The city of Limerick, at the time of William's invasion, consisted, as it does at the present time, of three distinct divisions, or towns. One of these was on the right bank of the Shannon, in the County Clare; one on the left bank, in the County Limerick; and the third on King's Island, which is formed by the branching of the river about a mile above the city. The part on King's Island was known as the Englishtown; that on the Limerick side was designated the Irishtown, and two bridges connected that on the Island with the other two sections,—one bridge leading to each.41 Holding a commanding position between the most fertile portions of two loyal provinces, and standing1 at the head of ship navigation, the military advantages of this city could scarcely be overrated; but the well-known loyalty2 of the people, the great difficulties that beset3 the king, and the exhausted4 state of his exchequer5, through every phase of this war, had caused it to be neglected; and its defences were not at all in keeping with its strategic importance. It had, according to the Duke of Berwick, on his arrival there after the Battle of the Boyne, "no other fortification than a wall without ramparts, and a few miserable6 towers without ditches." But the month that had since elapsed had not been wasted; the old walls had been strengthened, and such new works devised as were allowed by the means at the disposal of the generals. The troops worked with a will corresponding to the exigency7, the people shared their means cheerfully with them; and the gallant8 defence made during the preceding war against the arms of General Ireton, imparted hope and courage as the crisis drew near. The cursory9 view of this period to which these pages are limited, will not admit of a more minute detail of the disposition10 which had been made to meet the impending11 contest, than the following imperfect summary: A covered way had been constructed round the wall, to protect the soldiers in passing from point to point; St. John's Gate—the principal one of the city—which opened towards the south-east, had been strengthened on the outer side by a redoubt and some angular palisades filled with earth, and on the inner side by a fort called "The Black Battery;" a bastion had been erected12 near the bridge connecting the English and Irish town; and an earthen fort constructed on King's Island, the guns of which flanked the counterscarp, and raked the eastern front of the wall as far as the main gate. A tower on the southern angle of the wall mounted three guns; the redoubt opposite St. John's Gate mounted two; there were two on the bastion near the bridge, and the fort on King's Island, probably mounted two more.42 Eight thousand infantry13 manned those works; some regiments15 of dragoons occupied the island; the rest of the cavalry16 were disposed on the Clare side of the river, some below the city, at Annabeg, and some in the direction of O'Brien's Bridge, above it,—the branch of the river that separated the towns was easily fordable, and there were many fords on the main channel between that and Kilaloe.
When the Prince of Orange reviewed his army at Finglass, before his departure from Dublin, it was 40,000 strong; and after his junction17 with Douglas at Caherconlish, it is estimated, on good authority, as "38,000 effective men."43 The disparity in numbers between it and the Jacobite army was very great; but in resources, appointments, and artillery18, it was still greater, and such as to leave little doubt of William's success.
On the 8th of August, this army appeared within view of the city, on the eastern side, while de Lausun, who had, during the interval19, occupied the position already indicated, on the western side, decamped, and marched his command to Galway, whence he shortly after sailed for France. On the 9th, William approached the city slowly and cautiously, bearing the Irish outposts before him, and took up his position between St. John's Gate and King's Island, within cannon20 range of the wall. His lines were soon extended to the right and left; the latter position being occupied by the Danes, who are said to have expressed great satisfaction at the sight of an old Danish fort that had escaped the changes of seven centuries, and reminded them at once of the sway of their ancestors over the island—and, mayhap, of the king by whose valor21 their power had been eventually overthrown24.
Tyrconnell was still commander-in-chief of the Irish army, but the military conduct of affairs within the city mainly devolved on Sarsfield and the Duke of Berwick; and as William sat down before their walls, the latter requested Tyrconnell to place the cavalry at his disposal, and that he would cross the Shannon, make a circuit of the country in William's rear, destroy his magazines and supplies up to Dublin, and so reduce him to the necessity of decamping. In referring to this proposition in his Memoirs25, the Duke says: "As all the towns in the country were open, and without defence, I was morally certain of succeeding in my enterprise; and as to getting back, which was objected, the knowledge I had of the country had already suggested to me by what means it might be effected. I had no doubt of making my way into the North, and returning to our quarters by Sligo." But Tyrconnell, fearing to part with all his cavalry at such a critical moment, represented to him that it would leave the river between Limerick and Kilaloe exposed, and as they were the only protection against a flank movement of the enemy in that direction, he discountenanced the adventure.
