peculiar distinction; and as the distance I was at myself, does not enable me to perform this act of justice from personal observation, I have taken every pains to collect information from the superior officers. Lieut.-general sir James Leith, justified, in the fullest manner, the confidence reposed in his tried judgment and distinguished gallantry, conducting and directing the attack, till obliged to be reluctantly carried off, after receiving a most severe contusion on the breast, and having his left arm broken. Major-general Hay succeeded to the command, and ably conducted the attack to the last. Lieut.gen. sir James Leith expresses his great obligations to major-generals Hay and Robinson (the latter was obliged to leave the field from a severe wound in the face), and to lieutenant-colonels Berkeley and Gomm, assistant-adjutant-general and assistant-quarter-master-general of the 5th division, for their zealous services, during this arduous contest. He warmly recommends to your lordship's notice, his aide-de-camp, captain Belches, of the 59th foot; and, in conjunction with major-general Hay, he bears testimony to the highly meritorious conduct of captain James Stewart, of the 3rd battalion Royal Scots, aide-de-camp to major-general Hay; and he recommends to your lordship's notice, major-general Robinson's aide-decamp, captain Wood, 4th foot, as also captains Williamson and Jones of that regiment; the former was severely wounded in the command of the 4th, following the forlorn hope in the best style, and remaining long after his wound. Captain Jones succeeded to the command of the brigade, and conducted it with great ability. Sir James Leith likewise particularizes captain Taylor, 48th regiment, brigade-major to the 1st brigade, and lieutenant Le Blanc, of the 4th foot, who led the light infantry company of the regiment immediately after the forlorn hope, and is the only surviving officer of the advance. Major-general Robinson unites his testimony of praise of captains Williamson and Jones, and lieut. Le Blanc, above-mentioned. He likewise commends highly captain Livesay, who succeeded to the command of the 47th foot, on major Kelly's being killed, and kept it till wounded, when the command devolved on lieutenant Power, who ably performed the duty; as also captain Pilkington, who succeeded to the command of the 59th on captain Scott's being killed, and retained it till wounded, when the command of that battalion fell to captain Halford, who led it with great credit, and also brevet-major Anwyll, brigademajor of the 2nd brigade. Major-general Hay having now the command of the 5th division, mentions in terms of great praise the excellent conduct of major general Sprye, commanding the Portuguese brigade, and the very distinguished gallantry of col. de Regoa, and the 15th Portuguese regiment under his command, and of col. M'Crae, with the 3rd Portuguese regiment; and maj.-gen. Sprye mentions in terms of high praise, lieutenant-colonel Hill, commanding the 8th Caçadores, and major Charles Stuart Campbell, commanding the 3rd regiment, in colonel M'Crae's absence on general duty; and he expresses his great obligations to captain Brackenburg, of the 61st regiment, his aide-de-camp, and to brigade-major Fitzgerald. Major-gen. Hay speaks most highly of the services of colonel the honourable C. Greville, of the 38th, in command of the 2nd brigade; and of the conspicuous gallantry of lieutenant-colonel Barnes, in the successful assault of the curtain, with the brave battalion of the Royal Scots; and also of the exemplary conduct of lieutenant-colonel Cameron, of the 9th foot, and lieut.-colonels Miles and Dean of the 38th, and all the officers and troops engaged; and he expresses himself as most particularly indebted to the zeal, intelligence, and intrepidity of Brigade-major Taylor, and captain Stewart, of the Royal Scots, acting as his aide-de-camp, formerly mentioned. Major - general Hay likewise expresses his great satisfaction with the gallant and judicious conduct of lieut.-col. Cooke, commanding the detachment of guards; of lieut.-col. Hunt, commanding the detachment of the left division, who was severely wounded, and of all the other officers and troops of the detachment. Major-general Hay conducted the division along the ramparts himself, with the judgment and gallantry that has so often marked his conduct. I have now only to repeat the expressions of my highest satisfaction with the conduct of the officers of the Royal Artillery and Engineers as formerly particularized in the report of the firet attack. Every branch of the artil lery service has been conducted by col. Dickson, with the greatest ability, as was that of the engineer department by lieutenant-colonel sir Richard Fletcher, till the moment of his much lamented fall at the mouth of the trenches. Lieut. colonel Burgoyne succeeded to the command, and is anxious that I should convey to your lordship sir R. Fletcher's sense of the great merit and gallantry of capt. Henderson, in the attack of the island, on the morning of the 27th ult. and of the persevering exertions of majors Ellicomb and Smith, in pushing forward the operations of the two attacks-the latter officer having had the merit of the first arrangements for the attack on the right. Lieut.