146

intrepidity of our little column on this occasion, much praise is due, as it advanced with the utmost steadiness and alacrity, and withour firing a shot, until sufficiently near to make a certainty of carrying both the guns and the town, which was principally done by the bayonet, notwithstanding the advance was made under heavy discharges of grape and musketry. To the well-known gallantry and ability of Col. Vassal, I feel myself much indebted; and the conduct of every other officer in the field has commanded my thanks."

The next day the heavy batteries on the beach of the harbour, and the peninsula, surrendered at discretion to Sir H. Pophamn. The marines and armed seamen sent on shore by Sir H. were of the greatest assistance in the capture of Maldonado. Col. Backhouse closes his dispatches with mentioning the great services he received from Major Trotter of the 83d, and Major Tucker of the 72d.

Return of Ordnance, Ammunition, and Stores, c. taken from the Enemy in the Town and Vicinity of Maldonado.

Brass Ordnance. 1 Six-inch howitzer, with 10 rounds of ammunition; 1 six-pounder,

with 10 rounds of ditto.

Iron Ordnance.

12 Twenty-six-pounders on sea batteries; 20 twenty-four-pounders, on the island of Goretti; 700 muskets, 200 pistols, 300 swords, 108 barrels of powder.

Then follow copies of two letters from Sir
H. Popham to W. Marsden, Esq. The first
is dated on board the Diadem, in Rio-de-la-
Plata, August 25th, and describes the circum-
stances which progressively led to the sur-
render of the settlement of Buenos Ayres.

"Pueridon, (says Sir H.,) one of the mu-
nicipality, appears to have been the greatest
organ of the revolution. He applied himself
with great art and address in preparing the
people for a general insurrection. The arms
in the town were secreted, ready for the mo-
ment of action; the discontented assembled
every night, and attended to his instructions,
and he raised all the rabble of the country by
the ample supplies of money with which he
was furnished on the north side of the river.
Col. Liniers, a French officer in the Spanish
service, and on his parole, successfully em-
ployed himself in collecting people at Colo-
nia. Terror was established, and every per-
son who refused to contribute his assistance
to this conspiracy was threatened with imme-
diate death. I have traced this from very
unquestionable authority; and so rapid was
the progress of the revolution, when it first
showed itself, that it was not till the 31st
July that I learnt, by a dispatch from the
General, which reached me at Ensenada, on
my return from Monte Video, that he was
apprehensive, from the information he had
received, an insurrection would shortly be
nade. I heard at the same time from Capt.
Thompson, that seventeen of the enemy's

vessels had just arrived at Colonia; and as
it was reported that force was still to be in-
creased from Monte Video, I sent orders for
the Diomede to be brought to usela la, and
for Capt. King, of the Diadem, to come up
with the remaining few marines, the two
companies of Blues, and as many other men
as could in any degree be spared from the
ships, for the purpose of a. mcg some vessels
to attack the enemy at Colonia, as it was
north shore whenever the wind was falṛ.
impossible to prevent his crossing from the

"On the 1st of August, in the afternoon,
the Leda anchored off Buenos Ayres, about
twelve miles distali, and on my landing on
would admit of a boat getting on shore, I
the 2d, which I did as soon as the weather
found the General had just made a very
under Pueridon, five leagues from the town,
successful attack on about 1500 Spaniards
with 500 men, in which he took all the
enemy's cannon, (I think nine pieces,) and
several prisoners.-On the 3d I attempted
to return to the Leda, m the Encounter,
which Captain Honeymun brought within a
few miles of the shore for this purpose, is
it blew very strong; but the wing treshened
so considerably from the eastward, that we
could not get to windward. On the 4th,
in the morning, it was very thick weather,
and the gale increased so much, that it was
impossible to weigh.-About noon Captain
King arrived in a galivat with 150 men-from
the Diadem, for the purpose of arming the
few small vessels we had collected in the
barbour, but he was not able to get there
till the following day. On the 5th, in the
morning, it moderated, and I reached the
Leda, when I received a report from Cap-
tain Thompson, that in the gale of the pre-
ceding day the enemy had crossed from
Colonia totally unobserved by any of our
mand of Lieutenant Herrick; but the eas-
ships, except the schooner under the com.
terly wind had thrown so much water in the
river, that the enemy were enabled to cross
over any part of the Paunas bank without
the necessity of making a greater detour by
it blew a hurricane; the Leda was lying in
gomg higher up the river.-On the 6th and 7th
four fathoms, with two anchors down, and her
heard from Captain King that five of our
yards and topmasts struck.-On the 8th I
gun-boats had foundered at their anchors;
that the Walker had lost her rudder, and
that the launches and large cutters of the
Diadem and Leda were lost. The torrents
of ram that fell during the 6th, 7th, and 8th,
had rendered the roads totally impracticable
for any thing but cavalry, and consequently
General Beresford was most seriously dis-
enemy at a distance from the town; in which,
appointed in his determination to attack the
had it taken place, I entertain no doubt
that his army would have added another
trait of its invincible spirit under his dispo
sitions.-The enemy, however, by his ine
exhaustible supply of horses, suffered little