When William had made the necessary disposition of his forces, he sent a regular summons to the governor—de Bo?sselau—for the surrender of the city, but to this a polite answer was returned through his secretary, to the effect, that he could not comply with the demand; that he was there to defend the city for King James; and that he was resolved to do it, in such a manner as to win the respect of his master, the Prince of Orange. William lost no time in putting this resolution to the test, and had soon made all the dispositions26 for a regular siege. His main body rested nearly opposite to St. John's Gate, with the Danish troops well extended, encircling the city round on the south and south-west; and his right towards King's Island, with a division opposite to the bridge that connected it with the Irish town. Batteries were soon constructed, bearing on those different points, and, establishing his headquarters in Ireton's tower, which commanded a view of the entire front, he opened a fierce and incessant27 cannonade. The spirited reply of the besieged28 soon convinced him that they had set their minds on defending their city to the last extremity29, and that the siege would be protracted30 and desperate. The batteries on King's Island were particularly troublesome; the guns there being so well served, that they did great execution on his right and centre, and after a short time, the former was compelled to withdraw from the river, and the latter to shift ground and heighten its defences. Finding, after a bombardment of two days, that he had inflicted31 no serious damage, William relaxed his fire on the wall, directed his mortars32 against the interior of the town, and dispatched orders to Clonmel to hasten up his battering33 train and pontoons, which had been conveyed by the fleet to Waterford, and were now on their way to his camp.
This intelligence being communicated to the governor by a French officer who had deserted34 from William, Sarsfield conceived the bold design of intercepting35 the convoy37, destroying the train, and compelling the abandonment of the siege. With this intent, he opened the matter to the deputy; but the latter, being in continual fear of disasters, discountenanced the project, as he had that of Berwick. But Sarsfield, insisting with great earnestness, Tyrconnell at last yielded his assent38, and placed eight hundred horse dragoons at his command. From those he selected five hundred men, and having secured the service of some Rapparee guides, to whom all the by-ways of the country were known, he held them in reserve until night would favor his departure without the knowledge of the enemy. The exploit was both difficult and dangerous:—over thirty miles of country, traversed by innumerable small rivers, lay before him; two branches of the Slieve-Phelim mountains stretched across his route; and in order to avoid suspicion, and keep the enemy unapprised of his absence, it was necessary to shun39 the highways and traverse the least frequented parts of the country. The enemy's scouts40 were thrown out for several miles to the east; his cavalry were foraging41 in all directions through the day; and the least inadvertence would cause the failure of the undertaking42, and cut him off from the city, or perhaps entail43 the destruction of his entire command.
