My garrison, as I have told the reader in a
previous number, consisted of 40 men, two chaplains, and a surgeon; add
to these my guests, 83 in number, of whom nine only were gentlemen (in
tights, powder, pigtails, and silk stockings, who had come out merely
for a dance, and found themselves in for a siege). Such were our
numbers:--
Ladies 74
Troops and artillerymen 40
Other non-combatants 11
MAJOR-GEN. O'G. GAHAGAN 1000
----
1,125
I count myself good for a thousand, for so I was regularly rated in the
army: with this great benefit to it, that I only consumed as much as an
ordinary mortal. We were then, as far as the victuals went, 126 mouths;
as combatants we numbered 1,040 gallant men, with 12 guns and a fort,
against Holkar and his 12,000. No such alarming odds, if--
IF!--ay, there was the rub--IF we had SHOT, as well as powder for our
guns; IF we had not only MEN but MEAT. Of the former commodity we had
only three rounds for each piece. Of the latter, upon my sacred honor,
to feed 126 souls, we had but
Two drumsticks of fowls, and a bone of ham.
Fourteen bottles of ginger-beer.
Of soda-water, four ditto.
Two bottles of fine Spanish olives.
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