A Full and True RELATION, Of the fortunate Victory gained over the Moors by the Garrison of Tangier, upon the 27. of October, 1680. UPon the Moors refusing to make a Peace, according to the Articles proposed by Sir Palms Fairbourn our Lieutenant Governor, while he was alive, and their approaching their Trenches within 12 or 15 yards of our new Work at Pauls-fort, and their bringing a Piece of Cannon within a hundred yards of the said Fort: It was resolved in a Council of War, Colonel Sackville presiding, to make a Sally the 27. of this instant, at 5 of the Clock in the morning, upon the left hand of Pauls-fort, with all the Forces in the Garrison, leaving only the ordinary Guards in the Town. The Troops at their first drawing out upon the left hand of Pauls-fort, were ranked in Battalia in three Lines. Five Battalions of Foot, consisting of about 250 men, each Battalion with a Battalion of Seamen, consisting of about 400. men, which have been a Shoar, since the taking of Pauls-fort, by order of Admiral Herbert. The six Battalions of Foot was drawn up on the right hand, and being sufficiently covered on that side by the Fort, and the Line of communication between the Town and the Fort, The three Troops of English, and three Troops of Spanish Horse, were drawn up on the left hand of the Fort; There was from every Battalion of Foot decatched 48 Fuzeliers, which were disposed into six several Plottons upon the head of all the Troops, with the Company of Granadeer of Dumbartons Regiment separated upon the right and left hand Plottons, where it was judged the hottest action would be: And a Company of Granadeer of Seamen in the Centre with these Plottons, with the number of 12 Horsemen from each Troop to sustain these Plottons of Foot, who were to make the first Attatcks upon the place of Arms, within one hundred yards of Pauls-fort, where the Enemy had erected a Battery, and advanced one piece of Cannon; and on the left hand toward the ruins of Monmouth-fort, where the enemy had advanced several Trenches, and made a place of Arms. All the Troops were very near formed in Battalia, as was designed, with a great silence, before the Enemy took the Alarm, which they took at first from their place at Arms near Monmouth-fort, upon the Advancing of the first Troop of English Horse commanded by Captain Netby. The Enemy from their place at Arms, with hideous cry and noise, and firing of small shot upon us, gave the Alarm immediately to their Camp. The Plotton of the Battalion of Guards, commanded by Captain Fortrey and Lieutenant Mackracken, with the half of the Company of Dumbartons Granadeer, and the Plotton of the first Battalion of Dumbartons Regiment, commanded by Captain Julius Lockhart, and Lieutenant James Stewart, with the other half of the Company of Granadeer, were ordered by Colonel Sackville to go and attack the place of Arms, where the Moors Cannon was, which they did with great courage and resolution. The enemy being numerous in that place, stood firmly and defended themselves for a long time, till at last Lieutenant Mackracken, with his Granadeer, advancing up very near to their Trench, and bestowing the Granades liberally amongst them, they began to be in Confusion, and surprised at the execution the Granadeer made amongst them; Whereupon, he with Granadeer, leapt into their Trench amongst them, and was immediately followed by Captain Fortry, and Captain Lockhart and their Parties, and Lieutenant Stewart, with the rest of the Granadeer, where they all behaved themselves very valiantly, and beat the Enemy from that place, and made themselves master of that piece of Cannon of the Enemies, that was there, with the loss of several Granadeer and good Soldiers, Lieutenant Mackracken of the Granadeer, was wounded with his hand on the Cannon; Captain Lockhart shot through the Thigh, Lieutenant Stewart through the Leg. The Plotton of the second Battalion of Dumbartons Regiment, commanded by Captain Melvil and Lieutenant Gordoun, did attack the place of Arms on the le●● hand near Monmouths-fort, at the same time that the Attack was on the Battery on the right hand, where they had no less vigorous resistance than happy success: For the first Battalion of Dumbartouns Regiment advanced to the Trenches upon the right hand of that place of Arms, the detachment commanded by Captain Melvil, leapt forthwith into that place of Arms amongst the Moors, where they did very great execution; and the Moors seeing the first Battalion advance with so much vigour, and still sustained by the second Battalion of the said Regiment commanded by Captain Douglass of Spot, and the