Darkness had settled over camp and city as Sarsfield crossed the Thomond Bridge, and followed his Rapparee guides into the open country beyond. For some time he pursued his course northward44, in order to avoid the road by the river, the cavalry of William being extended as far as O'Brien's Bridge; but when distance removed apprehension45, he wheeled eastward46 at Fahy, urged his command to greater speed, and crossed the bridge of Kilaloe towards midnight. He then struck southward through Newport and Murruo, crossed the Dead River and its tributaries47, and as morning dawned, ambushed49 in the mountain district, about two miles north of the route from Clonmel to Limerick. Here he threw forward his scouts in the direction of Clonmel, to watch the convoy and give timely notice of its approach; but the day passed on, and the night was somewhat advanced, when the lumbering50 train at last appeared, and halted at a short distance from the place of ambush48. The men were now within seven miles of their own camp; the little chapel51 of Ballyneety, which stood near the roadside, offered a pleasant resting-place; and being in no apprehension of danger, they resolved to bivouac there for the night, and reach the camp early on the following morning. Having made their arrangements and lit their fires, they betook themselves to rest, and were soon wrapped in slumber52 around and within the walls of the ruin, when the Rapparees, who had watched them throughout the day, taking note of their numbers and disposition, repaired to the general and informed him that the hour had come, and the word was "Sarsfield." The assault that followed was a complete surprise to the enemy, who offered but an ineffectual resistance. In a few minutes over sixty of them were slain53, the rest put to flight, and Sarsfield turned his attention to the main object of the expedition. The cannon, eight in number, were loaded to the muzzles54 and buried deep in the earth: around and over those were pressed the ammunition55 and ball: over them were laid the chests, wagons56, and carriages: the tin boats were next destroyed and placed on top: a train was then laid, and the troop-horses, and all that was portable, were secured and started in advance: and last of all, Sarsfield, with his own hand, lit the train and retired57. Then followed that terrible explosion, which is said to have shaken the earth for fifteen miles around, and startled the Prince of Orange in his camp. But, notwithstanding the precautions taken by Sarsfield, his movements had not been unobserved. An Irish Williamite, named Manus O'Brien, had met the detachment on its way towards Kilaloe, and divining that it was on some expedition of importance, hastened to the English camp, and requested an audience of the Prince. He succeeded after considerable delay, and communicated his intelligence; but the Prince, though suspecting at once the design of Sarsfield, looked on it as futile58, and took no further notice at the time; yet, as the night waned59, he sent out Sir John Lanier, with five hundred horse, to meet the convoy, and ordered the fords of the river to be well guarded to intercept36 the Irish troops on their return. The delay of O'Brien was providential. Lanier had got within a short distance of the place when he heard the explosion, and pressed on with the hope of intercepting the enemy, but only reached the ground as Sarsfield retired. Warned by the appearance of Lanier that it would be dangerous to return as he had come, he changed his course, passed to the east of the Keeper mountains, and holding his way through Upper and Lower Ormond, he, on the following evening, reached the town of Banagher,44 a distance of more than forty miles, where he halted to recruit his men, and returned through Galway and Clare without the loss of a man.45
This event roused the spirits of the besieged army, and mainly contributed to its final success. It also raised the fame of Sarsfield among the officers of rank, and left him without a rival in the affection of the soldiers. Known before only as a dashing leader of dragoons, he was from that day forward the idol61 of the populace, and through every change, or good or ill, his name has been a household word with his countrymen in every clime. Nor were the fame of this exploit and the successful defence of Athlone long in reaching King James; they were the first good tidings he had received since his departure, and they gave him assurance to press his suit at the French court. In due time Sarsfield was promoted to the rank of Major-General, and eventually created Earl of Lucan, Viscount of Tully, and Baron62 of Rosberry.
By this feat63, which happened towards the morning of the 13th, William's operations were greatly impeded64; but ever provident60, he was still the master, and, not like his rival, the slave of circumstances. At the end of another week, the loss was supplied by a train still more formidable than that destroyed, nor did their loss cause the cessation of hostilities65 for a single day.
