Note 52 — Chapter XII

In this business Lieutenant Wolley had some narrow escapes. The commanding officer of the fort rushed out of the guard-room on the alarm, with a lighted match in his hand. He first fired an amuzet, luckily pointed in an opposite direction; he then three times attempted to fire a twenty-four pounder as Mr. Wolley and his men were advancing to the muzzle of it; but fortunately, either from the dampness of the powder, or trepidation of the man, it missed taking effect; on which he flung down his match, and retreated to the further end of the fort, whither Mr. Wolley followed; but, from the darkness of the night, he soon lost sight of him. As he returned he was met by his own men, who, taking him for an enemy, were about to put him to death, when his voice discovered their mistake. Had the cannon in the first instance gone off, it must have made considerable havock among our men, as it was loaded with a bag of musket balls.—This day Captain Armstrong of the 8th regiment, was killed by a cannon ball at the landing-place at Grozier, while giving directions to a serjeant about some ordnance which was to be landed there. He was on horseback, and had just remarked, that there could be no danger from the fire at Fleur d'Epée at that place; a shot, however, from the fort dipped over the point of land which seemed to shelter the landing-place, and cut him asunder. He has often been heard to say that he thought that a man must be truly unfortunate who fell by a single cannon ball.