From the circumstance of its immense strength and impregnability,
other great fortresses have also received its name, as Quebec,
which is called the Gibraltar of America. The height of the wall
is 1437 feet. Taken by the Saracens, in 712. In 1462, the King of
Castile took the fortress and town from the Moors; and the English,
under Sir George Brooke, the Prince of Hesse-Denmark, Sir John
Leake, and Admiral Byng, bravely won it, July 24th, 1704. It was
surrendered, after a dreadful cannonade, to the British by the
Governor, the Marquis de Salines, and has ever since continued one
of the most brilliant gems in the coronet of England’s Queen. Long
may she reign to wear it. The following are the different attacks
which have been made upon it since the British took it. On the 11th
October, 1704, the same year it was captured by the British, it
sustained a siege from the Spaniards and French, who lost 10,000
whilst the British loss was only 400. Again the Spaniards attacked
it in 1720, but were repulsed with great loss. In 1728, they again
attacked it but were driven back with the loss of 5000 out of
20,000, while the English lost 300. After this came the memorable
siege of the Spaniards and French, whose prodigious armaments
astonished the whole of Europe. They were the most stupendous up
to that time ever brought before any city or fortress. The siege
continued from July, 1770, to February, 1783. The allied army
amounted to 40,000 men. The Duke of Crillon had 12,000 of the best
troops of France, 1000 pieces of artillery were brought to bear
against the fortress, besides which there were forty-seven sail of
the line all three-deckers, ten great floating batteries esteemed
invincible, carrying 212 guns, an immense number of frigates,
xebeques, bomb-ketches, cutters, and gun and mortar boats; while
small craft literally covered the bay. For weeks and weeks together
6000 shells were daily thrown into the town, and, on one single
occasion, 8000 barrels of gunpowder were expended by the enemy,
yet in one single night were all these immense batteries destroyed
by red-hot cannon balls, and their whole line of works annihilated
by a sortie of the garrison, commanded by General Elliot, November
27th, 1781. The loss of the enemy in this memorable night alone,
amounted to upwards of £2,000,000 sterling. The grand defeat by
the garrison of only 7000 British, occurred September 13th, 1782.
Since then the British have remained in peaceful possession.
GISORS, BATTLE OF.--_In France._--Fought between the armies of
France and England, in which the former were signally defeated by
Richard I, who commanding in person, and whose parole for the day
was “Dieu et Mon Droit,” and from this it was made the motto of the
Royal Arms of England, A.D. 1193.
GLENCOE, MASSACRE OF.--The McDonalds of Glencoe, were cruelly
massacred, May 9th, 1691, merely for not surrendering in time after
King William’s proclamation perpetrated by the Earl of Argyle’s
regiment. 38 men besides women and children perished.
GOOJERAT, BATTLE OF.--_India._--Fought February 21st, 1849. Lord
Gough with 21,000 men and 100 guns attacked the enemy, numbering
60,000 men, with 59 guns. The Sikh Chief was strongly posted
between two river courses which protected his flanks, and yet
allowed him good manœuvring space to retire either on the east
or west side of the town of Goojerat, which afforded shelter and
protection to his rear. The battle began at 7 A.M. After a severe
engagement of nine hours, at 4 P.M. the enemy had been driven from
every post and was in general retreat, which the field artillery
and cavalry converted into a rout and flight. They were pursued
for 15 miles, and next day another fresh force took up the direct
pursuit. Some of the guns and the whole of the ammunition and
camp equipage fell into the hands of the British. The Chief,
Shere-Singh, escaped with only 8000 men out of 60,000. The loss on
the side of the British was 100 killed and 900 wounded.
GOREE.--Taken by the English Admiral Holmes, in 1693--ceded to
France 1678. Again taken by the British, 1758--1779--1800--and 1804.
GOREY, BATTLE OF.--Fought June 4th, 1798, between the King’s troops
and the Irish rebels, in which, after a desperate battle, the
King’s forces were routed with great slaughter. They lost several
pieces of artillery, and retreated to Gorey and afterwards to
Arklow.
