496 THE SERVICES OF LIETIT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 
the Careenage and began a heavy cannonade on onr batteries; their 
object no doubt was to cut off communication with General Medows, 
but the fire was so well returned that in about half an hour they 
were both obliged to retire, leaving behind them their anchors and 
cables. 
The battery of four 18-prs. [No. 5] which I had the pleasure of 
directing this day, was, I am proud and happy to say, of great service 
to the British and destructive to the French troops. I not only galled 
the latter when advancing, but during the action when the flanks of 
their several columns were presented to me, and also in their retreat. 
General Meadows did me the honour to call me his grand ally, and 
General Grant told me he was much obliged to me. It is a mere 
feather, yet not unpleasing. 
The battery of three 12-prs. [No. 1] on the Peninsula was com¬ 
manded by Lieutenant Walker and did much execution, though he 
could not bring all his guns to bear on the enemy, and was in some 
want of ammunition. The five gun battery [No. 4] at the entrance 
of the harbour was commanded by Lieutenant Todd, who struck one 
of the French ships a great number of times. The battery of two 
12-prs [No. 2] 1 on the rock should have been commanded by Lieutenant 
Lock. 
Lieutenants Yorke and Edwards were with the field guns with 
General Medows, and contributed not a little to the effusion of French 
blood this day. They had each some men wounded and only wanted 
more ammunition to have added much to the slaughter of the enemies. 
It now remains to mention our loss in these two actions. The navy 
sustained no greater than ten or twelve men killed and wounded and 
no damage worth speaking of done to any of the ships. This is won¬ 
derful and to account for it we can only say the French ships fired 
badly and kept at 100 yards distance, yet a great number of their 
shot went over ours. What the French men-of-war suffered we 
know not, this only, that several went away lame in their rigging, and 
the Comte has his nephew killed by a shot from one of the batteries. 
The loss of the French army in the action of the 18th, was very few 
less, if any, than 400 killed on the spot and 1,200 wounded. The for¬ 
tunate British had only 10 killed and 150 wounded ; the officers 
wounded were, General Medows, Major Harris, and Lieutenants 
Pratt and Harris 5th Regiment, Captains Daly and Hay (since dead) 
28th Regiment, Lieutenant Ross (Brigade Major) 35th Regiment, and 
Lieutenants Forbes and Gomm, 46th Regiment. We sent a flag of 
truce in the afternoon desiring them to come and bury their dead. 
Their boats were all the afternoon going backwards and forwards from 
the shore taking off as we imagined their wounded. To find a cause 
for this amazing disproportion in numbers, we must confidently say 
the British artillery did their duty well on that day. It is not a usual 
thing with the army to allow much credit to the artillery, let them do 
ever so much, but on this occasion they have deviated from the 
common path, and have done us the favour to say our guns were well 
1 For the various batteries referred to see Plate I. 
