After I had made some very necessary Repairs, I pursu’d the Orders I had receiv’d from the Earl of Peterborow, to go upon the erecting a new Battery between the Castle and the Town.  This was a Task attended with Difficulties, neither few in Number, nor small in Consequence; for it was to be rais’d upon a great Declivity, which must render the Work both laborious and precarious.  However, I had the good Fortune to effect it much sooner than was expected; and it was call’d Gorge’s Battery, from the Name of the Governor then commanding; who, out of an uncommon Profusion of Generosity, wetted that Piece of Gossiping with a distinguishing Bowl of Punch.  Brigadier Bougard, when he saw this Work some time after, was pleas’d to honour it with a singular Admiration and Approbation, for its Compleatness, notwithstanding its Difficulties.

This Work, and the Siege of Cartagena, then in our Possession, by the Duke of Berwick, brought the Lord Galway down to this place. Cartagena is of so little Distance from Alicant, that we could easily hear the Cannon playing against, and from it, in our Castle, where I then was.  And I remember my Lord Galway, on the fourth Day of the Siege, sending to know if I could make any useful Observations, as to the Success of it; I return’d, that I was of Opinion the Town was surrender’d, from the sudden Cessation of the Cannon, which, by our News next Day from the Place, prov’d to be fact. Cartagena is a small Sea-Port Town in Murcia; but has so good an Harbour, that when the famous Admiral Doria was ask’d, which were the three best Havens in the Mediterranean, he readily return’d, June, July, and Cartagena.

Upon the Surrender of this Place, a Detachment of Foot was sent by the Governor, with some Dragoons, to Elsha; but it being a Place of very little Strength they were soon made Prisoners of War.

The Siege of Cartagena being over, the Lord Galway return’d to his Camp; and the Lord Duncannon dying in Alicant, the first Guns that were fir’d from Gorge’s Battery, were the Minute-Guns for his Funeral.  His Regiment had been given to the Lord Montandre, who lost it before he had Possession, by an Action as odd as it was scandalous.

That Regiment had received Orders to march to the Lord Galway’s Camp, under the Command of their Lieutenant-Colonel Bateman, a Person before reputedly a good Officer, tho’ his Conduct here gave People, not invidious, too much Reason to call it in Question.  On his March, he was so very careless and negligent (though he knew himself in a Country surrounded with Enemies, and that he was to march through a Wood, where they every Day made their Appearance in great Numbers) that his Soldiers march’d with their Muskets slung at their Backs, and went one after another (as necessity had forc’d us to do in Scotland) himself at the Head of ’em, in his Chaise, riding a considerable way before.