Historia de Barcelona

Etiqueta: James Fitz-James

  • La tropa quiere rendirse, la administración negociar, la gente luchar

    All the dispositions being made, Marshal Berwick opened the trenches on the night between the twelfth and thirteenth of July, on the east side, where the besieged did not expect to be attacked. The trenches were mounted by a Lieutenant-general, a Marshal de Camp, and two Brigadeers; ten battalions, and five hundred horse, besides two thousand five hundred pioneers to work in the night; and much the same disposition was made during the whole siege. The trenches were advanced within three hundred and eighty fathoms of the counterscarp: about two of the clock in the afternoon the besieged made a sally, being headed by their brave Matadors, several of whom were killed upon the spot, or were taken prisoners and hanged.

    On the same day, the deputation sent a trumpet with dispatches for Mr. Bellefontaine, who
    refused to receive them. The Marquis of Villaroël sent another, with a letter directed to the Marquis of Guerchy. The latter carried it unopened to Marshal Berwick, who returned it to the trumpet, and threatened to cause him to be hanged, if he returned any more to the camp; adding, that the rebels must only have recourse to the mercy of the King. A few hours after, some ladies from the town came to the camp, and presented themselves at the door of the General’s tent, in order to intreat him to grant them an asylum: but the Marshal would neither see nor hear them, and immediately sent them back to the town saying, that when he should be there, he would hear them. A Marshal de Camp, a Brigadeer, a Colonel, and five Captains, escaped from the town on the same day, and surrendered at discretion. They brought an account that the regular troops were disposed to surrender, but that the people were more obstinate than ever; that they were employed in throwing up a multitude of retrenchments, and declared that they would rather be buried in the ruins of their houses, than submit.

  • Misa y gran bombardeo para celebrar el cumpleaños de Berwick

    All the time till the twenty fourth, was employed in carrying on the works to the covered way. On the twenty fifth, being the Marshal of Berwick‘s birth day, after having caused the mass to be said by the Vicar-general of the army, and the artillery to be blessed, he ordered a royal battery of seventy four pieces of cannon, and twenty four mortars to fire upon a long courtain, extending from the bastion of the new port to that of Santa Clara; at the same time that sixteen other cannons fired from two batteries upon a redoubt nigh the sea. So great a fire had the effect which might well be expected from it; the bullets did a great deal of mischief in the town, and frightned the inhabitants.

    This occasioned a general assembly, wherein they resolved to persist in their revolt. Pinos, a gentleman, and one of the most obstinate of the rebels, spoke in that assembly in such a haughty manner, as intimidated those who were inclined to submit. The ravings of Basset, Grand-vicar of Cardinal Sala, Bishop of Barcelona, which he vented under the name of revelation’s, seduced others. They made a decree, which they distributed by their emissaries, who in the night easily went out, and returned on the sea-side. In this writing they gave notice to the rebels in the country of the condition to which the town was reduced, and of the danger with which it was threatened; they commanded all the inhabitants of towns and villages, who were above fourteen years of age, to take arms for the defence of their liberties, upon pain of being treated as enemies to their country. The Marquis del Poël, and the Chevalier Armengol, went throughout the whole country, to put this decree in execution. The Captains of the Miquelets had the insolence to accompany this writing with an order from them, expressed in such terms as the most famous and renowned Generals would have hardly used: they commanded all the inhabitants of the cities, towns, and villages of Catalonia, who were fourteen years of age, to take arms, and repair to them, under pain of being burnt in their habitations.

  • Importantes perdidas entre los defensores de Barcelona

    On the thirtieth in the evening the Marshal of Berwick went into the trenches. They were mounted by Lieutenant-general Dillon, Mr. Vicintillo, Marshal de Camp, and the Brigadeers Courten and Desmarets. Every thing was in readiness, and the signal was given: whereupon, four companies of grenadeers on the right, and as many on the left, attacked the covered way, which runs from the bastion of the new gate, to that of Santa Clara; and without firing rushed in, and put to sword all those who were in it. The pioneers followed at a very little distance, and presently made a lodgment, being favoured by the fire of the troops in the trenches, who supported this attack.

    The besieged came in great numbers to recover the counterscarp; but our grenadeers were so fresh, that the former were repulsed with great loss. This attack was made with so much valour on the side of the besiegers, and was so weakly defended on that of the besieged, that the former lost but a few men. The batteries continued to fire in breach upon the two bastions and the courtain; and the miners were set to work under them.

  • Ejecuciones masivas de rebeldes

    To prevent any bad effect which that insolent writing above mentioned might have produced, Marshal Berwick caused a Manifesto to be printed at Gironne, and to be fixed up in the towns and principal places of Catalonia, forbidding all persons to distribute or have any regard to that writing; and ordering all the Catalans who should be found in arms, to be hanged upon the spot, without any other form of process; and all the places which favoured the rebels, to be pillaged and burnt. In consequence of this order, which was dated the sixth of August, one and thirty rebels were hanged: they had been taken by Mr. Bracamonte from a company of two thousand men, commanded by the Chevalier del Poël, whom he had defeated at a defile, in his return from Berga, whither he had been carrying a convoy of provisions: four hundred of these rebels were killed upon the spot.