THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 167 
Brigadier-General Cleavelaud 1 to request that I would take the command 
of two 5^ inch howitzers ordered for immediate service. I was not 
ordered, he said, but the General hoped I would go as the service 
required a good officer. Ha ! Ha ! Ha! They were to be ready to 
embark at 4 o’clock in the morning. I had everything ready by 
3 o’clock, the morning rainy and very cold at first, but cleared up as 
the day advanced. 
October 21st .—Three battalions of Hessian grenadiers, one ditto 
Minigerode, one ditto Mirbach, with ten Hessian 3 pounder guns, and 
myself with the howitzers, began to embark in the flat-bottomed boats 
and other craft from the wharf at the upper end of the town, and 
crossed over to the Jersey side, landing without the least opposi¬ 
tion. The whole were commanded by Colonel Donop. We began 
our march as soon as the last artillery were over, and about 8 o’clock 
at night came to Haddonfield, where we remained till 4 o’clock next 
morning. 
October 22nd .—We again set forward and only had a few popping 
shots between this place and Red Bank where the rebels have raised a 
strong fort with cannon. It is absolutely necessary that we be in 
possession of this fort for it not only protects their vessels, but also 
would annoy our shipping very much in passing whenever we are 
lucky enough to get over their chevaux-de-frise, and it likewise com¬ 
mands Mud Island, so that should we take Mud Island, unless we had 
this fort also we should be very much disturbed from it. For these 
reasons General Howe ordered a detachment to storm it. Colonel 
Donop asked to be employed on this service, which was granted him, 
and myself and men were the only English on this duty. W e arrived be¬ 
fore the place about one o’clock ; at noon we examined it, and saw the 
rebels at work which showed that the fort was not finished, or that they 
were adding something to it on hearing we were near them. I think, 
therefore, we should have stormed it directly without the least loss of 
time as it was to be done in daylight, but instead of an immediate 
attack, we did not begin till 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The advancing 
of the troops was preceded by a brisk and close fire of all our artillery 
which continued some little time. Colonel Donop then ordered the 
whole to cease, and called to his troops to advance. They did so with 
a quantity of fascines to fill up the ditch in front of the fort. Then 
began a very hot and close fire from the rebels, both of cannon and 
musketry which was kept up without intermission from the time our 
troops advanced till they retreated again. It is hard to say what was 
the cause of this attempt failing, but so it did, and whether from in¬ 
ability of the troops to fill up the ditch and mount the breastwork, 
from the loss of Colonel Donop and a number of officers at the first 
onset, or from being flanked by the row galleys with grape shot, 
whether from being tired from the march, or from want of spirit and 
activity to push forward over those who were killed and wounded in 
the front, is what I shall not presume to determine. It is enough to 
l Kane’s List, No. 83, 