Battalion of Seamen commanded by Major George Barclay, they abandoned their two first Trenches, and retired themselves behind the old Line toward the Sandy-hills, where they assembled together a considerable body of Foot, and being there under covert from our Shot, the old Line made by the Earl of Teviot serving them for a Breast-work, the Major of Dumbartouns Regiment who commanded there, seeing his Battalion so much exposed to the fire of that enemy, thought it absolutely necessary to undertake to beat them from that Line: Whereupon he commanded his first Battalion, which they did most resolutely, and made the enemy retire precipitantly, and in great disorder; which Captain Melvils Detatchment perceiving, a Sergeant with fourteen or fifteen Soldiers fell out upon them, where they were carrying off their Colours, and pursued so hotly, that a Foot Colour was taken and brought in by a private Soldier of Dumbartouns Regiment, which was the first Colour was gained that day: which the enemy perceiving, from the Sandhill Fort and from James Fort they had advanced very briskly, and several of their Horsemen began to enter within the Lines; but the Commandant of the Spanish Horses advancing with his Troop, made the Moorish Horse retire without the Lines again. Colonel Sackville finding that Dumbartons first Battalion had, till then, sustained, with great courage, the heat of the Action, did then order the second Battalion of Inchequins Regiment, commanded by Captain Giles, to march up on the right hand near the ruins of the Sandhill Fort, where the Moors were in great numbers, and made a very vigorous opposition: The said Battalion of Inchequins continued for some time in that Post, with very great courage, and extremely exposed to the enemy's fire, and throwing of stones from the ruins of the Fort; they sustained great loss of Officers and Soldiers: And Captain Giles finding his Soldiers to be weary of their Post, he came and prayed Major Hacket to send a Battalion to his relief; whereupon Major Hacket ordered him to retire, and took his Post with the Battalions of Dumbartouns Regiment. The Moors seeing Inchequins Battalion to retire, according to their custom upon such occasions, did then advance very resolutely, both Horse and Foot, and would have again entered the Lines: But Dumbartouns Battalions gave soon a stop to their courage, and made them quickly run from the said Hill-fort, from whence they had made the greatest resistance. The Major perceiving that they retired from thence to James Fort, which flanked his Battalions on the right, and had annoyed them very much during the heat of the Action, thought fit, without any further delay, to attack James' Fort likeways: There was a very great number of Moors there, and several Foot-collours planted. The Officers and Soldiers of the two Battalions appeared to be mightily satisfied with the Major's design of attacking that place; whereupon they went on with an unanimous resolution, and within a very short space beat the Moors from James' Fort, and from all the Lines on that hand: And the Moors having no further place of refuge there, did make themselves to downright running towards their Camps; and Dumbartouns Soldiers pursuing them still, did find them drawing off a small piece of Brass-Cannon of four pound Ball, which they beat the Moors from, and it was brought in by Lieutenant Robert Inns, Adjutant to the second Battalion. Colonel Sackville no sooner sees the Moors running, and Dumbartouns men still in pursuit of them beyond the Lines; But he, upon the head of the Spanish Horse, did immediately ride over the Lines to pursue them more vigorously, and to bring off the Foot, if any Ambush had been laid for them. About the same time that Dumbartouns Batallions had passed the Lines at James' Fort, the Battalion of Seamen had likeways past over the Line near Monmouths' Fort, The three Troops of English Horse that were commanded to sustain the Seamen, passed the Lines immediately after them, and got to their head very quickly, where they pursued the Moors first into their Camp. Near the Camp, Captain Netby with his Troop of English Horse, took five Foot-collours, and one of them with his own hand. At that same time, the Major of Dumbartouns Regiment, coming up to Colonel Sackville, who did not know well what way the enemy had retired from James' Fort, the Major therefore, who had taken very good notice, and had pursued them in their retreat, did take Colonel Sackville with the Commandant of the Spanish Horse, to a little Valley towards the right of James' Fort, from whence the Spanish Horse pursued them just into