APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 623 



field-ofBccr ; but when Toulon was 

 given up to the allies, he left Eng- 

 land to take the command of his 

 regiment, then forming a part of 

 the garrison. His services there 

 were much distinguished by gen. 

 O'Hara, and his successor, gen. 

 Dundas. The heights of Faron 

 were entrusted to him ; and during 

 the time that he commanded in 

 that important station, his vigilance 

 was such, that he never retired to 

 rest till day-light appeared. All at- 

 tempts at surprise were accordingly 

 frustrated, and every thing remain- 

 ed secure ; the strength of the po- 

 sition scarcely exposing it to any 

 other danger. At length, the 

 French army being increased, after 

 the reduction of Lyons, the danger 

 to which Toulon became exposed 

 was proportionably greater, and 

 col. Villettes was called to a station 

 of still more importance, and re- 

 quiring the execution of greater 

 military talents. This was the de- 

 fence of Les Sablettes, a narrow 

 isthmus, by which the peninsula 

 that forms the south side of the 

 road of Toulon is connected with 

 the main land. As long as this post 

 was in our possession, the whole 

 peninsula was secure, and the ships 

 could remain in safety in the road ; 

 but if this had been lost, the vari- 

 ous batteries on thepeninsulamight 

 have been turned upon them, the 

 shipping must have removed into 

 the bay, and the subsequent em- 

 barkation of the troops and the in- 

 habitants would have been rendered 

 impracticable. At this post colonel 

 Villettes commanded ; having un- 

 der him 700 British, and 800 Nea- 

 politan troops. On the 16th of 

 December, Faron was taken by sur- 

 prise (but not by the fault ef any 

 British officer); and Fort Mulgrave, 



the nearest port to Les Sablettes, 

 was carried by storm. These dis- 

 asters rendered the evacuation of 

 Toulon unavoidable. The Neapo- 

 litan troops, under the command 

 of colonel Villettes, behaved very 

 well as long as they were exposed 

 to no danger ; but when they saw- 

 that Fort Mulgrave was lost, and 

 the French appeared ready to attack 

 them, they retired in a body, got in- 

 to their boats, and embarked on 

 board their ships. Notwithstanding 

 the desertion of so great a part of 

 his force, col. Villettes kept up so 

 good an appearance with the re- 

 mainder, that Les Sablettes, and, 

 of course, the whole of the penin- 

 sula, continued in our possession 

 till the evening of the 18th; when 

 the evacuation of Toulon being 

 complete, he received orders to 

 withdraw his troops. This service, 

 though rendered very difficult by 

 the proximity of the enemy, was 

 nevertheless eftlscted during the 

 night ; and the troops were march- 

 ed to the other end of the peninsula, 

 where they were embarked in 

 boats, which conveyed them, with- 

 out loss, on board the fleet. The 

 next service in which col. Villettes 

 was engaged, was the conquest of 

 Corsica. He acted here in his 

 proper station at the siege of St. 

 Fiorenzo ; and afterwards in a more 

 distinguished manner, at that of 

 Bastia. Lord Hood having pro- 

 posed to the commander of the 

 land forces the attack of this latter 

 place, and the measure being deem- 

 ed inexpedient by that officer, his 

 lordship resolved to undertake the 

 siege, without the assistance of any 

 troops but those who were origi- 

 nally given him as marines. After a 

 close blockade of forty days, Bas- 

 tia was taken, and lord Hood 



gratefully 



