The Fishguard Invasion by the French in 1797

er to calm my mother's mind about

le-handed, and she considered that I had guided Ann George through untold dangers into safety. The other way would have been much nearer the truth, but she did not see it so. Ah well! after-life has nothing half so sweet in it a

engaged in making preparations to receive the strangers who were quartered in our house, so as soon as supper was

s's house to see how she and her niece were getting on after their novel experience of warlike tactics on a large scale. Jemima, an immensely powerful woman,

emed to have been indulgi

ou, Nan?" I asked, with unfeeling o

at me from the orbs in questi

emima, "that her young man was woun

one of the sailors got shot; but I didn't kn

Nancy. "But there, it's no good talking

a heart, Nanc

same sort," cried Ann, too

ere my friends equally, so it made no odds to me which of them was wounded. And how was I to k

behind my more backward leg, and

ts quaint old porch. The interior was filled with officers discussing the position of affairs. With a good deal of trouble and squeezing, and being in those days of an eel-like figure, I slipped an

ose who have only known me in my later years; but it must be remembered I was then but a boy not given to stand

their hands on their swords. Of a sudden I felt rather than heard a thrill of excitement in the crowd behind me: this soon resolved itself

shrank from them as though they bore with them the plague, while the more distant ones pressed forward to catch a sight of these foreigners in the same way that people like to gaze on the more

the ears had no work to do, every one being too much astonished to speak-the two envoys from the French camp

amp, Monsieur Leonard, present, with many a bow and flourish, the written communication from his general to Lord Cawdor. At the sight of those grimaces the crowd around me awoke from their tr

nsmen without the house. His lordship, though his back was not so supple as the Frenchman's, still rece

being of a higher class and better parts than the rest, I imagined would

, blankly. "History happened

said th

or the leader of the invaders, being an Irishman, probably understood English at least as well as French, while most of us understood it a good deal better. The letter was short:

diga

Ven

r of the

would tend only to bloodshed and pillage. The officers of the whole corps have, therefore, intimated their desire of entering into a negotiation, upon principles

h and

hef de B

Government. A low murmur broke out among the onlookers. The Frenchmen's ships had deserted them and they wanted us to give them a free passage home. But Colonel Knox had something to say to that. The uncertain light of lanterns and candles (mostly dips, for the re

said he, "ten thousand more are on the road

e, but with his usual courtesy of manner, gave them an answer. He informed them that he should at once write an answer to General Tate, which he should

in clear and ringing tones. It commanded the admiration and approbation of all present on both sides of the window, except perhaps of the aide-de-camp and his fellow, who probably did not understand the English tongue, and if they had would not perchance

onal surrender of the whole French force as prisoners of war. And that he expected an answer with all speed, this being his ultimatum: Major Ackland would

ehowel to General Tate and six hundred Frenchmen, drawn up in line, by his lordship's aide-d

ard, Fe

wish of preventing an unnecessary effusion of blood, which your speedy surrender can alone prevent, and which will entitle you to that consideration it is ever the wish of British troops to show an enemy whose n

am,

wdo

jor Ackland who accompanied

back safely to their own lines, and indeed they required it, for by this time we had quite wakened up; and as the two men were led forth from the inn blindfolded with thick shawls lest they should spy the poverty of the force, we greeted them w

epresentatives of the enemy, or from shouting at them, or even from throwing a few stones and sticks at them. The men remembered the wine and brandy, the women the slaughtered ducks and geese, and they hurled stones and curses

ing view of Goodwick Sands and the most perfectly-exposed down-hill slope that could

trange days, and to have a second supper, and then to bed in my own particular little den, which

ID

THIR