But well had it been had our ill Fortune stopp’d there; for as if Disaster must needs be the Concomitant of Success, we soon lost what we had thus gotten, by a small, but very odd Accident.  Not being furnished with such Scoopes as our Enemies made use of, in tossing their hand Grenadoes some distance off, one of our own Soldiers aiming to throw one over the Wall into the Counterscarp among the Enemy, it so happen’d that he unfortunately miss’d his Aim, and the Grenade fell down again on our side the Wall, very near the Person who fir’d it.  He starting back to save himself, and some others who saw it fall, doing the like, those who knew nothing of the Matter fell into a sudden Confusion, and imagining some greater danger than there really was, every body was struck with a panick Fear, and endeavour’d to be the first who should quit the Bastion, and secure himself by a real Shame from an imaginary Evil.  Thus was a Bastion, that had been gloriously gain’d, inadvertently deserted; and that too, with the Loss of almost as many Men in the Retreat, as had been slain in the Onset, and the Enemy most triumphantly again took Possession of it.

Among the Slain on our Side in this Action, was an Ensign of Sir John Fenwick’s Regiment; and as an Approbation of my Services his Commission was bestowed upon me.

A few Days after it was resolv’d again to storm that Bastion, as before; out of three English, and one Scotch Regiment, then in the Camp, a Detachment was selected for a fresh Attack.  Those Regiments were under the Command of Sir John Fenwick (who was afterwards beheaded) Colonel Ralph Widdrington, and Colonel Ashley, of the English; and Sir Alexander Collier, Father of the present Lord Portmore, of the Scotch.  Out of every of these four Regiments, as before, were detach’d a Captain, a Lieutenant, and an Ensign, with fifty Men:  Captain Anthony Bamwell, of Sir John Fenwick’s Regiment, who was now my Captain, commanding that Attack.

At break of Day the Attack was begun with great Resolution; and though vigorously maintain’d, was attended with the desir’d Success.  The Bastion was again taken, and in it the commanding Officer, who in Service to himself, more than to us, told us, that the Center of the Bastion would soon be blown up being to his Knowledge undermin’d for that purpose.  But this Secret prov’d of no other use, than to make us, by way of Precaution, to keep as much as we could upon the Rampart.  In this Attack Captain Barnwell lost his Life; and it happened my new Commission was wetted (not, as too frequently is the Custom, with a Debauch) but with a Bullet through my Hand, and the Breach of my Collar Bone with the Stroke of a Halberd.