160 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
It being agreed between Vice- 
Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane 
and myself that operations should 
be carried towards Mobile, it was 
decided that a force should besent 
against Fort Bowyer, situated on 
the eastern point of the entrance 
of the bay ; and from every infor- 
mation that could be obtained, it 
was considered a brigade would 
be sufficient for this object, with 
a respectable force of artillery. 
I ordered the 2nd brigade, com- 
posed of the 4th, 21st, and 44th 
regiments, for this service, toge- 
ther with such means in the en- 
gineer and artillery department as 
the chief and commanding officer 
of the royal artillery might think 
expedient. The remainder of the 
force had orders to disembark on 
Isle Dauphine, and encamp; and 
Major-General Keane, whom I 
am truly happy to say has return- 
ed to his duty, superintended this 
arrangement . 
The weather being favourable 
on the 7th for landing to the east- 
ward of Mobile Point, the ships, 
destined to move on that service 
sailed under the command of Cap- 
tain Ricketts, of the Vengeur, but 
did not arrive in sufficient time 
that evening to do more than de- 
termine the place of disembark- 
ation, which was about three miles 
from Fort Bowyer. 
At day light the next morning 
the troops got into thé boats, and 
six hundred men were landed, 
under Lieut.-Colonel Debbeig, of 
the 44th, without opposition, who 
Immediately threw out the light 
companies, under Lieut Bennet, 
of the 4th regiment, to cover the 
landing of the brigade. Upon the 
whole being disembarked, a dis- 
position was made to move on to 
wards the fort, covered by the 
light companies. The enemy was — 
not seen until about twelve hun- 
dred yards in front of their work: — 
they gradually fell back, and no ~ 
firing took place, until the whole — 
had retired into the fort, and our 
advance had pushed on nearly to 
within three hundred yards. Hav- 
ing reconnoitred the fort with 
Lieutenant - Colonels Burgoyne 
and Dickson, we were decidedly 
of opinion, that the work was- 
only formidable against an assault ; ' 
that batteries being once estab- 
lished, it must speedily fall.— 
Every exertion was made by the 
navy to land provisions, and the 
necessary equipment of a battering | 
train, and engineers’ stores. We 
broke ground on the night of the’ 
Sth, and advanced a firing party 
to within one hundred yards of 
the fort during the night. The 
position of the batteries being de- 
cided upon the next day, they 
were ready to receive their guns. 
on the night of the 10th, and on 
the morning of the 11th the fire 
of a battery of four 8-pounders 
on the left, and two 18-inch howit- 
zers on the right, each at about 
one hundred yards distance, two 
6-pounders at about three hun- 
dred yards, and eight small co~ 
horns advantageously placed on 
the right, with intervals between 
one hundred and two hundred 
yards, all furnished to keep up an 
incessant fire for two days, were 
prepared to open. Preparatory t 
commencing, I summoned the 
fort, allowing the commandin 
officer half an hour for his deci- 
sion upon such terms as were pro-= 
posed, Finding he was incline 