GORGET.--An ancient breastplate. It was of great size, and gave
rise to the modern diminutive breastplate which was in existence at
the Restoration. It is now disused.
GRAMPIAN HILLS, BATTLE OF THE.--This was a celebrated engagement
between the Scots and Picts--the former under Galgacus, and the
latter under Agricola. Fought A.D. 79.
GRAND ALLIANCE.--Signed at Vienna between England and the States
General--to which Spain and the Duke of Savoy afterwards acceded,
May 12th, 1689.
GRANICUS, BATTLE OF.--Alexander the Great fought and won this
battle against the Persians--B.C. 334. The Macedonian troops
crossed the Granicus in the face of the Persian army, and totally
defeated them. Alexander’s army was only 30,000 foot and 5000 horse
and the Persian 600,000 foot, and 60,000 horse.
GRENADES.--A kind of bombshell invented in 1594. It is a small
hollow globe or ball of iron, two inches diameter, and filled
with fine powder and set on fire by a fusee at a touch-hole. The
grenadiers were those soldiers who were armed with a pouch of hand
grenades--established in France in 1667--and England in 1685.
The latter word is applied now, according to Gay, to the tall
soldiers--of which there is generally a company in every regiment.
GROCHOW, BATTLE OF.--_Near Praga, Warsaw._--Fought February 20th,
1831, between the Poles and Russians. After a bloody battle, which
continued all day and almost all the next, the Poles remained
masters of the field. The Russians retreated, having lost 70,000
men, and the Poles, 2000.
GUADALOUPE.--Taken by the English, in 1759, and restored 1763.
Again taken in 1779, 1794, and 1810. At last, restored to France at
the peace of 1814.
GUARDS.--The custom of having guards was introduced by Saul, King
of Israel, B.C. 1093. Bodyguards instituted by Henry VII, 1485.
Horse guards by Edward VI, 1550. The three regiments of the British
service, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Foot Guards, were raised in 1660,
and the command of them given to Colonel Russell, General Monk,
and Lord Linlithgow. The Second, or the Coldstream, was the first
raised. The Horse Grenadier Guards, first troop raised 1693, and
second in 1702.
GUNPOWDER.--Invented by a Monk of Cologne, 1320. It has entirely
revolutionized the art of war; consists of three ingredients, viz.,
charcoal, sulphur and saltpetre.
H.
HALIDON HILL, BATTLE OF.--Fought July 19th, 1333.--“The Scots were
rash enough to attack the English as they held the top of a bold
hill, at the foot of which lay a marsh. The English archers, posted
on the face of the hill, shot down the Scots, almost at their
leisure, while they struggled heavily through the spongy ground.
Under the deadly arrow flight, the Scots dragged themselves through
the bog, and attempted, all breathless and exhausted, to charge
up the hill against the fresh troops of England. They were forced
down with great slaughter. Many more were slain as they struggled
back through the fatal bog. The bloody lesson, however, seems not
to have been lost. Once and again King Edward made the savage
apparition of war to pass through Scotland. But the Scots baffled
him by following the wise policy of Bruce. He traversed a country
completely deserted and laid waste. The inhabitants, with their
cattle and all their property, had retired to the inaccessible
fastnesses of the mountains. Every advanced column and detached
party of the English was assailed, stragglers cut off, and alarms
kept up. Famine and disease did the work. Captain Hunger was
more than a match for Captain Sword. Edward made nothing by his
invasions, though he marched through the country as far north as
Inverness. He was compelled each time to fall back again on his
own territory, with great loss of men from hardships and misery,
and the harassing attacks of the Scots, who sallied out from every
glen, forest, and mountain defile.”
HALYS, BATTLE OF.--This great battle was fought between the Lydians
and Medes, on the banks of the river Halys. It was interrupted by
an almost total eclipse of the sun. Fought, May 28th, B.C. 585.
HANAN, BATTLE OF.--Fought, October 29th, 1813, between a division
of the combined armies of Austria and Bavaria, 30,000 strong, under
General Wrede and the French, 70,000 strong. The latter were on
their retreat from Leipsic when encountered by the Allies, and
suffered severely, although at the end of the battle the Austrians
had to retire.