Two of the guns found among the débris at Ballyneety were still fit for use, and with these, his mortars, and field-train, he continued the bombardment, and by the 17th, he had pushed his lines of circumvallation close to the walls of the city. Nor were the besieged less active or determined66 in their resistance; every foot of the ground was dearly purchased, and no day went by without a sortie of the most desperate character. One of these, which occurred between the 17th and 20th, was of so novel a character as to demand a passing notice. As William's lines approached close to the walls, the fire from within was so fierce as to compel the soldiers to lie close within their trenches67 during the night. Those opposite the sally-port, between the bridge and St. John's Gate, were occupied by two regiments: the Blue Dutch and the British, between whom no very friendly feelings existed. The Irish, to whom this was known, taking advantage of the darkness, made a lodgement in one of the traverses, and threw in a stealthy fire on the Dutch. The latter seeing no enemy, and observing the British by the flash of the muskets68, believed the fire came from them, and answered it by a deadly volley. This was immediately returned, and the two regiments commenced a murderous fire on each other, while the Irish, as occasion offered, directed a volley at each of them. After several had fallen victims to their own stupidity, the real cause was detected by one of the English generals, and troops were brought up to correct the evil, and chastise69 the authors of it; but these seeing the place getting too hot for them, rushed from their ambush and reached the city with little loss. The affray between the British and Dutch was not easily reconciled. The confusion of languages baffled, for some time, all attempts at explanation, and hostilities continued until both regiments were placed under arrest, and fresh troops stationed in the trenches. The blunder created great mirth among the Irish soldiers, but the besiegers redoubled their vigilance, and surprise was thenceforth a matter of impossibility. The most serious engagement that occurred after this, took place about the 22d, and was forced by the besieged for the purpose of destroying William's heavy guns before they could be got into position. Issuing out in force, at mid-day, they assailed71 the enemy's centre with such vigor72 that they drove it from the trenches; the Prince, who was present, retreated towards his quarters; but falling in his hurry, he had scarcely arisen when a cannonball tore up the very spot on which he had fallen, and after receiving a serious contusion from a fragment of a rock, splintered by the shot, he was carried to Ireton's Tower, nor did he appear again until the final assault. But the sortie ended in the repulse73 of the besieged, and the guns were rescued and placed in position.
This was the last sally from the garrison74. The siege was now pressed with terrible energy by the besiegers, and the besieged, no less determined, addressed themselves to resist the final assault which now appeared imminent75. By the 24th, William's entire artillery had been brought to bear on every vulnerable point within range, while his lines of circumvallation drew closer and closer to the walls. Six batteries lay along his entire front, disposed, according to his historian, in the following manner: The first, of eight eighteen-pounders, bore against the southern angle of the wall, opposite to the Danish quarters; the second, of eight twenty-fours, against St. John's Gate and the Black Battery which stood within the city behind it; the third, of twelve field-pieces, against the sally-port which opened near the bridge; and the fourth and fifth, of four heavy guns each—the former against the bridge itself, and the latter against the bastion which stood near it on the left—while behind them a floor had been constructed for a battery of four mortars, which poured a stream of red-hot shot and shell on every prominent object beyond the wall. Day and night, the fire from all was sustained with unabated vigor, until the 27th, when the outer works, before St. John's Gate, were demolished76, and a breach77, two hundred yards in width, was effected in the wall, opening up the very heart of the city, when William slackened his fire and again summoned it to surrender.46
The besieged were now hard pressed;—the trenches of the besiegers were within two toises47 of the palisades in front of the breach, and overlooked them, so that they had but to step over to find themselves on the level and unobstructed area around the city gate. The Irish fort on King's Island, which until now had thrown a slanting78 fire across the enemy's right, was dismantled79 and its guns removed to the Black Battery to defend the breach; the wall, along its whole front, was rendered untenable to the musketeers; and the cavalry were withdrawn80 across the river, for the guns bearing on the bridge threatened the destruction of their only line of communication. Still, the English town itself was impregnable, being situated82 on low ground, which could be easily inundated83 by a flood-gate on the main channel of the river; the English cavalry, too, had been withdrawn from the island, and the whole fury of their guns concentrated on the Irish town. Such was the condition of the garrison when de Bo?sselau received the second summon from the Prince of Orange, and, believing that further resistance was useless, he consulted the Irish generals and advised them to accept an accommodation. But he was opposed by the general voice. The soldiers were unanimous for resistance to the last; the citizens appealed against a surrender; the women declared that they would rather be torn piecemeal85 by the artillery than be subject to the barbarities of William's soldiers. The general voice prevailed, and de Bo?sselau withdrawing from the city, declined further responsibility.
