abandon, by a detachment of troops under the command of Major Church. The Leonidas was then only a few miles from the shore; and the weather being fine, it was judged a favorable opportunity to make an immediate and joint attack upon the first redoubt.
“Captain Brisbane, who was with me, ever anxious to render himself of use, volunteered to take any orders to the Leonidas. I therefore sent directions by him to Captain Griffiths, to anchor as near the redoubt as possible, and cannonade it; which was executed with his usual promptitude. The troops, at the same time, with the General at their head, advanced under a heavy fire of grape and musketry to the assault, drove the enemy from his entrenchments at the point of the bayonet, and followed him so close, that he had not time to rally at the second redoubt, but fled through it without stopping, and was pursued close to the walls of the citadel. The acquisition of these posts, which from that moment we retained possession of, was of the greatest importance to the future operations. “Being myself wounded in the head, I was under the necessity, for a few days, of giving up the naval arrangements to Captain Brisbane, to whose zealous ardour, whatever service he is employed upon, it is impossible for me to do sufficient justice.
"On the 25th, finding myself able to give all such directions as could be necessary for the service going forward, and that it was very essential to increase the force on the north side of the island, I directed Captain Brisbane to proceed there in the Belle Poule, taking with him the Imogene and gun-boats.
“Captain Stephens had been wounded in the foot at the storming of the redoubts, but was too zealous to allow it to interfere with his personal exertions. I am sorry to say that he still suffers from it very considerably.
“Ten of the Magnificent’s guns were landed, and 150 seamen, under the command of Lieutenant Astley, whose assiduous attention and activity in performing every duty entrusted to him, the General speaks of in strong terms of approbation.
“On the 30th the Montagu joined me. Captain Moubray, by the greatest exertions, had re-hung his rudder at Zante, and lost not a moment afterwards in following us. On her arrival, two of her lower-deck guns were landed, and 100 of her seamen, to do duty on shore. I at the same time directed Captain Moubray to superintend all the operations that were going forward, that no assistance which the ships could give might be omitted. On the 7th April, I left the transports under the care of the Montagu, and proceeded to the opposite side of the island, where our batteries opened the following morning. The seamen of the Magnificent, in consequence of the ship going to sea, were withdrawn from the shore, and an additional number sent from the Montagu, the whole being then under the command of Lieutenant Lyons of that ship.
“The only way the citadel could be approached with cannon being a narrow neck of land, and which is composed principally of loose gravel thrown up by the sea, the difficulties in erecting our batteries had been very great; but the ardour and energies of the soldiers and sailors, ani-