e, Mr John McKillop, constituted himself captain of the well,
drawing for the supply of the women and children as often as he could.
After numerous escapes, he received his death-wound in the groin from a
grape-shot, with his last breath entreating that someone would draw
water for a lady to whom he had promised it. Dreadful were the
sufferings of all from thirst; and children were seen sucking pieces of
old water-bags to try and get a drop of moisture on their parched lips.
One of the barracks was thatched; part of it was used as an hospital.
That at length caught fire; and while the heroic garrison were dragging
forth their wounded countrymen from the flames, the mutineers poured in
on them incessant volleys of musketry, and a continued shower of round
shot.

The enemy, imagining that all the attention of the garrison was devoted
to extinguishing the flames, advanced to the assault, with the intention
of storming Ashe's battery. Not a sound did they utter, and, fancying
that they were undiscovered, were allowed to come within 60 or 80 yards
of the guns before one was fired, or a movement made to indicate that
they were perceived. Just as they must have supposed their success
certain, the 9-pounders opened on them with a most destructive discharge
of grape. The men shouldered in succession the muskets which they had
by their sides ready loaded, and discharged them into their midst. In
half an hour the enemy took to flight, leaving a hundred corpses on the
plain. No sooner had the ashes of the barrack cooled, than the soldiers
of the 32nd Regiment, though the enemy were firing on them, raking with
their swords and bayonets, made diligent search for their medals.
Several of them were found, though much injured by fire. This fact
shows the high appreciation in which the British soldier holds his
decorations.

Numbers of the officers and men had already fallen.

Soon after the destruction of the hospital, Captain Moore determined to
make a dash upon the enemy's guns, in the hope of silencing some of
them. Accordingly a party of fifty, headed by the captain, sallied out
at midnight towards the church compound, where they spiked two or three
guns. Proceeding thence to the mess-house, they killed several of the
native gunners asleep at their posts, blew up one of the 24-pounders and
spiked another, and returned with the loss of one private killed and
four wounded. Gallant and successful as was the exploit, it avai