their Camp; and there was a Colours taken by one of the Commandants Troop. Captain Langstoun was shot in the Leg in the pursuit. Upon the English and Spanish Horses approaching their Camp, they began to carry away their Women with great precipitation. In the morning, when the Garrison sallied out, four Captains of the Earl of Dumbartouns Regiment being then on Guard in Paul's Fort, Colonel Sackville thought fit to command, out of the Fort, Captain Lundie and Captain Home, with 150 men of that Guard, to sally out upon the right hand; And at the same time that the Plottons of Foot with the Granadeer, did attack the place of Arms, they did attack the advanced Trenches that was within twelve or fifteen yards of the Fort, with very great courage and success. They were both dangerously wounded, with the loss of several good men. Captain Bows, Commandant of the Guards, advancing with his Battalion towards the left hand of the place where the Cannon was found, continued there all that day for a reserve till the Cannon was carried off and the enemy's Trenches filled on both sides of the Fort. Major Boynten stayed with his Battalion near Monmouth Fort for a reserve. The Admiral Herbert had ordered all the Long-boats belonging to his Fleet, to be manned, and Armed, and row out towards the Enemies Batte● that they had made use of nine Piece of Cannon to play upon the Mole, and th● Ships that lay near, which proved to be very advantageous to our design, by re●son it gave a jealousy to the Enemy, and diverted a considerable part of their Forces. Master Sheers ordered all his Mole Horses to be mounted with Men, an● Arms; and Captain Mackenzie was commanded with them, and sixteen of 〈◊〉 own Troop, to March out at the Furrage-gate in the Castle, and without th● Spur before Peterburrough Tower, with a Colours of each Battalion of Foot, with in the Spur, and several Drums from each Battalion. Captain Mackenzie gave the Alarm toward Charles-fort, at the same tim● they attacked before Pauls-fort. The Horse that pursued the Enemy to their Camp, returned in good order with little or no loss. The Battalions of Dumbartons Regiment continued to ke●● their Post at James-fort, till about four of the Clock in the Afternoon. Th● Enemy, upon our Retiring of our Horses and Foot within the old Line, did advance again with Colours into their old Trenches, and behind the little Sand-hill all round from James to Monmouth-fort within Pistol-shot. The Battalion of Seamen that was Posted on the left hand of Dumbartons Battalions, continued like wise Skirmishing with them till about four of the Clock in the Afternoon, and about that time Major Betman Ingenier, who had been mightily employed and exposed all the day, having then ended his Business, and all the Enemy's place of Arms being thrown down, and their Trenches filled up; the Signal was given from the Fort to Retire from the Lines, which was observed, with very grea● Order and Conduct: And the Moors who never had such a defeat from the Garrison of Tangier, did not offer to follow us upon our Retiring, according to their former Custom. There were five Prisoners taken alive, four Colours taken, two Piece of Cannon, many good Arms, both Firelocks, and Scimitars, and a great deal of rich Plunder of clothes, and Silver and Gold, which is a great sign of man● of their Officers and best sort of People being killed: to the judgement of all that was in that Action, they lost 400 Men. There was left within our Lines a great many of their bodies, and about thirty-six of their heads cut off and brought in, whereof the Seamen had great store. The next day we gave back their Bodies and Heads to them to bury. This happy Victory we obtained with the loss of a great many of our best Officers and Soldiers; whereof I cannot give an exact account, save of the two Battalions of Dumbartouns Regiment. 〈◊〉 Render Justice to every one, All the Officers in general behaved themselves with great Conduct and Courage. And to do Justice to the Moors, They Fought, most bravely for the space of two hours, and especially their Horsemen did the hardest and boldest things tha● ever was seen done: But they were not numerous, for there was not seen above 150 Horsemen. The Prisoners we took, confess they had not above 3000 Foot, and 150 Horse commanded by the Alcade of Tituan. All the Officers both Scots and English, behaved themselves in this Action, with a great deal of bravery and resolution; and particularly Lieutenant Colonel Talmash, who carries to His Majesty the good news of this Victory. This is a true Relation of the Action. Sic Subscribitur, Major JA. HACKET. FINIS.