HARLAW, BATTLE OF.--Fought, July 24th, 1411, between the Earl of
Mar, who commanded the Royal army, and Donald, the Lord of the
Isles. Neither army gained the victory, it being a drawn battle.
So many nobility and gentry were slain in this engagement that a
Scottish historian declares, “more illustrious men fell in this
one conflict alone than had fallen in foreign wars during many
previous years.”
HASTINGS, BATTLE OF.--Fought, October 14th, 1066. In the beginning
of summer, William embarked his powerful army of 60,000 men on
board a fleet of 300 sail; and, after some small opposition from
the weather, landed at Pevensey, on the coast of Sussex, tranquilly.
“Harold, who seemed resolved to defend his right to the crown, and
retain that sovereignty which he had received from the people,
who only had a right to bestow it, was now returning, flushed
with conquest, from defeating the Norwegians, who had invaded the
kingdom, with all the forces he had employed in that expedition,
and all he could invite or collect in the country through which he
passed. His army was composed of active and valiant troops, in high
spirits, strongly attached to their king, and eager to engage.
On the other hand, the army of William consisted of the flower
of the continent, and had long been inured to danger. The men of
Britanny, Boulogne, Flanders, Poictou, Maine, Orleans, France, and
Normandy, were all voluntarily united under his command. England
never before nor ever since, saw two such armies drawn up to
dispute its crown.
The day before the battle, William sent an offer to Harold to
decide the quarrel between them by single combat, and thus to spare
the blood of thousands: but Harold refused, and said he would leave
it to the God of armies to determine. Both armies, therefore, that
night pitched in sight of each other, expecting the dawning of the
day with impatience. The English passed the night in songs and
feasting; the Normans in devotion and prayer.
The next morning, at seven as soon as day appeared, both armies
were drawn up in array against each other. Harold appeared in
the centre of his forces, leading on his army on foot, that his
men might be more encouraged, by seeing their king exposed to an
equality of danger. William, fought on horseback, leading on his
army, that moved at once, singing the songs of Roland, one of
the famous chiefs of their country. The Normans began to fight
with their cross-bows, which, at first, galled and surprised the
English; and, as their ranks were closed, their arrows did great
execution. But soon they came to closer fight, and the English with
their bills hewed down their adversaries with great slaughter.
Confusion was spreading among the ranks, when William, who found
himself on the brink of destruction, hastened with a select band
to the relief of his forces. His presence restored the suspense
of battle; he was seen in every place, endeavouring to pierce
the ranks of the enemy, and had three horses slain under him. At
length, perceiving that the English continued impenetrable, he
pretended to give ground, which, as he expected, drew the enemy
from their ranks, and he was instantly ready to take advantage
of their disorder. Upon a signal given the Normans immediately
returned to the charge with greater fury than before, broke the
English troops, and pursued them to a rising ground. It was in this
extremity that Harold was seen flying from rank to rank, rallying
and inspiring his troops with vigour; and though he had toiled all
day, till near night-fall, in front of his Kentish men, yet he
still seemed unabated in force or courage, keeping his men to the
post of honour.
Once more, therefore, the victory seemed to turn against the
Normans, and they fell in great numbers, so that the fierceness and
obstinacy of this memorable battle was often renewed by the courage
of the leaders, whenever that of the soldiers began to slacken.
Fortune at length determined a victory that valour was unable to
decide.
Harold, making a furious onset at the head of his troops against
the Norman heavy armed infantry, was shot into the brains by an
arrow; and his two valiant brothers, fighting by his side, shared
the same fate. He fell with his sword in his hand, amidst heaps of
slain.”
HAVRE-DE-GRACE.--Defended for the Huguenots by the English in 1562.
Bombarded several times by the British Navy. Successfully attacked
for three days from July 6th to 9th, 1759. Again bombarded in 1794
and 1795--and again by Sir Richard Strachan in 1798. Declared in a
state of blockade 1803; and the attempts of the British to burn the
shipping here signally failed, August 7th, 1804.
