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Naval history of Great Britain
by
William James
1807
BRITISH AND FRENCH FLEETS
282


On the 17th, finding that, owing to the French having encamped on the Nehrung, or Holme, forming the western bank of the Vistula, the communication between the Fair Way and the garrison was completely cut off, Captain Chetham resolved upon making an attempt to reopen it. For this purpose he lightened his ship by sending all her heavy stores on board her consort, the Falcon ; and on the same day, by the great exertions of her officers and crew, as well as of Captain Sanders and a portion of his officers and men, the Sally pushed through the shoal water of the sluice or mouth of the Vistula.

At 6 h. 30 m. P.M. the Sally, whose armament, we believe, consisted of 24-pounder carronades, commenced a close action with the French troops at the Great Hollands on the Nehrung, in number about 2000, assisted by three pieces of cannon, and by a small battery at Legan on the right or south-eastern bank of the river, and partially sheltered by the ruins of several houses which the garrison had found it necessary to destroy. The action continued within pistol-shot until 9 P.M. when, having several of the gun-breechings on her larboard or engaged side shot and carried away, and being without any wind to enable her to maintain her position, the Sally attempted to bring her starboard broadside to bear. In this Captain Chetham was foiled by the strength of the current. The Sally then hauled down the stream, and resumed her position in Fair Water.

The loss on board the British ship, by this gallant though vain effort to relieve the Prussian garrison, was tolerably severe, her first lieutenant (James Edward Eastman) and " nearly half " her crew being wounded by the incessant fire of musketry poured upon them. The mizenmast of the Sally was also shot through, her rigging and sails much cut, and upwards of 1000 musketshot lodged in her hull. The loss on the part of the French, according to information received a day or two afterwards, amounted to upwards of 400 in killed and wounded.

On the 24th, the French, having completed their works, began bombarding the city, and on the 29th attempted to carry it by storm, but were repulsed. On the 16th (sic) [I think this should read 26th] of May the British 18-gun ship-sloop Dauntless, Captain Christopher Strachey, made a, gallant but unsuccessful attempt to supply the garrison with 600 barrels of gunpowder. Having a favourable wind, the Dauntless ran up the river with studding-sails set, firing on the enemy as she passed : but the wind, either from shifting or from an unexpected bend of the river, became unfavourable, and the ship broke round off. The Channel being too narrow for the Dauntless to work in, and the fire of the enemy under such circumstances too heavy to be resisted, Captain Strachey ran his ship upon the Holme within half musket-shot of the French batteries, and surrendered. On the 21st a capitulation was proposed : and on the 27th the garrison of Dantzic, reduced from 16,000 to 9000 men, marched out of the fortress with the

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