John Masters (29 page)

September 15:
We have won a mighty victory. No one can take this Rock from us except by treachery or guile. It is learned that we lost 16 men killed and 68 wounded in the battle. We hold 350 Spaniards prisoners, all rescued from the floating batteries, where not less than 1,400 others were drowned or burned. It is an act of God. The soldiers are beginning to celebrate in the usual manner.

Later: Abigail came to the battery and asked me to come to the house. Her eyes were bright and her lips parted. My uncle is in the hospital with the grippe, and she is alone.

How did she know I had made up my mind? I said I would come the day after tomorrow, for I am on sentry duty tomorrow.

September 16:
Every soldier in Gibraltar seems to be incapably drunk. This always happens after a victory, and all the world knows it. This would be the best time for the enemy to renew the attack. Perhaps they have thought of it but do not have the stomach anymore. The sergeant has come and said, "Finish your writing and have a drink with me. You're a damn soldier now, Moses." I shall obey. I have made up my mind.

September 18:
All is finished, but I do not know what has happened. I am in the guardroom with a black eye and many bruises, and my head aches worse than I have ever known. The sergeant says grimly I am lucky not to have had the lash. I remember drinking with him and singing, and I remember Abigail staring down at me and a woman's body ... but what else?

September 21:
I am docked three days pay for drunk and resisting the guard. The sergeant says he did it because he didn't want my Jewish conscience to make me kill myself, and perhaps he is right. He has told me all. After we had taken some drinks the other night, I began to talk of Abigail. I told him everything that I have written in this journal and more. It was a powerful relief, like release from a dungeon, to tell someone so much after holding it so secret for so long. At the end I told him that I had made up my mind to enjoy her, however bad I felt after, as I knew I would—on account of the sin I would be committing against my uncle, who was like my father. The sergeant congratulated me and said she was indeed a beautiful, lovely woman. We went on drinking until I fell down drunk. Then they took Emily—she was there—and me to a little rock overhang above the Moorish Castle where Emily often had men, wrapped us in blankets, set a lamp beside us, and sent a man to Abigail to tell her I wanted her to come at once to that place. She came up, and by chance I had half awaked from my stupor, and feeling a naked woman beside me who began to sigh and fondle me, I set upon her to couple with her, and it was thus that Abigail came upon us. She cried out, and I remember hearing Emily scream, "Go away, you slut! He's mine, always has been." Next day I began to remember more and set out to run to the house, but they prevented me, and when I fought them, the sergeant had me put in the guardhouse. Someone smuggled more rum in to me there, and soon I was drunk again. Now I am too tired to go to the house and explain. I will go tomorrow.

September 22
: I tried to get into the house today, but the door was locked and no one answered. Yet I am sure Abigail was there.

September 23:
My uncle back from the naval hospital and Abraham home too with the grippe. I am not sure that I want to go there now.

October 10:
We and the enemy alike are as though in a trance, neither quite believing what has happened and neither knowing what to do next. It is said that when the news of the battle reached King Charles in Madrid he turned gray and could not speak for a week. My uncle says that the peace negotiations in Paris will now go forward more rapidly, for it must be obvious to all that they will never take Gibraltar by force. But he fears we may be sacrificed to the Spanish after all for other advantages to England elsewhere, as in the Indies, or in exchange for Minorca. Abigail did not appear. A terrible hurricane last night but little damage, as few houses are left standing.

October 19:
Lord Howe has arrived with a fleet, the third since the siege began. A civilian passenger in the fleet, a Jew returning from London, told Captain Witham that Lord George Germain and others would dearly like to exchange Gibraltar for some other place, but the public will have their heads if they do, so great an impression has our defense made, especially when considered against the universal defeat and disaster everywhere. Two more regiments, the 25th and 59th, came with the fleet, but without their baggage, extra clothes, or wives. Also many more military artificers, who are sorely needed. An ensign of the 97th tried for defrauding a Jew inkeeper.

October 20:
The fleet sailed yesterday, with Captain Curtis aboard to carry the Governor's own account of our great victory to London before anyone else can; and of course this will result in honors and advancement to the captain. Dysentery prevalent. Saw Abigail at New Jerusalem today, and we spoke normally, though carefully. I think the siege is over and want to get out.

