With Marlborough to Malplaquet: A Story of the Reign of Queen Anne

k in hospital, sir, and better than dod

service under Lord Galway had come to an end, much to his disgust at first. With others, he had been sent on board a vessel and carried round the coast of Spain to the neighbourhood of Barcelona, where Sir George Rooke was operating. The new troops had arrived too late. The Admiral, despairing of making any impressi

gh, "my Lord Galway foretold that you had work cut

the little town clustered at its base and on its gentler slopes. To their right was the indentation in the coast known as the Bay of Gibraltar, which was protected by a long stone-built jetty, the Old Mole. From this protection ran a stout sea defence called the Line Wall, with two or three strong bastions. This wall ended at another

or else re-embark for home," George said, as he sat in what shade h

Fairburn," the lieuten

s was on the twenty-first of July, 1704. The demand had been made on the part of the Allies by the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, who was present with three Dutch admirals and several Dutch ships. The English admirals concerned in the siege

quis de Salinas, the Governor of the fortress. It was a stout and dignified refusal. He and his men had sworn allegiance to King Philip

e attack should begin with daybreak on the following morning, and the soldiers went to roost at once, with easy minds. It was believed that the attack would be but a harmless bit of chil

shaking George vigorously by the shoulder,

to which the sergeant replied with a laugh, "It'l

eing complete. At length a movement was made. The Dorsetshire, with Captain Whitaker in command, was sent to

little company were posted, a shot was fired into the fortificati

through the air a big round shot, striking the ground, pl

er of them!" A second shot flew just overhead, to do its deadly work on the unfortunate men who stood immediately behind. George Fairburn'

few minutes the fight was raging in terrible fashion. From land and sea alike the shot poured into the town; sailor and soldier joining, and often standing side by side. As George after

ed among his companions. For an hour or two none of the enemy's shots fell very near the spot. But at length, and almost suddenly, the balls began to fly i

isting, "they have got our measure at last! I w

s distant, a small clump of elder on which some man had tosse

jaculated, "there

me, striking the gun in front, entirely disabling the weapon, and then bounding off. When the men, h

of the fel

f he is left lying there!" Another shot struck the bush, only just missing the body of the prostrate man

zen yards to the right. It was a heavy task, but the lad was as sturdy a fellow of his years as on

time striking the exact spot where the lieutenant had a moment bef

nning up with three or four others, and he slapped Geor

was hastily carr

urgeon, "a nasty tap on the left shoulde

ip was headed for the spot. To the surprise of those on board, they perceived two other ships in advance of them; they were the Yarmouth, Captain Hicks, and the Lennox, Captain Jumper, a gallant pair. Boats

en watched with straining eyes. It was true; two score gall

and the New Mole was taken. Hot and exited, the men were carried against Jumper's Bastion, a strong work a little to the north of the New Mole, and that place, too, was rushed in an incredibly short space of time, and with scarcely

the immediate command of Byng, and six Dutch men-of-war under Admiral Vanderdus

f engaged in a hand

wo Moles, and the long Line Wall between them, were in the hands of the Allies. Of all the attacking party none

our company?" he enqu

s been a hot member," to which the captain said wit

sts and gone off to mass. It would have been easy to carry the place at once, but the necessary storming had been done, and the allied comma

r flag there. The notion was taken up, and presently the temptation grew irresistible to certain of them

urn, as he followed the handful of s

nd, to George's astonishment, Lieutenan

ed the lad, gazing up at the t

on," growled one of the sailors; "

his friend and superior. Up, up, the scaling party mounted, the business becoming every moment more difficult and mor

hese occasions, from below, where he was helping up the

passed his fellows in the race, catching up the foremost man, who held the flag. Seizing the staff, George Fairburn assisted in the actual planting of the colours. The

704, according to the old reckoning, the third of August by the n

r claiming the fortress, but this Rooke would not have, and he promptly declared the Rock to be the possession of his august mistress, Queen Anne. Those o

George Rooke himself, on his quarter-deck, Lieutenant Fieldsend and George Fairburn being of the party. The admiral said a few words of commen

e inquired, with much kindly condescension; "our w

h flushed face, "I should like to join his Grace the D

an be done when we reach Portsmouth. I have heard somethin

nglish ships reached home, the lieutenant and George at once offered for service under the Duke, and were accepted. They sailed away agai

g to reach Vienna, there to attack the Emperor. Returning, the Duke was all eager to attack the great port and stronghold of Antwerp, the capture of which would be a heavy blow to Louis. He had, however, to content himself with seizing Huy, Limburg, and Guilders, a success more than counterbalanced by the defeat of the Emperor at Hochst?dt, by the French and Bavarians. Disheartened and disgusted, Marlbo

heim that had just been gained by the Allies under Marlborough, against the combined French and Bavarian forces, commanded by the

t to have been there in ti

nsent to his following the profession of a soldier. "It is useless to stand in the boy's way," the elder Fairburn had said, "though I

enant Fieldsend presented the letter he held from Sir George Rooke

ontents of the short epistle. "You are a lucky young fellow to have got S

as the reply, and at a nod th

's ruddy face and took n

un early. Do you know what reques

ge stammered in reply, his k

oy standing almost open-mouthed. "We will give you a short trial first, for

able and an aide-de-camp e

rder, "take this lad to your captain, who wi

other hard by the hand, the astonishment on both