1812	Captain Ussher on the South Coast of Spain	63

the marines ; but, the garrison of Santander having received reinforcements which made it stronger than had been expected, General Porlier was unable to advance upon the place ; and the marines, who had pushed on to co-operate in the attack, were obliged to fall back upon the castle, with some loss. Captains Lake and Sir George Collier were among the wounded ; as was also Captain of marines Christopher Noble, who was taken prisoner. On the 3d the French evacuated the town of Santander, and a detachment of marines from the British frigates in the harbour immediately took possession of it.

In the month of May the British force stationed off the coast of Grenada, to assist the Spanish patriots, consisted of the 20-gun ships Hyacinth and Termagant, Captains Thomas Ussher and Hamilton, and gun-brig Basilisk, Lieutenant George French. In consequence of the destruction, by the Hyacinth, on the 20th, of the castle at Nersa, the guerillas, on the 25th, came down from the mountains and entered the town ; and Captains Ussher and Hamilton went on shore and waited upon the guerilla leader. By him they learnt that the French had retreated to Almunecar, a town about seven miles to the eastward ; and that they had a force of about 300 men, against whom the guerillas meant immediately to march.

In order to co-operate effectually with them, Captain Ussher, at 4 p.m. on the 26th, bore up for Almunecar ; and, anchoring his two ships and brig within point-blank range, silenced the castle in less than an hour. The guerillas not advancing as was expected, Captain Hamilton, at 5 P.M., went in his gig back to Nersa, and returned at 4 a.m. on the 27th, with information that the guerillas were waiting for an expected reinforcement. At 7 a.m. the French troops, having during the night mounted a howitzer in a breach made by the ships in the covered way to the castle, reopened their fire; but, by 10 a.m., the castle was again silenced, and the French were driven with great loss into the town, where they fortified themselves in the church and houses Desirous of sparing the unfortunate inhabitants, Captain Ussher ceased firing; and at 2 p.m., after having destroyed a privateer, of two guns and 30 or 40 men, at anchor under the castle, weighed and ran down to Nersa, for the purpose of concerting plans with the guerillas.

Having arrived at Nersa, Captain Ussher embarked 200 guerilla infantry on board his little squadron, and stood back with them towards Almunecar, having directed his cavalry to hasten through the mountain. The delay occasioned by a calm acquainted the French troops with the combined movement ; and, joining a corps of 200 men at Notril, the whole detachment retreated upon Grenada. On arriving at his anchorage before the castle, Captain Ussher detached Lieutenant Francis Brockell Spilsbury and a guerilla officer, with directions to hoist the respective flags on the castle, and then to demolish the works.

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