The herald86 was accordingly dismissed with an indignant refusal to the Prince's message, when the bombardment was again renewed, and active preparations were made for storming the city. For this purpose William selected 10,000 men from the different regiments, and formed them into supporting columns, under leaders of approved valor and experience. Five hundred British grenadiers were to lead the assault; the Dutch and Danish troops were to follow, and be sustained by the Huguenots in turn, while the Brandenburgers, English and Enniskilleners, were to bring up the rear. Biding87 these preparations, the artillery was to keep up its fire along the whole line, and when it ceased, three guns, fired in rapid succession, was to put all in motion, and be the signal of assault.
Meanwhile the Irish generals had made the best disposition of their force to meet the impending event. The bulk of their infantry was divided into four columns: two drawn81 back on each side of the breach, so that each of the opposite columns could meet promptly88 in front or rear of the assailing89 parties; the musketeers were posted in every available position on the wall, and the guns of the Black Battery were loaded with grape to rake the breach as they entered. Farther back, near the square of the city, a body was held in reserve to support the battery, and to give succor90 wherever it became necessary, while Brigadier Talbot, with five hundred of the Guards, was posted on the right, to guard against any surprise from the enemy in that quarter. The streets were filled with citizens armed with every available weapon, and with groups of women, the sad spectators of the approaching conflict.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon when the fire of the enemy's cannon ceased along the whole line, and the assaulting columns, in their varicolored uniforms of buff, blue, and scarlet91, moved down to the intrenchments as gayly as if on parade, and halted. The fire within the town also ceased, and an ominous92 silence settled over the scene, the combatants on each side, standing with bated breath, and as motionless as statues. An unusual drought prevailed,—not a drop of rain had fallen for three weeks;48 the weather was intensely hot, and the sun threw a flood of unobstructed light upon dome93 and spire94, while the river glided95 away through its autumnal foliage96, as placid97 as if peace had returned and war should revisit it no more. Some time passed on, and suspense98 was becoming painful, when the signal: one! two! three! pealed84 forth70. The British grenadiers were over the palisades in a twinkling, hurling99 their destructive missiles, and followed by the Dutch Guards, while the cannon rang out again along the whole front, excepting the point of assault. So quick was the movement, that the Irish troops, though awaiting it, were actually taken by surprise, and the grenadiers had reached the breach before they met with any opposition100. Here, they were checked by a shower of grape that did great execution; still they pressed on with a headlong impulse, mounted the breach, and passed the first line of guards drawn up to oppose them. But they were destined101 to go no farther; another storm of grape tore through their ranks, the Irish Guards closed in on them, front and rear, cutting them off from their supports, and assailing them with such fury that in a short time they were nearly all slain, only four or five escaping out of this gallant body, which was reckoned the flower of the English army. The Dutch Guards pressed boldly on, and under the eye of their Prince, performed prodigies102 of valor; several times they bore back the defenders103 from the breach, and were as often repulsed104 through it; but being continually reinforced from the other divisions outside, the Irish troops were gradually forced back into the city, where they divided right and left, still disputing every inch of the way. William now threw forward a Brandenburg regiment14 to storm the Black Battery, and, filling up the breach with his remaining columns, prepared to enter the city. While this conflict raged along the widening expanse inside, the fire of the enemy's batteries was unabated; the soldiers were driven from the parapets; the populace from the house-tops; the city was on fire in several places, and "it seemed," says an eye-witness, "as if the heavens were rent, and the smoke that arose from the town reached, in one continued cloud, to the top of a mountain six miles off."
The whole storming force was now engaged within the breach, and the way was literally105 strewn with its dead and wounded; but the besieged, despite the most heroic resistance, were gradually borne back by the heavy masses continually hurled106 on them, inspiring redoubled energy with every accession. The Brandenburg regiment had captured the battery, and, having seized the guns, were turning them against its defenders, who were retreating from it in apparent consternation107. William, who now stood at Ireton's Tower, looked on in proud anticipation108 of success; the city seemed completely within his grasp, and pushing forward his last reserve, he viewed exultantly109 the engagement which was to complete his triumph.