October 21:
Two soldiers have killed each other in a quarrel. They were not drunk, which is a bad sign. Three dogs suspected of hydrophobia shot. All stray dogs to be shot—the Governor's order. The enemy fleet sailed after Lord Howe, but though 47 to his 33, they failed to engage him in the strait. Half the garrison were on Windmill Hill watching and saw the Spanish Admiral Cordova manage to avoid battle: a remarkable feat of seamanship on his part, a naval lieutenant beside me growled. The French have struck camp, leaving only the Spanish.

October 26:
A Spanish colonel taken at sea, and much wined and dined by the Governor, has revealed much that was mysterious to us about the recent assault. The floating batteries were the invention of a French engineer called d'Arcon, who submitted the idea years ago when it was known all over Europe that King Charles would give the richest rewards to any who would help him recover Gibraltar. His plan was approved by the kings of France and Spain near two years ago now, and the building began last February. But this was before the Duc de Crillon was appointed to the chief command. As soon as he was apprized of the plan, the noble Duc saw that all the honor and glory attending the fall of this fortress would go to M. d'Arcon, and not to him. So before leaving Madrid to come south he inscribed a letter recording that M. d'Arcon's plan was disastrous and that he, the Duc, was only putting it into effect because the king ordered him to. Of this letter he left several copies with friends in Madrid, with instructions to make it public the instant that the attack with the floating batteries had been made. The Spanish colonel showed the Governor a copy of the Duc's letter, and indeed in it the Duc clearly stated that all the glory—or, of course, all the blame—would belong to M. d'Arcon. It is now clear why the floating batteries were left on their own, without help from the fleet or army: because that noble Duc and the Spanish admiral were interested only in seeing M. d'Arcon fail.... The colonel also said that the naval arrangements had caused much ill feeling. Admiral Barcello, who has borne the brunt of the war here for many years and has dedicated his life to returning Gibraltar to the Spanish crown, was left with only his gunboats. Admiral Moreno, in command of the floating batteries, complained that he was no more than a hired boatman for M. d'Arcon's attempts to force him to engage his ships in a battle against the British. When the
Talla Piedra,
one of the floating batteries, caught fire, the Prince of Nassau at once took its only boat and rowed ashore.

October 28:
More news from the captured colonel. The enemy had designed special boats with prows that could drop down so that infantry on board might run ashore dryshod with small cannon. But these were never used. In Spain when the news of the defeat spread, people were saying, this is as bad as the defeat of our Invincible Armada. King Charles' throne is shaking.

November 3:
The rest of us may consider the siege over, but not the Governor. He has ordered experiments with shell fillings and fuses to continue in Poca Roca Cave, which has been a military laboratory for many months now.

December 4:
More than 900 sick in hospitals and quarters of scurvy, flux, and unknown fevers. Without the excitement of battle the soldier's life is an empty one. Sickness or death, even self-inflicted, are a welcome change.

December 23:
It is rumored that peace was signed between England and the American colonists last month. One hundred and fifty wives of the 25th and 59th arrived yesterday, and 17 of them straight to the venereal sickness ward. A soldier of the 72nd dead by throwing himself off the Rock Gun, a dreadful fate. Five more deserted. I have the trots and am sick and weary. No house but ours showed Chanukah lights this year, though three or four others are standing and there was permission. Abigail did it.

January 6:
Riots in the hospital, officers were beating some women, supposedly for not discovering to them that they had the sickness before accepting relations. Two officers in arrest. The gunboats have begun their attacks again.

January 14:
Sergeant Major Ince's gallery is 370 feet long. Parties of the enemy have been driven away from the foot of the North Face. Sergeant Major Ince says they are trying to find an old tunnel made there long ago, to blow us all up. How long is this going to go on?

January 19:
The officers have put on a play. It is said to be very amusing and well performed.

January 22:
The officers' play closed by order of the Governor. He says he will not have his officers dressing up like women. The sergeant says Old Von B. likes them better in tight trousers.