HERARA, BATTLE OF.--_In Arragon._--In this battle, Don Carlos of
Spain, in his struggle for his hereditary right to the throne of
that kingdom, encountered, at the head of 12,000 men, and defeated
General Buerens, who had not half the number of the Queen’s troops.
The loss of Buerens was about 1000 killed and wounded. Fought,
August 24th, 1837.
HERRINGS, BATTLE OF THE.--Vertot says that this battle, fought in
1429, received its name from the following ludicrous occasion. The
Duc de Bourbon, in attempting to intercept a convoy on the road to
the English Camp, before Orleans, was severely beaten. It was a
convoy of salt-fish--and this action has ever since been called by
the above name.
HOCHKIRCHEN, BATTLE OF.--Between the Prussian army, commanded by
Frederick II, and the Austrians, commanded by Count Daun. The King
was surprised in his camp and defeated by the Imperial General.
In this battle, an illustrious Scotsman, Field-Marshal Keith, in
the service of Prussia, was killed; and such was the respect and
admiration which his name inspired, that Counts Daun and Lacy, the
Austrian Generals, shed tears on beholding the corpse, and ordered
its interment with military honours. Fought, October 14th, 1758.
HOCHENLINDEN, BATTLE OF.--Fought November 3rd, 1800, between the
Austrian and French armies--the latter commanded by General Moreau.
The Austrians were defeated with dreadful slaughter, losing 10,000
men in killed and wounded, and 10,000 more in prisoners. The forces
of each army were nominally equal at the commencement of the battle.
HOMELDEN, BATTLE OF.--Between the Scots, headed by the Earl of
Douglas, and the Percys, in which the Scots were defeated. Douglas
and many of the nobility were taken prisoners in this battle.
Fought in 1403.
HORATII AND CURIATII, COMBAT BETWEEN THE.--Fought B.C. 669. The
forces of the two states met about five miles from Rome. While the
armies were awaiting the signal for the battle, the Alban General,
stepping into the space between them, proposed to decide the
dispute by single combat. To this proposition Tullus agreed. There
were in each army three twin brothers, all remarkable for their
courage, strength, and activity, and to them it was resolved to
commit the management of the combat. The Roman brothers were called
Horatii and the Albans Curiatii. The champions met. Victory, which
for a time, appeared doubtful, at last seemed to decide against
the Romans. Two of their champions lay dead on the field, and the
third seemed, by flight, to beg for mercy. Defeat was however only
apparent. It soon became evident that this flight of the surviving
Roman was pretence in order that, by separating his antagonists, he
might have an opportunity of engaging them singly. Turning suddenly
upon the foremost of the Curiatii, he laid him dead at his feet.
The second instantly shared his fate. Fatigued and disabled by his
wounds, the third slowly advanced to offer an easy victory. He was
slain almost unresisting, while the conqueror exclaimed “Two have
I already sacrificed to the Manes of my brothers; a third will I
offer up to my country.”
HUSSAR.--This kind of soldier originated in Poland and Hungary, and
as they, being light cavalry, were more suited for hasty attacks
than a set battle, they are supposed to have taken their name from
the _huzzas_ or shouts which they made at their first onset. Pardon
says that they were oddly clothed, having the skins of tigers, &c.,
hanging on their backs, against bad weather, and wore fur caps,
with a cock’s feather. Introduced into the British service in the
last century.
I.
INKERMANN, BATTLE OF.--One of the most brilliant achievements in
the history of the British Army. Fought on the 5th of November,
1854.
“Two days after the repulse of the enemy’s sortie, by Sir De
Lacy Evans’ division, General Dannenberg, with a large Russian
reinforcement, arrived at Baktchi-Serai from Odessa, which place he
left on the 19th of October. In order that his men might reach the
scene of action with the greatest practicable rapidity, and in good
condition, every available cart and rustic conveyance was pressed
into the service. They were thus comparatively fresh and vigorous
after so rapid a march. On the 3rd of November, one division, under
General Soimonoff, entered Sebastopol. The remainder, under General
Pauloff, encamped at Tchorgoun, a short distance to the east.