onvenience from the state of the roads,

outrageous manner to get into the fort, and even firing at our men on the ramparts; so much so, that it was with extreme difficulty the British troops were prevented revenging this insult; indeed the General was obliged to tell the Spanish Officers, if their men did not retire in the course of one minute, he must, as the only measure of safety, haul down the flag of truce, and recommence hostilities: this firmness had the desired effect, and he then sent his conditions to the Spanish General, and they were instantly

acceded to."

From the subsequent part of this Letter, it appears that our loss on the above occasion amounts to 2 Officers, 2 Serjeants, 1 drummer, and 43 rank and file killed; and 6 Officers, 7 Serjeants, 92 rank and file wounded, and 9 missing; making a total of 165; and scarce any of those misfortune were occasioned except from the inhabitants on the tops of the houses and the churches.

The enemy confesses to have lost about 700 killed and wounded, in the short con flict in the streets; and if it had not been for the inhabitants, I have little doubt, (says Sir H.) that the Spanish troops would have been completely defeated, although seven times the number of the British forces.-No

thing is more difficult than to give their Lord, ships an idea of the number of men in arnis ;

is therefore enabled to approach to in by several directions, without givthe Br.sh army any opportunity to attock him.--On the 10th, in the evening, the Castle was summoned, and on the following day I landed, while our remaining vessels were firing on the Spanish posts, and I learnt, that, exclusive of the Spanish army, which was divided into many columns, occupying the various avenues of the town, the inha bitants were all armed, and sheltered on the tops of the houses and churches, with a design of carrying on a war of ambush.Under these circumstances, and the manifest fisposition of the enemy to prevent an engagement, it was determined to embark the wounded that night, and cross the Rio Chello, for the purpose of moving towards Ensenada; but this measure was in a great degree frustrated by the weather, which became very violent during the night, and consequently retarded the progress of embarkation, though the enemy added a considerable number of men to the houses and churches near the Castle, and advanced by all the streets not under the influence of its fire; in short, Sir, his object was to avoid by every means a general action, and to place his men in such a situation that they could fire at our troops while they remamed in perfect security themselves. On the 12th, but from the best accounts we can obtain, at day-light, I understand a smart fire bes it is thought Peridon, and the other prin gan from the enemy's advanced post, but cipal people engaged in this plot, had colwas soon returned with great effect from our lected from 8 to 10,000 men in the country artillery, which was planted towards the that Liniers may have brought over from principal streets leading to the Great Square; 800 to 1000; and the town furnished, though for a short time the cnemy, by his immense armed in various ways, about 10,000, under numbers, showed a greater degree of firmthe secret arrangement of the Magistrates." ness than on any other occasion, and push-Lieutenants Groves, Herrick, and Swaile, ed forward with three pieces of artillery, which Colonel Pack, of the 71st, soon charge ed and took from him. During this time, however, reinforcements crowded the tops of all the houses commanding the Great Square from the back strects, and our troops were soon considerably annoyed by people they could not get at. The enemy commanded the Castle in the same way, with the additional advantage of a gun on the top of one of the Churches, which I consider an indelible stigia against the character of the Bishop, not only from his situation, but the professions he made.-I can easily conceive how the feelings of General Beresford must, at this moment, have been on the rack. Disappointed in his last efforts to induce the enemy to a general engagement in the Great Square, his gallant little army falling fast by shots from invisible persons, and the only alternative which could present itself to save the useless cifusion of so much valuable blood, was a flag of truce, which was hoisted at the Castle about one o'clock. an istant there was near 10,000 men in the Great Square, pressing forward in the most

In

of the Navy, receive great praise from Sir H. for their conduct in bringing out several

vessels from the harbour.

The Articles of Capitulation agreed that the British troops should march out with the honours of war, and be embarked for England as prisoners; and that the Spanish troops made prisouers by us on the capture of the place, should be exchanged for the British Officers taken at the re-capture. This Capitulation, after being signed, was broken by the Spaniards, who marched our troops up the country.

The Officers killed, were Capt. Kennett, of the R. Engineers, and Lieut.W. Mitchell, of the 71st regiment. Officers wounded, Capt. Mackenzie, R. M.; Lieut. Sampson, St. Helena regiment; Capt. Ogilvie, R. Artillery; Lieut. M'Donald, ditto; Lieut. Col. Pack, Lieut. Murray, Ensigns Connel and Lucas, (since dead,) all of the 71st regt.