January 30:
My uncle has heard from Lisbon that England is to retain Gibraltar. The French are secretly delighted. We Jews must be heartily thankful, too. Parliament voted thanks to all of us of the garrison last month, though General Ross tried to have old General Boyd excluded—a disgraceful thing. General Eliott is to be made a Knight of the Bath. The sergeant says, now we'll have to call him Old Von SIR B.

February 2:
The Spanish soldiers in their forward works began to wave white flags at noon. Some came forward shouting,
"Ya somos todos amigos
"—we are all friends now. We are ordered not to let them close and to be ready to fire at all times.

February 5:
It is confirmed. Peace has been signed. The war is over. No one is drunk.

February 11:
All prices down by half. Inhabitants' houses not to be used without their permission. Inhabitants not allowed to dig lime or employ soldiers to rebuild their houses.

February 12:
The Governor sent for me and told me I am to be mustered out as soon as I have compiled figures for the sick, wounded, died, and killed throughout the siege, also the quantities of ammunition fired. Cousin Abraham is out already, with a house and premises to hold for 21 years, this as a reward for volunteering. I am to get the same, the Governor says. I shall sell mine and go to England, perhaps to study, perhaps to become a merchant there.

March 2:
My work is done. Among a host of other figures I have given to the Governor, I have calculated that we fired 205,000 shot and shell during the siege, using 8.000 barrels of gunpowder. The Spanish and French fired 260.000 missiles back at us. From first to last we suffered 333 killed and 1,008 wounded in battle, only 200 of these last severely. Sickness was a much more dangerous enemy, for 1,000 of the military died of sundry diseases, of which scurvy accounted for over half. No figures were kept for the civilian population, and their sufferings are hard to estimate, since so many left the Rock; but the president of our synagogue and I myself think it was nearly 1,500 dead from all causes, in particular scurvy among the elders and smallpox among the children.

March 3:
Abigail is arranging a marriage for me with Renana Toledano. As soon as we are married, I shall take her to London.

March 4:
Drank last night with the sergeant, half the battery, and Emily. At midnight we filled a gun with hardtack and cheese and fired it toward the Spanish in case they were hungry. Captain Witham came, and we told him it went off by accident. He drank with us for an hour and said we were all rattling good fellows. We gave him three cheers when he left. The sergeant called me Mr. Hassan and said I was to count on him and the battery for anything I wanted here or in London—a house built, military stores stolen, anyone I don't like done in on a dark night. He cried, we're gunners, sir, British gunners, and we fought at the Great Siege of Gibraltar! A Scotchman of the 72nd crept in when he smelled the rum, and he shouted a toast in his dialect, which, when we understood, we all drank many times—"Here's ta us! Wha's like us? Damn few ... and they're a' deid!"

Awoke with fearful head this morning, the others the same, but on parade at 10 o'clock and mustered out at 11. All the soldiers shook my hand and congratulated me, as a result I have lice again. I am released from bondage at last and cannot understand why I am weeping. It will pass.

The unharnessed herd of dukes, counts, and mad scientists had lost, and the fairy John Bull had won. It only remained to comply with the formalities. Crillon and Eliott paid reciprocal calls, with much fulsome mutual congratulation. Crillon explained that it had all been d'Arcon's fault. The British Army pay office was said to be considering the authorization of pay for Eliott's extra staff for the first half of 1780. King George III ruled that Eliott should be made a Knight of the Bath in Gibraltar, and appointed as his representative for the investiture the lieutenant governor, Boyd ... who hated Eliott's guts, and vice versa. The ceremony was conducted under conditions which could not have been bettered in England. Continuous rain rained the ceremonial arches and dripped down the spectators' necks, and everyone got drunk. The wonderful diarist Captain Spilsbury recorded:

Never was a worse salute performed by the Artillery they not being able to fire a salute of 21 guns from 6 they had in the field, two of them being so neglected as to have d shot in each, left at the bottom before their loading
way
put in, and their tubes were in general too long; a worse feu de joie fired by troops, worse weather, worse musick, worse fireworks or worse entertainment....

The soldiery reverted to peacetime habits. Rape, murder, adultery, suicide, venereal disease, drunkenness, and indiscipline increased. The inhabitants trickled back from all over Europe.