CHAP. VIL] CHARTIST RISING 51 



were approaching, and the Mayor sent a request to the 

 barracks for military assistance. There was only one 

 company of soldiers (of Her Majesty's 45th Regiment of 

 foot) stationed at Newport at the time. Of these thirty men, 

 under command of Lieut. Basil Gray, were sent to the 

 assistance of the Mayor. They arrived at the Westgate 

 Hotel about 8 a.m. The soldiers were placed in a room on 

 the ground floor of the hotel with three windows (a bow 

 window with three divisions) coming down within a few 

 inches of the ground, and it should be observed that they 

 did not load their muskets until, after being fired upon, they 

 were ordered to do so. Shortly after the rioters were seen 

 advancing, the numbers being technically stated in the 

 indictment for High Treason as " a great multitude .... 

 to the number of two thousand and more," probably more 

 accurately computed at 5,000, armed with guns, pistols, 

 pikes, swords, daggers, clubs, bludgeons, and other weapons. 

 Amongst the miscellaneous " weapons of offence " were 

 scythes fixed on poles, and an instrument (of which a 

 specimen was produced in court) called a " mandrel," used 

 for working out coal in the mines, and somewhat resembling 

 a pick-axe in shape. A portion of the rioters formed in 

 front of the hotel, and at once began the attack by firing 

 a volley of small arms at the windows of the room where the 

 soldiers were placed, of which the lower shutters were 

 closed. They gained entrance to a passage, or corridor, 

 communicating with it by a door. The word was imme- 

 diately given to load with ball cartridge, but whilst the 

 lower window shutters remained closed, the men could 

 not reply. Therefore, with the certainty that they would be 

 fired on, the Mayor and Lieutenant Gray threw back the 

 shutters, and stood unmasked facing the insurgents, who 

 immediately discharged a volley of small arms, whereby the 

 Mayor was wounded in the groin, and seriously in one arm 

 near the shoulder, and Sergeant Daily was badly hit in the 

 head. The order to fire was at once given, and several of the 

 insurgents were wounded, and fell. For the short time that 

 the conflict lasted the rioters in the house continued to try 

 to force the position by rushing up to the doorway ; but 

 when they encountered their own dead and received the 

 return fire of the soldiers they faltered, and in less than 

 ten minutes the affray was over. The passage was cleared 

 of all excepting the dead and wounded, and the vast 

 mob of rioters was dispersing with all speed. In the words 

 of one witness, they "ran to all quarters." Another de- 



