Oe BO eras 
-practicable. 
636 
that Mr., Villettes at last gave way to his 
son’s inclinations, and obtained for him, in 
the. year 1775, a cornetcy in the 10th regi- 
ment of dragoons. In this respectable corps, 
Villettes continued till he rose to the rank of 
major, In this, as in every other part of. his 
life, a punctual discharge of the duties of his 
atation was constantly observed. By this he 
ebtained the approbation of his superiors, and 
by his amiable manners he secured the esteem 
and good will of his equals and his inferiors, 
During a great part of this period, Capt. Vil- 
lettes attended Sir W. Pitt (then commander 
ef the forces in Ireland). as his aid de-camp 
and secrgtary. The character of that venera- 
ble officer requires no panegyric; and it certain- 
ly was an honour to, Viliettes, that he lived 
several years in his family, not only as his 
secretary, but as his confidential friend. His 
attachment to Sir William Pitt was, indeed, 
that of a son to a parent; and, like all other 
attachments that he formed, continued in- 
variable to the end af his life. In the year 
4792, Magor Villettes quitted the dragoons, 
and was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 
69th regiment of foot; which, in conse- 
quence of the breaking out of the war in 
4793, was sent to the Mediterranean, serving 
23 marines on board a division of the feet 
under the command of Lord Hood. From 
this service Colonel Villettes was exempt, as 
a field-officer; bur when Toulon was given 
up to the allies, he left England to take the 
tommand of bis regiment, then forming a 
part of the garrison. His services there were 
‘gauch distinguished by General O'Hara, and 
his successor, General Dundas. Lhe heighis 
of Faron were entrusted to him ; and during 
the time that he commanded in that impor- 
tant station, his vigilance was such, that he 
never retired to rest till day-light appeared. 
All attempts at surprise were accordingly 
frustrated, and every thing semained secure ; 
<he strength of the pesition scarcely exposing 
it to any other danger. At length, the 
French army being increased, after the reduc- 
zioa of Lyons, the danger to which Toulon 
became exposed was proportionabiy greater, 
and Celonel Villettes was called to a station 
vof still more importance, and requiring the 
execution of greater military taleuts. his 
was the defence of Les. Sablettes, a narrow 
isthmus, by which the peninsula that forms 
abe south side of the road of Toulon is con- 
nected with the main land. As long as this 
post was in our possession, the whole penin- 
‘sula was seeere, aud the shipscould remain 
in safety inthe road; buti: this had been lost, 
the various batteries on the peninsula inight 
pave been turned upon them, the shipping 
must have removed into the bay, and tbe 
_subsequent embarkation of the troops and the 
inbabitants would have beem rendered im- 
Ac this post Colonel Viilettes 
commanded 5 having under him 700 British, 
aud $U0 Nevpolitam troops. On the 1th of 
Death A broad, 
[July 1, 
December, Faron was taken by surprise (but 
not by the fault of any British officer); and 
Fort Mulgrave, the nearest post to Les 
Sablettes, was carried by storm. These 'dis- 
asters rendered the evacuation of Toulon un- 
avoidable. The Neapolitan, troops, under 
the command of Colonel Villettes, behaved 
very well as jong as they were exposed tono ~ 
danger; but. when they saw that Fort Mul. 
grave was lost, and the French appeared ready 
to attack them, they retired in a body, got 
into their boats, and embarked on board their 
ships. Notwithstanding the desertion of s@ 
great a part of his force, Colonel Villettes 
kept up so good an appearance with the res 
mainder, that Les Sablettes, and, of course, 
the whole of the peninsula, continued ia our 
possession till the evening of the 18th; when 
the evacuation of Toulon being complete, he 
received orders to withdraw his troops. ‘This 
service, though rendered very dificult by the 
proximity of the enemy, was nevertheless 
effected during the night; and the troops 
were marched to the other end of the penin.- 
sula, where they were embarked in boats, 
which conveyed them, without loss, on board 
the fleet. The next service in which Colonel 
Villettes was engaged, was the conquest of | 
Corsica. He acted here in his proper station 
at the siege of Saint Fiorenzo; and afterwards 
ina more distinguished manner, at that of 
Bastia. Lord Hood having proposed to the 
commander of the land forces the attack of 
this letter place, and the measure being deem- 
ed inexpedient by that officer, his lordship 
resolved to undertake the siege, without the 
assistance of any trvops but those who were 
originally given him as marines. Aftera close 
blockade of forty days, Bastia was taken, and 
Lord Hood gratefully acknowledged the es- 
sential assistance which he received on that 
occasion from Colonel Villettes. ‘The merit 
of this service will perhaps be more fully ape 
pieciated, when it is known, that the force 
which Colonel Villettes commanded, was 
composed of no more than 10Q0 british sol- 
diers,250 landed seamen, and 1200 Corsicans; 
which last were fit only to scour the country, 
The garrison, on the other hand, consisted of 
4000 French regulars, and about as many of 
the armed inhabitants. Even after the sur- 
render of the place, the difliculties of Colouel 
Villettes’ situation did not cease. With his 
small force, he was to guard 800 prisomers 5 
and this arduous task was continued several 
days, the state of the weather rendering it 
impossible to send them away im a shorter 
time. For this important service Colonel 
Villettes was.rewarded, by being appointed 
Governor of Bastia; and a vote of thanks te, 
him being proposed in the House of Com- 
mons, it seemed to be a subject of regret 
with every person, that some circumstances 
of parliamentary etiquette rendered it impos< 
sibie to accede to the motion. In the year 
4790, an intermittent fever, of a very bad 
; Kl, Oy . 
