Suddenly appearing in the back lane, and flanking the enemy with a close fire, the earl quickly put them to confusion and flight.
But, while retreating, the dragoons burst open the door at the back of Sir Henry Hoghton’s garden, drove out Captain Maclean and the volunteers placed there by General Forster, and took possession of the mansion.
Almost at the same time, the large house belonging to Mr. Eyre, on the opposite side of the street, which had served as General Forster’s headquarters, fell into the hands of Brigadier Honeywood.
On observing this, Captain Gordon immediately descended from the church-tower, and sought out General Forster, whom he found near the entrance to the market-place, and told him what had happened.
“By the possession of these two houses, general,” he said, “the enemy have secured most commanding positions, which will not only afford them shelter from our fire, but enable them to do us great damage. They must be retaken at any cost, but I would recommend as the shortest way that both houses be demolished by our cannon.”
“I cannot consent to their destruction, sir,” replied Forster. “The body of the town is the security of the army. We must dislodge the enemy-not destroy the houses.”
“But do you not perceive, general, that by this course you are affording security to the besiegers,” said Captain Gordon. “Reinforcements are sure to arrive, and then we shall never be able to drive out the enemy.”
“At all events, the attempt shall be made before I have recourse to cannon,” rejoined Forster. “Let both houses be attacked in front and rear-but mind! cannon must not be used.”
Scarcely able to control his anger, Captain Gordon went away.
On his return, he found that a vigorous attempt was being made by Lord Derwentwater to dislodge the enemy from Sir Henry Hoghton’s house, and a sharp conflict was then going on in the garden.
An attempt was likewise being made to recover Mr. Eyre’s house by a large party of dismounted troopers headed by Charles Radclyffe and Captain Shaftoe.
Brigadier Mackintosh would have quickly knocked down both these houses, but on learning that General Forster had positively prohibited the use of cannon, he desisted.
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VI
Houses burnt by the Assailants
WITH the exception of the loss sustained by the capture of these two important houses, and which had been entirely caused by Forster’s gross mismanagement, the insurgents had not only held their own, but obtained decided advantages over the enemy.
Not one of the three batteries on the south side of the town, though all had been repeatedly and vigorously attacked, had been taken. On the contrary, in every instance, the assailants had been repulsed, and with great loss. Neither by stratagem, nor direct assault, had any portion of the king’s forces been able to penetrate into the town. All the damage they had done was at the outskirts.
The church, which constituted the most important position on the south, was entirely in the hands of the insurgents, and so trifling had been the loss sustained by them, that it had not been necessary, as yet, to call upon the reserves stationed in the market-place.
Of course, the brunt of the fight had been borne by Brigadier Mackintosh, who had planned the able defence of the town, and had stood as firm as a rock beside the barrier he had reared, but a most courageous defence of the Fishergate barrier was made by Captain Douglas and Captain Hunter, and their moss-troopers and Borderers.
Individual acts of valour were performed by these hardy fellows worthy of another age. Not content with firing upon the assailants from roof and window, they occasionally sallied forth, and then some most desperate encounters took place between them and Colonel Pitt’s dismounted dragoons. Captain Douglas, who was a very powerful man, killed three dragoons with his own hand. In another sally Captain Hunter and half a dozen men with him advanced too far, and being completely surrounded, must have been captured, or slain, had they not been rescued at great personal risk by Captain Douglas.
Some barns and small habitations, at the end of the Fishergate avenue, occupied by the moss-troopers, were set fire to and burnt by Pitt’s men, but no real damage was done.
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