3-017-020 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The siege operations at St. Mary's Creek, Chatham, on Saturday last, 1864. Military rehearsal. 'The besieged garrison were all men of the Marine Artillery and Volunteer Artillery, the besiegers Marines and Royal Engineers, so that the difference between the red uniforms of the latter and the blue undress of the former marked the lines of attack and defence...from behind earth mounds, from rifle-pits, from parapets and breastworks, from dyke and fosse, the cracking musketry kept up an incessant fire, which was answered by the assailants...a subterranean rumble was heard indicating that a mine had been sprung. A slight trembling of the ground was felt by the spectators...The engineers had put in four charges of powder, of 761b. each, behind the counterscarp; and three charges of 76lb. with one of 200lb. behind the escarp... The besiegers had altogether eleven heavy guns, eight mortars, and four howitzers, and all these were going at once...the assaulting columns were seen hurrying across the open with scaling-ladders. In a few minutes...the heads of the foremost men were seen above the parapet, while the defenders were keeping up a heavy fire upon them. At the same time another detachment of the attacking party was entering by the breach'. From "Illustrated London News", 1864.