of Georgia on board our steamer. The guns on the parapet were mostly field-pieces, mounted on frameworks of wood instead of regular carriages. There is no mistake about the spirit of these people. They seize upon every spot of vantage ground and prepare it for defence. ”

“ The coping is of granite, found in the vicinity of I.204 Washington. The arches are of brick. The government does not build by contract, but by measure, what the French call au mètre cube; whereby it obtains good work. The masons work only is performed by hired workmen, mostly by blacks; other work is done by military prisoners, who have been condemned by court martial to public labours. The garrison consists of eleven companies of artillery, which form a provisional regiment, and are under the command of Colonel Fenwick, and Lieutenant-Colonel Eustis. ”

“ A statement has been formed by the secretary of war, on mature consideration, of all the posts and stations where garrisons will be expedient, and of the number of men requisite for each garrison. The whole amount is considerably short of the present military establishment. For the surplus no particular use can be pointed out. For defence against invasion, their number is as nothing ”

“ With respect to the relative strength of the opposing forces it may be well to remark, that if the fortress is properly constructed the garrison will be able to resist a besieging army six times as numerous as itself. ”

“ The position of the Gaines is held by a strong body of Alabama troops—stout, sturdy men, who have volunteered from farm, field, or desk. They are armed with ordinary muskets of the old pattern, and their uniform is by no means uniform; but the men look fit for service. The fort would take a garrison of five hundred men if fully mounted, but the parapets are mere partition walls of brickwork crenellated; the bomb-proofs are unfinished, and, but for a few guns mounted on the sand-hills, the place is a defenceless shell-trap. ”

“ This disaster diminished the strength of the garrison near one half, not by the number, but the quality of the troops that were lost; for the killed and disabled were 70 Europeans, and 300 of the best Sepoys, together with the lieutenants Wilkey and Crow; who having endeavoured in vain to rally the men, gallantly determined to stay in the entrenchment, where they were cut down. No farther hopes therefore remained of driving the regent out of Seringham; on the contrary, it became necessary for the garrison, thus lessened, to give their whole attention to the security of the city ”

“ Major Lawrence receiving intelligence of this design, ordered the garrison to march and the cannon to be removed to Fort St. David, intending by this operation to make the French believe that he did not think the place tenable. As soon as night came on, the garrison, augmented to the number of 400 Europeans, together with the cannon, were sent back to Cuddalore, with the precautions necessary to prevent the enemy from receiving intelligence of their return. ”

“ They likewise stationed a stronger guard in the ravelin at the end of the caponiere on the other side of the fort. Besides the immediate superiority of artillery standing on their works, the garrison had others in store, mounted ready to replace what might be rendered useless in the course of service; whereas the English army could only restore the loss of theirs by borrowing the common guns of the Hardwicke, which were nine-pounders, or the Rajah's, which were good for nothing. ”

“ Intelligence was received on the 11th, that the garrison intended to march out a detachment of 400 men, to storm the Madrass redoubt in the bound-hedge, and then push on to attack the large redoubt, which the English army had raised to the north of it ”

“ The investing corps is now distributed around the work in the most favorable positions for cutting off all access to it, and also to prevent any communication with the exterior by detachments from the garrison, and even single individuals are sent out to give intelligence to a succoring army or to reconnoitre the operations of the besieging corps. These posts and sentinels, called the daily cordon, are placed some mile or mile and a half from the work, and beyond the reach of the guns. ”

“ They fired very few shells, and continued very quiet in their trenches during the night; but the garrison suspecting that they might be carrying on their gabions by the seaside, kept up a smart fire from the fascine battery upon the head of their sap until two o'clock in the morning, when the moon gave sufficient light to discover that they were doing nothing there ”

“ Much depending on the safe arrival of the convoy, captain Clive, reserving only 30 Europeans and 50 Sepoys for the guard of the fort, sent all the rest to strengthen the detachment which escorted it. On this the enemy changed their design, and returned hastily to the city in expectation that an assault made on the fort during the absence of so great a part of the garrison, would encourage the inhabitants to rise; and in this confidence, their whole force, horse and foot, advanced as soon as it was dark, and surrounded the fort. ”

“ This place, now a fort, was originally nothing more than a pagoda and choultry, situated at the top of a rock about 30 feet high. The rock was afterwards inclosed by a square stone wall, carried up as high as the top of the rock itself, and built thick enough to afford a rampart about five feet in breadth, besides a slender parapet, which has loop-holes to fire through: on the western side is a gateway, of which the top communicates with the rampart on either hand: the enemy's garrison consisted chiefly of Sepoys. A watercourse served instead of a trench to shelter the English troops ”