It was now near seven o'clock; the sun was sinking behind the western headlands, and still the battle raged with unabated fury. Throughout the long hours of this sanguinary conflict, the populace, men and women, stood by in painful suspense, watching the tide of fortune as it stood or swayed before them, and now it became manifest that every effort of valor was exhausted, and the doom110 of their city at last was sealed. Oppressed by odds111, their brave defenders were giving way, and the battery, the last obstruction112 to the advancing foe113, was in the possession of the Brandenburgers. A wild cry of despair rung up from all; their last hope was gone: at this moment a terrific explosion shook the city to its centre; a dark cloud overspread the combatants, and clearing away, it was seen that the mine beneath the battery had been sprung, and the whole Brandenburg regiment had been blown to atoms!
Consternation seized on the besiegers; even the besieged, though expecting the event, were for a moment astonished, and each stood as it were paralyzed and watching each other in amazement114. But the advantage was not lost; the men braced115 themselves again for the contest, the women rushed forward, calling on the men to follow, and with one impulse threw themselves in front of the enemy. The effect was electric; all caught the inspiration; generals, soldiers, citizens; all, with one desperate effort, hurled themselves on the masses of William, and bore them back bodily through the breach. In the mean time Brigadier Talbot, anticipating the result, led his men round the outside of the wall, and attacking the rear of the assaulting force with great spirit, put it into inextricable confusion; panic-stricken, they fled precipitately116 from the city, pursued to their camp by the victorious117 Irish—and Limerick was saved.
The loss of William in this day's action was 2,000 men and one hundred and fifty-eight officers killed, and his casualties through the preceding eighteen days are estimated at 3,000 more. The loss of the besieged is nowhere definitely stated; but in the final assault they lost four hundred killed and wounded,—a small number for so great a result. But, as if to give a mournful grandeur118 to the event, many of the noble daughters of the city lay side by side in death with the men whose sterner natures they had animated119 to victory!
After the battle, William sent an ensign into the town for leave to bury his dead; this being refused, he dismounted his batteries, withdrew his army, and prepared to retreat, for he could no longer continue the siege, as matters of a pressing nature demanded his presence in England, and should the news of this defeat precede him the consequences might be serious. His Irish adherents120 entreated121 him not to leave them with the conquest of the country uncompleted, and the leaders of his foreign army besought122 him to the same effect: but he turned a deaf ear to their entreaties123. A deputation of the soldiers, both native and foreign, headed by the ecclesiastics124, waited on him, and promised still greater efforts if he remained among them; but his resolution was unchanged. Annoyed by their importunities and chagrined125 by defeat, he gave vent23 to that exclamation126 which English historians have industriously127 suppressed: "Yes," said he; "if I had this handful of men who defend the place against you, and that you were all within it, I would take it in spite of you!"49—A censure128 so caustic129, and a eulogium so grand, render comment unnecessary.
Before retreating he set fire to his hospital, in which there were many invalids130; but the Irish soldiers issued from the city, suppressed the flames, and saved the wretched victims. It is hard to credit, even on the authority of historians distinguished131 for wide research and cautious investigation132, an act of such cold-blooded atrocity133; and yet his conduct, during his retreat, was of a character that would seem to corroborate134 it.50 "The curse of Cromwell" was repeated, the peasantry were murdered, their lands laid waste, and their homes given to the flames; so that the fertile district between Limerick and Clonmel was a scene of death and desolation. Committing the command of the army to the Count de Solmes, with Ginkle as second in command, he proceeded under escort to Waterford, whence, accompanied by Prince George of Denmark, and the Dukes of Ormond and Wurtemberg, he sailed for England.