Strengthened by this considerable reinforcement, the Russian
Generals decided upon an attack upon the position of the Allies
in such strength that it should be scarcely possible to make
an effectual resistance. The Grand Dukes Michael and Nicholas,
sons of the Emperor, had arrived at Sebastopol, with the purpose
of encouraging the garrison by their presence, and witnessing
the total defeat of the haughty invaders. On Sunday, the 4th
of November, solemn religious services were held in the town.
Patriarchs and Bishops of the Greek Church addressed the soldiery,
urged upon them the importance of the trust which their good father
the Czar had thought proper to impose upon them,--assured them
that death in his service was only the road to a martyr’s crown,
and that the English were monsters of cruelty, who committed the
most atrocious barbarities upon all prisoners of war. Finally,
they said the British camp abounded in treasure, one-third of
which should be the property of the soldiery. Incited by these
promises,--stimulated by extra rations of ardent spirits,--and
fanatically believing that the destruction of the English heretics
would be a work of acceptable piety, the Russian soldiers mingled
shouts of devotion to the Czar and death to the Allies, and
prepared themselves for the encounter of the morrow.
The plan of attack, as decided upon by the enemy’s commanders, was
shortly this:--The extreme right of the British position, near the
bridge which crossed the Tchernaya at Inkermann, was notoriously
our weak point. Sir De Lacy Evans, whose division occupied this
position, had repeatedly called Lord Raglan’s attention to this
vulnerable point; but so laborious were the duties devolving
upon our men, and so extended the line of defence, that it was
impossible to spare either men or guns for the establishment of
works. The French, whose large numbers and secure position on the
western plateau left them a far smaller share of the duty, had
been early applied to for assistance, but had hitherto refused.
Sir John Burgoyne had called the special attention of General Biot
to the danger of leaving exposed such an avenue to the camp of the
Allies; but the French commander seems to have been at this time
but little disposed to relieve the English of any of the toil or
danger they had so willingly undertaken, but which proved too much
for their effectual performance. At length the English, by almost
superhuman exertions, had erected a small work on the brow of the
hill, intended to carry two guns, but they had not yet been mounted.
Towards this point, then,--of the unprotected nature of which
the Russians were perfectly well aware, thanks to the newspaper
correspondents, who, in their anxiety to satisfy the curiosity
of the readers at home, contrived (unwittingly, we believe) to
afford the enemy a very great deal of valuable information,--the
attention of the Russians was naturally directed. It afforded a
convenient access to the very centre of the English lines, and
would, in all probability, offer but a feeble resistance. It was
arranged that Gortschakoff should, at an early hour on the morning
of the 5th, make a threatening demonstration in front of Balaklava,
apparently renewing the attempt of the 25th of October. This
would have the effect of drawing a considerable portion of the
armies to the defence of that important position, thus leaving the
front comparatively unprotected. On the extreme left of the line,
General Timofeyer would also make a feigned attack, occupying the
attention of the French. The actual assault was to be made by the
recently-arrived army of General Dannenberg. The two divisions
already named, according to the Russian computation (most probably
understated), were of the following strength: General Soimonoff’s
corps consisted of three regiments of the 10th division, three of
the 16th, and one of the 17th, amounting altogether to 16,200
bayonets, with twenty-two heavy and sixteen light guns; that of
General Pauloff, numbering 13,200 bayonets, was composed of three
regiments of the 10th division, two Chasseur regiments of the 18th,
with twelve guns. The two corps thus numbered 29,400 bayonets, and
fifty guns. Soimonoff was ordered to march from the Malakoff Tower
in a westerly direction, until he reached the Kilen ravine, under
cover of which he was to penetrate into the English centre on the
western side of the ravine. Five o’clock in the morning was fixed
as the time for the assault. Pauloff’s division was to cross the
Tchernaya, force the English lines at the unprotected point, and
cutting their way through the second division join Soimonoff in the
main attack, when General Dannenberg, with the remainder of the
army, would appear upon the scene, and, it was fondly imagined,
give the _coup de grace_ to the invaders. Such was the plan of the
Russian Generals, carefully matured, and kept profoundly secret
from the Allies. We shall see the result.