“ Nevertheless, it was apprehended, that the French squadron might land a great number of men, with whom the troops on shore would make a general assault, which the garrison or defences were not deemed in a condition to resist. ”

“ The brick copings have been removed from the parapets, and strong sand-bag traverses have been constructed to cover the gunners, in addition to the “rat-holes” at the bastions. More heavy guns are expected, which, with the aid of a few more mortars, will enable the garrison to hold their own against every thing but a regular siege on the land side, and so long as the fleet covers the narrow neck of the island with its guns, it is not possible for the Confederates to effect a lodgment. If Fort M’Rae was strong and heavily armed, it could inflict great damage on Pickens ”

“ By the time the main army arrives the reconnoissance will be sufficiently complete to enable the chief engineer to lay before the general the outline of his plan of attack, so as to establish the position of his dépôts and camp. These will be placed some two miles from the work, according to the nature of the ground. As they occupy a considerable extent of ground around the work, it will generally be necessary to form intrenchments strong enough to prevent succors of troops, provisions, &c., from being thrown into the place, and also to restrain the excursions of the garrison. ”

“ The garrison, now consisting of nine companies, was deemed almost sufficient to maintain the fort, until relieved from Madrass; and captain Richard Smith was appointed to take the command, and with him were sent two commissioned officers, a serjeant, a corporal, and 12 European gunners, and two field-pieces; so that the whole number of Europeans, including the Serjeants of the Sepoys, were thirty chosen men, and captain Smith was ordered to defend the fort at all events and extremities. On the 25th, the squadron commanded by Mr. ”

“ Captain Smith, apprized, drew out half his garrison, with two field-pieces, ready in case of need to protect them. Every man was received with open arms; the meal and every refreshment was ready for the welcome and exhausted guests; and with the rising sun, a discharge of twenty-one pieces of cannon announced their exultation, with the news, to the French troops on the plain. ”

“ When the garrison, bravely struggling against multiplied difficulties, had become exhausted; its numbers decreased by deaths, wounds, and sickness to about a thousand men, and a practical breach was ready for the enemy to attack the place by storm, the combined English and Dutch fleets approached with reinforcements; the French naval force hurried from before the town, and the garrison was relieved. ”

“ The whole garrison, or garrisons, to be surrendered to the arms of the United States of America, as prisoners of war, the 29th instant at 10 o'clock a.m., the garrisons to be permitted to march out with all the honors of war, and to lay down their arms to such officers as may be appointed by the general-in-chief of the United States army, and at a point to be agreed on by the commissioners. ”

“ The fortifications of the town consist of a strong stockade, made of round piles, fixed firmly in the ground, and lined with palisades. These are defended by some small bastions, on which are mounted a few indifferent cannon of an inconsiderable size, just sufficient for its defence against the Indians or an enemy not provided with artillery. The garrison in time of peace consists of two hundred men, commanded by a field-officer, who acts as chief magistrate under the Governor of Canada. ”

“ Still the garrison had nothing to fear; for the Sepoys had a ditch to pass, and a very imperfect breach to mount: but the commanding officer held out a flag of truce, and opened the gates to a detachment of Europeans, who hastened up on the first sight of the flag. They immediately raised the English colours on the rampart, and turned the guns against the French and Mysoreans, who were advanced along the river-side within the random reach of cannon-shot. The change was received with the curses of every man in the French army. ”

“ Two or three however ventured, and got to the vessels before sun-set. Their appearance and the dreadful tale they had to tell were the severest of reproaches to those on board, who, intent only on their own preservation, had made no efforts to facilitate the escape of the rest of the garrison: never perhaps was such an opportunity of performing an heroic action so ignominiously neglected: for a single sloop, with fifteen brave men on board, might, in spite of all the efforts of the enemy, have come up, and, anchoring under the fort, have carried away all who suffered in the dungeon. ”

“ Moderate local defence, chiefly of the human kind, in the shape of a garrison, will certainly be needed. Though the enemy has not been able to obtain control of the communications of the place, fitful raids on it will be possible; and the place should be fortified enough and garrisoned enough to hold out against the inconsiderable assaults comprised in these till our own ships can drive the enemy's away.
Outlying naval bases, though but moderately fortified, that contain depots of stores, docks, and other conveniences, have the vice of all immobile establishments. ”