Though the theme of many a glowing eulogy135, William's campaign in Ireland was not such as to exalt136 his name, either as a statesman or a soldier. The victory of the Boyne, had he taken that advantage of it which a great military mind would not have failed to take, might have led to the total suppression of the war within a month; and his short sojourn137 among the Irish representatives of that day, marked only by pusillanimity138 and cruelty, shows him entirely139 devoid140 of statesmanship. If, without dividing his army, after his first success, he had turned aside from the capital, and pressed the rear of the retiring army, he could have gained some of the passes of the Shannon, or perhaps have anticipated the enemy at Limerick, and ended the war without another blow. The truth is, his career, in this connection, was a very inglorious one. His doubt and hesitation141 after the Boyne were scarce less remarkable142 than those of Schomberg, which he so severely143 censured144. Through indecision and delay, he gave his enemy time to recuperate145 for that memorable146 siege which checked his career, jeopardized147 his chance of eventual22 success, and sent him back to his newly acquired kingdom, to be humiliated148 before his Parliament; divested149 of nearly all popularity, and humbled150 before his courtiers by an aspiring151 subject.
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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exchequer
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| n.财政部；国库 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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exigency
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| n.紧急；迫切需要 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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cursory
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| adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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eventual
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| adj.最后的，结局的，最终的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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25
memoirs
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| n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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dispositions
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| 安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质 | |
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incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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30
protracted
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| adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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31
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
mortars
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| n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵 | |
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33
battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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34
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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35
intercepting
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| 截取（技术），截接 | |
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36
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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37
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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38
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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39
shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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40
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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41
foraging
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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42
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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43
entail
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| vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要 | |
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44
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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45
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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46
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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47
tributaries
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| n. 支流 | |
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48
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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49
ambushed
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| v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着 | |
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50
lumbering
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| n.采伐林木 | |
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51
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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52
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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53
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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54
muzzles
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| 枪口( muzzle的名词复数 )； （防止动物咬人的）口套； （四足动物的）鼻口部； （狗）等凸出的鼻子和口 | |
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55
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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56
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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57
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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58
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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59
waned
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| v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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60
provident
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| adj.为将来做准备的，有先见之明的 | |
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61
idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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62
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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63
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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64
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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66
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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67
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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68
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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69
chastise
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| vt.责骂，严惩 | |
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70
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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71
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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72
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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73
repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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74
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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75
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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76
demolished
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| v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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77
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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78
slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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79
dismantled
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| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
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80
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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81
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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82
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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83
inundated
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| v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付 | |
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84
pealed
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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85
piecemeal
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| adj.零碎的；n.片，块；adv.逐渐地；v.弄成碎块 | |
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86
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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87
biding
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| v.等待，停留( bide的现在分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待；面临 | |
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88
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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89
assailing
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| v.攻击( assail的现在分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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90
succor
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| n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助 | |
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91
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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92
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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93
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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94
spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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95
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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96
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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97
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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98
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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99
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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100
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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101
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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102
prodigies
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| n.奇才，天才（尤指神童）( prodigy的名词复数 ) | |
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103
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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104
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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105
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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106
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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107
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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108
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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109
exultantly
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| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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110
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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111
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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112
obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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113
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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114
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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115
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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116
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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117
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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118
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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119
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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120
adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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121
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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122
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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123
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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124
ecclesiastics
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| n.神职者，教会，牧师( ecclesiastic的名词复数 ) | |
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125
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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126
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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127
industriously
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128
censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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129
caustic
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| adj.刻薄的，腐蚀性的 | |
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130
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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131
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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132
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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133
atrocity
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| n.残暴，暴行 | |
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134
corroborate
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| v.支持，证实，确定 | |
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135
eulogy
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| n.颂词；颂扬 | |
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136
exalt
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| v.赞扬，歌颂，晋升，提升 | |
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137
sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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138
pusillanimity
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| n.无气力，胆怯 | |
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139
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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140
devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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141
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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142
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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143
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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144
censured
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| v.指责，非难，谴责( censure的过去式 ) | |
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145
recuperate
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| v.恢复 | |
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146
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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147
jeopardized
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| 危及，损害( jeopardize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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148
humiliated
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| 感到羞愧的 | |
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149
divested
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| v.剥夺( divest的过去式和过去分词 )；脱去（衣服）；2。从…取去…；1。（给某人）脱衣服 | |
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150
humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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151
aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
参考例句： |
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