172 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



the enterprise, and in directing the 

 placing them for the descent into 

 the ditch, the passing the feet in 

 the ice, and ascending the ram- 

 parts of the body of the place ; 

 during which operation several men 

 were lost bj' a fire from tlie ram- 

 part. After we were established 

 on the rampart, and had occupied 

 some houses, from whence we 

 might have been much annoyed, 

 and had sent a strong patrol e to- 

 wards the point to which Major- 

 General Skerrett and Lieutenant- 

 Colonel Carleton had entered, I 

 detached Lieutenant-Colonel Clif- 

 ton with part of the 1st guards, to 

 secure the Antwerp gate, and to 

 see if he could get any informa- 

 tion of the column under Lieut. - 

 Colonel Morrice. Lieut.-Colonel 

 Clifton reached the gate, but found 

 that it could not be opened by his 

 men, the enemy throwing a very 

 heavy fire upon a street leading to 

 it. It was also found that they 

 occupied an outwork, command- 

 ing the bridge, which would efi'ec- 

 tually render that outlet useless to 

 us. 1 heard nothing more of this 

 detachment, but considered it as 

 lost, the communication having 

 been interrupted by the enemy. 



Lieut.-Colonei Rooke, with part 

 of the 3rd guards, was afterwards 

 sent in that direction, drove the 

 enemy from the intermediate ram- 

 part, and reached the gate, when 

 h€ found it useless to attempt 

 any thing, and ascertained that the 

 outwork was still occupied. We 

 were joined in the course of the 

 night by the 33rd, 55th, and 2nd 

 battalion of 69th regiment, but 

 the state of uncertainty as to what 

 had passed at other points, deter- 

 mined me not to weaken the force 

 now collected, by attcmpttJig to 



carry points which we could not 

 maintain, or penetrate through the 

 streets with the certain loss of a 

 great number of men, particularly 

 as I heard that the troops at the 

 Water Port Gate, under Lieut.- 

 Colonel Miller, were very seriously 

 opposed. I sent the 33rd to rein- 

 force him. 



The enemy continued a galling 

 fire upon us, and at one time held 

 the adjoining bastion, from the 

 angle of which they completely 

 commanded our communication 

 with the exterior, and brought 

 their guns at that angle to bear 

 against us. They were charn^ed 

 and driven away by Majors Mut- 

 tlebury and Hog, with the 69th 

 and 55th, in a very spirited and 

 gallant style. 



Finding that matters were be- 

 coming more serious, and being 

 still without any information from 

 other points, excepting that of the 

 failure of Lieut.-Col. Morrice's 

 column near the Nourd G;ite, I 

 determined, at the suggesLion of 

 Colonel Lord Proby, to let part 

 of the troops withdraw, which 

 was done at the ladders where 

 they entered. 



About day light the enemy 

 having again possessed themselves 

 of the before-mentioned bastion, 

 they were again driven from it by 

 Majors Muttlebury and Hog, with 

 their weak battalions, in the same 

 s;allant manner. I soon after- 

 wards began sending oii some 

 more men, when Lieut.-Colonel 

 Jones, who had been taken pri- 

 soner in the night, came to me, 

 (accompanied by a French officer, 

 who summoned me to surrender) 

 and informed me that Lieutenant 

 Colonel Muller, and the troops at 

 the Water Port Gale, had been 