Statement of Property captured at Buenos Ayres, but not removed, and which was recaptured on the 12th of August:

1807, announces the capture, off Lowestoffe, of the Jena, French cutter privateer, commanded by Captain Francis Capelle, with 30 men, mounting 4 guns, and having on board a great number of small arms. She had made two captures; one of which, a large Prussian ship, laden with a valuable cargo of timber, Found to London, Lient. Tracey recaptured on the same morning.

SATURDAY, FEB. 7.

This Gazette contains dispatches from ViceAdmiral Dacres, on the Jamaica station. The first of which gives an account of a very gal lant attack, by the boats of his Majesty's ship Success, Capt. Ayscough, on le Vengeur, French privateer, which had run into Hidden Port. The enemy, to the amount of about fifty men, having landed, fired down from the beach, and killed Lieut. Duke, who commanded the boats, and wounded seven others. Lieut. Spence took the command, and brought out the prize, under a heavy fire, but which afterwards sunk under the stern of the Suc

cess.

Wm. Duke, first Lieutenant, killed; Dowell O'Reilly, acting Lieutenant, wounded in the leg; John Frederick, ordinary, badly wounded in the thigh: James Clewer, able, badly wounded in the knee-joint; Henry Bibby, ordinary, badly wounded through the body John Hormby, able, badly wounded through the lungs; Daniel Burns, landsman, slightly wounded in the fingers; Jasper Wheeler, marine, slightly wounded in the hand; An thony Pascall, able, missing, supposed to have deserted.

Total—1 killed, 7 wounded, and 1 missing, (Signed) JOHN AYSсOUGH, Captain. JOHN DEAR, Surgeon. This Gazette also contains accounts of the following captures from the same Admiral→→→ By the Pique, Capt. Ross, a fine Spanish copper-bottomed brig, pierced for 12 guns, under a battery of three guns, in Cabaret Bay, which battery was also destroyed. By the same ship, a fast-sailing French privateer, of one gun and 20 men, and a French felucca-rigged privateer, of two guns, four swivels, and 26 men, driven on shore on the reef off Cape Roxo, and totally lost;and by the Orpheus, Capt. Briggs, the Spanish schooner Susanna, of four guns.

Lord St. Vincent also transmits dispatches, with an account, addressed to Capt. Keats, Commander off Rochfort, from Capt. Lavie, of the Blanche, of his having intercepted the George Washington, and found Capt. Kargarian, late Commander of the Valercuse French frigate, with his Officers and men on board; in all 306 men.

And Capt. Campbell, of the Texel trans

port, from Leith Roads, the statement by Capt. Rechan, of the hired defence ship Norfolk, of his capture of l'Adolphe French privateer, of 14 guns and 39 men.

ADMIRALTY OFFICE, FEB. 10.

Copy of a Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Keith.
His Majesty's Sloop Kite, Downs,
Feb. 7.

MY LORD,

I beg leave to inform you, that last night, about half past eleven, the North Foreland Light bearing W. by S. distant about four leagues, I fell in with and captured, after a chase of one hour and a half, a French lug ger privateer, le Chasseur, commanded by Jacques François Fourmentier, pierced for 16 guns, two only mounted, the remainder being in the hold: she is a very fast sailing vessel, only three months old; sailed from Calais yesterday morning in company with another privateer of the same description; had not made any capture since she last sailed; her complement of men was 52, but had only 42 on board when captured, two of whom were wounded. Fortunately our shot cut away his jib when we first commenced our fire upon him, otherwise the chase would have been long, and our success doubtful. I have, &c.

(Signed) Jos. JAMES.

SATURDAY, FEB. 14.

This Gazette contains a dispatch from Capt. ̧ Corbet, of the Nereide, dated off Madeira, Dec. 2, stating the capture of Il Brilliant, Spanish lugger privateer, of four guns and 50 men; and another letter from the same commander, announcing his having taken el Veloz, Spanish corvette, pierced for 23 guns, but only 10 mounted, and 75 men. above letters were transmitted by Capt. Stopford, who dates from Porto Praya, St. Jago, 11th Jan. 1807.

The

This Gazette likewise gives an order of the Commander in Chief, that, in addition to the permission recently granted to the 76th Regiment of Foot, for placing the word Hindoostan in their Colours and Appointments, the Rcgiment shall be allowed to place the Elephant in their Colours and on their Appoint.ients, inscribing the word "Hindoostan" around it; as a distinguished testimony of their good conduct and exemplary valour during their

service in India.