18S 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



of tlie petard the following night. 

 On the 26th, at five A. M. eleven 

 batteries, mounted with 65 pieces 

 of cannon, opened a fire on the 

 fortress, which was returned by 

 the garrison with great vigour. 

 Towards 8 o'clock P. M. a bomb 

 fell within the walls of the castle 

 on a caisson which they were fill- 

 ing with gunpowder at the door 

 of the principal magazine ; the 

 flame was communicated to one 

 hundred and fifty thousand weight 

 of powder : the explosion was 

 like the eruption of a volcano. It 

 was supposed by the besiegers that 

 the whole of the place had been 

 blown up. A great quantity of 

 the wrecks fell into the French 

 trenches. By this accident 900 

 persons were killed, and 400 

 wounded. Of about 400 artillery- 

 men not one escaped. The con- 

 flagration spread, and was conti- 

 nu : '"or the whole night. Next 

 day, Aug. 27th, Marshal Massena 

 went himself to the trenches, and 

 viewed the ravages of the terrible 

 explosion. The castle, the cathe- 

 dral, and all the neighbouring 

 houses had disappeared. Even 

 before this explosion the fire of the 

 fortress had been silenced, and 

 was heard no more; and the 

 bombarders had been posted par- 

 ticularly against the town. The 

 Marshal immediately ordered this 

 firing of shells to cease; and sent 

 a flag of truce, offering capitula- 

 tion, and also a note to the go- 

 vernor, in which he observed to 

 him that Almeida was in flames, 

 that the wholeofhisheavy artillery 

 was now mounted on batteries, 

 and that it was impossible that 

 the English army should come to 

 his relief; " surrender then to the 



generosity of the armies of His 

 Imperial and Royal Majesty. I 

 offeryou honourable terms. Think 

 of what has passed at Ciudad Rod- 

 rigo, and of the evils in reserve 

 for Almeida, if you should pro- 

 long a useless defence." British 

 oificers were instantly sent to have 

 a conference with the French 

 commander, who stated his terms 

 of capitulation. After several 

 hours employed in negociation, 

 the governor, whose object it had i 

 been, as Massena thought, to gain i 

 time, refused to accede to them. 

 The French therefore re-com- 

 menced their fire at 8 o'clock in 

 the evening. It was not till three 

 hours thereafter that governor 

 Cox signed the capitulation pro- 

 posed by Massena, dated the 27th 

 of August, 1810. The garrison 

 were to have the honours of war, 

 that is, to march out with their 

 arms, and lay them down on the 

 glacis of the place. The militia 

 to return to their homes, and not 

 to serve during the present war, i 

 either against France or her allies, i 

 The property of the inhabitants 

 was to be protected, and their 

 religious opinions respected. The 

 plans and memoirs of the place 

 to be given up to the chief en- 

 gineer of the French army, and 

 the magazines, &c. to the com- 

 missaries. The sick and wound- 

 ed were to be taken care of, at 

 the expense of the French army, 

 and on their recovery to follow, 

 the garrison as prisonersto France. 

 Ninety-eight pieces of heavy ar- 

 tillery and seven field pieces full 

 into the hands of the French, 

 with 300,000 rations of biscuit, 

 100,000 rations of salt fish, and a 

 great quantity of otiierprovisions.* 



iMassena to the Prince of Neufchatel, Forte de la Conception, 28th Aug. 1810. 