-col. Burgoyne was himself wounded, and only quitted the field from loss of blood; but I am happy to say he is able to carry on the duty of the department. The conduct of the navy has been continued on the same principle of zealous co-operation by sir George Collier; and the services of lieutenant O'Reiley, with the seamen employed in the batteries, has been equally conspicuous as before. Your lordship will now permit me to call your attention to the conduct of that distinguished officer, major-general Oswald, who has had the temporary command of the 5th division, in lieutenantgeneral sir James Leith's absence, during the whole of the campaign, and who resigned the command of the division on sir James Leith's arrival on the 30th ultimo. Having carried on with indefatigable attention all the laborious duties of the left attack, no person was more able to give sir James Leith the best information and assistance. This sir James Leith acknowledges he did with a liberality and zeal for the service in the highest degree praiseworthy, and he continued his valuable services to the last, by acting as a volunteer, and accompanying lieutenant-general sir James Leith to the trenches on the occasion of the assault. I have infinite satisfaction in assuring your lordship of my perfect approbation of major-gen. Oswald's conduct ever since the 5th division formed a part of the left column of the army. I beg to assure your lordship that colonel Delancy, Deputy quarter-master-gen. and lieut.colonel Bouverie, assistant-adjutant-general, attached to the left column, have continued to render me the most valuable assistance; and that the zeal of captain Calvert of the 29th regiment, my first aide-de-camp, as well as that of the rest of the officers of my personal staff, entitles them all to my warmest and perfect appro~ bation. Your lordship as, with an attention extremely grateful to me, permitted me to name an officer to be the bearer of your lordship's dispatches home; and I beg to recommend for that commission major Hare, of the 12th foot, a gallant soldier of fortune, who has, on many former occasions, served on my staff, and is now attached to it as assistant-adjutant-general. I have the honour, &c. (Signed) T. GRAHAM. P. S. No return of artillery and stores has yet been sent in, and I fear the returns of the severe losses of the troops may not be quite correct. I have omitted to mention the gallant conduct of lieutenant Gethin, 11th regiment, acting engineer, who conducted a Portuguese column to the attack, and took the enemy's colours from the cavalier. (Signed) T. G. Admiralty Office, Oct. 12. The letters, of which the following are copies and extracts, have been transmitted to John Wilson Croker, esq. by vice-admiral sir Edward Pellew, commander-inchief of his majesty's ships and vessels in the Mediterranean : Milford, off Porto Ré, Sir;-I have the honour to acquaint you, that on the 28th ult. I left Melada, and on the 30th assembled the Elizabeth and Eagle off Promontorio. On the 1st inst. the squadron entered the Quarnier Channel, and on the 2nd in the evening anchored about four miles from Fiume, which was defended by four batteries mounting fifteen heavy guns. On the 3rd, in the morning, the ships named in the margin weighed, with a light breeze from the south-west, with the intention of attacking the sealine of batteries (for which the arrangement had been previously made and communicated), leaving a detachment of boats and marines with the Haughty, to storm the battery at the Mole-head, as soon as the guns were silenced; but the wind, very light, shifting to the S. E. with current from the river, broke the ships off, and the Eagle could only fetch the second battery, opposite to which she anchored. The enemy could not stand the well-directed fire of that ship. This being communicated by telegraph, I made the signal to storm, when captain Rowley, leading in his gig the first detachment of marines, took possession of the fort, and hoisted the king's colours, whilst captain Hoste, with the marines of the Milford, took and spiked the guns of the first battery, which was under the fire of the Milford and Bacchante, and early evacuated. Captain Rowley leaving a party of seamen to turn the guns of the second battery against the others, without losing time, boldly dashed on through the town, although annoyed by the enemy's musketry from the windows of the houses, and a fieldpiece placed in the centre of the great street; but the marines, headed by lieutenants Lloyd and Nepean, and the seamen of the boats, proceeded with such