Gents Mag 1746 p.302

Gents Mag 1746 p.302




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	Gentleman's Magazine 1746 p.302 embrasures for the cannon, before the first march of the rebels out of Scotland; a work sufficient to drown the shot of any pieces which the enemy cou'd bring along with them, the road they came. But these were presently thrown down by the repeated shocks of the eighteen pounders, and the rebels, expos'd to too brisk a fire, abandon'd the battery at D by noon, the army continuing to batter in breach all that afternoon and next day, besides the cohorns which were thrown from the ditch, at the end of Priestbeck bridge, as exhibited in the map, and which greatly incommoded the garrison. The wall by Sunday night began to totter, and three more cannon arriving they were erected on a new battery at H, somewhat nearer, to play on the angle C; the other 5 were to batter in breach (one of the six having burst). At the sight of this new battery the governor hung out a flag of truce, before any breach was effect'd, subsequent to which were the conditions publish'd in the Gazette, to which I refer, (see p.81) DESCRIPTION of CARLISLE castle. THE castle of Carlisle is built on a rising ground, close to the North side of Hadrian's vallum, near the conflux of the Eden and Cauda. It was at first probably one of Agricola's stations, which Severus remov'd to the opposite bank of the Eden, for the better securing of his wall; for which reason it is omitted in the list of Pancirolus's garrisons (being none in his time) and Congevata, or Stanwix, substituted in its stead. It continued nevertheless a place of note, and is frequently mention'd, in the Itinerary of Antonine under the name of Lugo-vallum, ad vallum, deriv'd, as etymologists imagine, from the Celtic word LUGOS, a tower, and VALLUM, a trench, or rampart. But I rather conjecture that it was wrote Leucovallum, denoting a particular whiteness in the wall of this place, almost all the other walls in that country appearing red from the colour of the stone of which they are built. Egfrid, a king of Northumberland, seems to be the first who built a castle here in the 7th century, but it was afterwards demolish'd by the Danes, and again restor'd by Rufus son of the Norman, for a safe-guard against the Scots. The munificence of succeeding kings added greatly to its strength, so that it was able to hold out a considerable time in the civil war; and might have been an impregnable barrier against the rebels, who could not have lain long before it, even with the garrison of invalids, had they done their duty. It consists at present of an inner and outer fortification, both together making one triangular building: A figure least susceptible of improvement from modern fortification, but abundant amends is made for this defect by the thickness of its walls, the firmness of its mortar, and the distance of annoying batteries, those of his royal highness being 700 yards (about 300 beyond point blank) and the escalado being impracticable; besides the security of an inner castle of much less compass, of a pentagonal form, and incredible strength, especially against any cannon which the rebels had or cou'd bring by that road. Nevertheless it surrendered with the city, or immediately after, at a time when his majesty's army was within two days march to relieve it. Quis talia fando, &c. For the position of the batteries, and the number of guns, I refer you to the map and plan. While the rebels had this castle in possession, a project was formed by some of the city, after a surfeit of highland government, to seize it by surprize; a scheme feasible enough, as the governor lodg'd in the city, and as it was to be effected on a market day, when a curiosity to gaze drew the rebel garrison from their stronghold. But it was unluckily discover'd a little before the time fixed for the execution. Some of the projectors were secur'd, and other precautions taken, which unhappily prevented the entire destruction of the rebels in their flight back, and render'd the loss of the place so much the greater consequence, and never enough to be regretted.

	gazetteer links
	-- Carlisle Castle
	-- Carlisle

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