Lost guides and short ladders doom the San Lazaro assault

Unable to bring the fleet close enough for effective bombardment and lacking an engineer for formal siege works, Wentworth accepted guidance from Spanish deserters. The Spanish had cleared Fort San Lazaro's field of fire, dug a trench around the position, and divided defenders between that trench, the fort, and a mobile reserve. The British plan layered a forlorn hope, grenadiers, regular regiments, and colonial troops carrying scaling ladders and wool packs intended to fill the trench, with 500 Marines held ready in reserve. The guides became lost, troops met volley fire on a steep approach, Colonel Grant's death triggered a command dispute, and many ladders were abandoned while those reaching the wall proved roughly ten feet short. Daylight exposed the attackers to fire from both fort and city, and an advancing Spanish column threatened their route back to the ships. Wentworth ordered a retreat at about 08:00. Combat losses together with sickness and disease removed roughly 2,600 more troops and left only about 3,200 effectives.