firmness, that the enemy retreated before them, drawing the fieldpiece until they came to the square, where they made a stand, taking post in a large house. At this time, the boats, with their carronades, under captain Markland, opened against the gable end of it with such effect, that the enemy gave way at all points, and I was gratified at seeing them forsake the town in every direction. Captain Hoste, with his division, followed close to capt. Rowley, and on their junction, the two batteries, with the field-piece, stores, and shipping, were taken possession of, the governor, and every officer and man of the garrison having run away. Considering the number of troops in the town, above 350, besides natives, our loss has been trifling; one marine of the Eagle, killed; lieut. Lloyd, and five seamen and marines, wounded. Nothing could exceed the spirit and disposition manifested by every captain, officer, seaman, and marine, in the squadron. Although the town was stormed in every part, by the prudent management of captains Rowley and Hoste, not an individual has been plundered, nor has any thing been taken away except what was afloat, and in the government stores. I herewith send a return of the property and vessels captured, and have the honour to be, &c. &c. THOS. FRAS. FREEMANtle. Vice-admiral sir Edward Pellew, bart, &c. &c. &c. * Milford, Elizabeth, Eagle, Bacchante, and Haughty. A list of vessels, stores, &c. taken and destroyed at Fiume, on the 3rd of July, 1813. Ninety vessels; more than half of the smaller class were returned to the proprietors, 13 sent to Lissa, laden with oil, grain, powder and merchandize; the rest were destroyed; 59 iron guns (part only mounted), rendered totally useless; eight brass eighteen pounders, and one field-piece, taken away; 500 stand of small arms; 200 barrels of powder; rations of bread for 70,000 men, and two magazines, with stores, &c. burnt. THOS. FRAS. FREEMANTLE. Milford, off Porto Ré, Sir, I have the honour to inform you, that yesterday the squadron under my orders moved from Fiame to this place, and the Haughty was dispatched with prizes to Lissa. Captains Hoste and Markland landed with the marines, and found the forts abandoned by the enemy, who had spiked the guns, and thrown the ammunition into the sea. The boats went up to Bocca Re, where a convoy of 13 sail were scuttled; one of them only could be recovered. Having rendered the guns, ten in number, entirely useless, burnt the carriages, and blown up the works, I have ordered the ships to their several stations. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) T. F. FREEMANTLE. Vice admiral sir Edward Pellew, bart. &c. Admiralty Office, Aug. 24, 1813. Extract of a letter from captain Maples of his majesty's sloop Pelican, to vice admiral Thornbo rough, and transmitted by the latter officer to John Wilson Croker, esq. His majesty's sloop Pelican, St. David's Head, East five leagues, August 14. I have the honour to inform you, that in obedience to your orders to me of the 12th instant, to cruise in St. George's Channel, for the protection of the trade, and to obtain information of an American sloop of war, I had the good fortune to board a brig, the master of which informed me, that he had seen a vessel, apparently a man of war, steering to the N. E. At four o'clock this morning I saw a vessel on fire and a brig standing from VOL. LV. her, which I soon made out to be a cruiser; made all sail in chace, and at half-past five came alongside of her (she having shortened sail, and made herself clear for an obstinate resistance), when, after giving her three cheers, our action commenced, which was kept up with great spirit on both sides forty-three minutes, when we lay her alongside, and were in the act of boarding, when she struck her colours. She proves to be the United States sloop of war Argus, of 560 tons, 18 24-pounder carronades, and 2 long 12-pounders: had on board when she sailed from America (two months since) a complement of 149 men, but in the action 127, commanded by lieutenant-commandant W. H. Allen, who, I regret to say, was wounded early in the action, and has since suffered amputation of his left thigh. No eulogium I could use would do sufficient justice to the merits of my gallant officers and crew (which consisted of 116): the cool courage they displayed, and the precision of their fire, could only be equalled by their zeal to distinguish themselves; but I must beg leave to call your attention to the conduct of my first lieutenant, Thomas Welsh; of Mr. William Glanville, acting master; Mr. William Ingram, the purser, who volunteered his services on deck; and Mr Richard Scott, the boatswain. Our loss, I am happy to say, is small one master's mate, Mr. William Young, slain in the moment of victory, while animating, by his courage and example, all around him; and one able seaman, John Emery, besides five seamen wounded, who are doing well: that P |