1814.]

363

age of 78 years.

SWITZERLAND.

The little republic of Geneva has been united as an additional canton to the Swiss confederacy, and the principality of Neufchatel also has been incorporated with the Helvetic body.

The new federal compact has been accepted by the majority of the cantons; but some of them have refused to accede to its provisions. General harmony seems by no means to be restored in this country. Popular commotions have taken place in the Tessin and called for military interference before they could be appeased.

SPAIN.

The aspect of affairs in this distracted country is not improving, and in spite of the assurance lately given by Count Labrador while at Paris, that there was not a more happy or contented people on earth than the subjects of Ferdinand VII. we find in their official documents ample proof of the contrary. Thus on the 28th of August, Villavicencio, governor of Cadiz, issued a proclamation in which he complains of the inefficacy of the measures previously adopted for repressing traitors and disturbers of the public tranquillity; and gives notice that, considering himself in a state of war, he has appointed a military commission for the summary trial of all persons charged with offending, by word or deed, directly or indirectly, against the sovereignty of Ferdinand VII. We are told that by this strong measure Cadiz has been kept quiet without bloodshed; but that many persons have in consequence quitted the city, and others been apprehended.

This state of things is far from being confined to one solitary city. From royal instructions issued about the middie of September, we learn that the provinces of Old and New Castile, Estremadura, Andalusia, Arragon, and Valencia, are overrun with malefactors and highwaymen, and accordingly placed under martial law. A commission was about the same time appointed for the trial of the patriotic members of the Cortes confined in the various prisons, and styled by way of reproach the Liberales. Two magistrates, both members of the supreme council of Castile, nominated to form part of this tribunal, immediately gave in their resignation.

Meanwhile the arrests, not only of natives of some distinction, but also of foreigners domiciliated in Spain, con

tember, 26 individuals were apprehended at Madrid for the alleged crimes of freemasonry and attachment to the cause of the Cortes; and many others have since been taken into custody.

The systematic ingratitude of the beloved Ferdinand to all those to whom he is indebted for the preservation of his throne, if not originating in a weak head, affords abundant demonstration of a de

testable heart. With the same spirit which dictated the persecution of the Cortes, he is now, as we are assured, adopting measures for the ertermination of the Guerillas, and lamen's the difficulty which he finds in the accomplishment of his purpose. Such is the reward of those brave, loyal, and patient people, who submitted to every privation, and confronted every danger in his

cause.

It seems not improbable that the treatment experienced by Mina, the celebrated guerilla chieftain, may have forined part of this plan. From official papers published by the viceroy of Navarre, it would appear that the government had determined to remove Mina from active service, and to disperse the troops under his command. Mina, instead of submitting to these arrangements, marched in the night of Sep. 26th with a regiment of volunteers, for the purpose of surprising Pampeluna, the capital of the province; but his design was betrayed by his own officers to the viceroy. The failure of his plan was the natural consequence. After this disappointment he directed his march towards Puente de la Reyna, where part of his force, represented as considerable, is stationed. The prisons of Navarre are stated to be full of persons holding correspondence with him; and his operations are presumed to be only a ramification of a plan of insurrection which embraces Arragon and Catalonia, and extends even to Cadiz. These points comprize the whole kingdom, the affairs of which would hence appear to be rapidly hastening to

364

ITALY.

The Grand-duke of Tuscany made his solemn entry into Florence on the 17th of September. Report states that this prince will receive the hand of the Queen of Etruria, and that his territories will be increased by the cession, on the part of Austria, of all the country between the Mincio and Piedmont, upon which he will assume the royal dignity as King of Lombardy.

Murat, who still continues his military demonstrations, not long since pompously announced the arrival of Prince Esterhazy at Naples, on a mission from the Emperor of Austria. The foreign journals assure us that his errand is not of the most pleasant nature to King Joachim, as he is instructed to require the restoration of those provinces of the ecclesiastical state still occupied by the Neapolitan troops.

Joseph Buonaparte has purchased a valuable estate in the vicinity of Rome, where his brother Louis arrived in September, and where other branches of his family are shortly expected.

The foreign journals positively assert, that the removal of Napoleon from the Isle of Elba will be determined at the Congress of Vienna. The government of France scems to consider this measure indispensably necessary for the future tranquillity of that country; and the journey of the Duke of Berry to England in August last, is said to have been undertaken for the purpose of obtaining the consent of the British cabinet. The only difficulty will be to find a proper residence for so turbulent a spirit. The policy of the change must be obvious; for so long as Buonaparte remains near the seat of his former power, so long will the disaffected and designing look to him as a rallying point, the want of which must extinguish their hopes, and tend to the gradual cooling of those passions which, at some future period, might otherwise endanger the repose of all Europe.

AMERICA.

[Nov. 1,

In our last we left lieut. gen. Drummond with the British force under his command blockading Fort Erie. Previously to the meditated attack on that position, Captain Dobbs, at the head of a party of seamen and marines, made a dash, in the night of the 11th of August, upon the enemy's armed vessels, lying close under the fort. After a short struggle two schooners were carried, and accident alone prevented the capture of the third. This success was followed by a general attack in the night of the 15th. The British troops were formed in two columus; one, under Colone! Fisher, was directed to advance against the enemy's position on Snake Hill: while the other, composed of the centre and left divisions, under Colonel Scott and Lieut.-Col. Drummond, proceeded to storm the fort and entrenchments in front of the British camp. The latter gallantly accomplished this service, and had actually turned the enemy's guns upon themselves, when the accidental explo sion of a magazine, under the platform, destroyed almost all the British troops that had entered the place. Colonel Fischer's division was stopped by an abattis, and thus prevented from supporting the main body, the relics of which abandoned the port and retreated to their camp. In this unfortunate affair our loss was very severe, amounting to 57 killed, including Colonel Scott and Lieut.-Col. Drummond; 309 wounded and 589 reported missing, but most of whom are supposed to have perished by the explosion. This loss, however, has been much more than compensated by the reinforcements which General Drummond has since received. With this augmentation of strength, the approaches to the fort have been resumed, and ultimate success is confidently anticipated.

In another part of the Canadian from tier a reverse not less mortifying has been experienced by the British arms. The official details have not yet arrived, but, through other channels, we learn, that on the 1st of September the army of Lower Canada, under Sir George Prevost entered the territory of the United States at Odelltown, to take possession of the country proposed to be permanently included in the new boundary line. The British commander advanced with little opposition to Plattsburgh, which he entered on the 6th. The enemy, about 3000 in number, occupied a strong position near that town. The cooperation of our little squadron, on Lake

1814.]

28 guns.

Champlain, was necessary to dislodge them, and it accordingly sailed for that purpose. On the 11th of September, a combined attack was made; but the hopes of success were early blasted by the fall of Captain Downie, who commanded the flotilla in the Confince of The rudder of that ship being disabled, she became unmanageable; and the Linnet of 16 guns, our next largest vessel grounded in the fight; they were, in consequence, exposed to the superior force of the enemy, and after a prodigious slaughter, compelled to strike. The division of gun-boats, twelve in number, was, however, brought off. Sir George Prevost, who had, meanwhile, forced the passage of the river Saranac, was induced, by the loss of the flotilla, to abandon the advantages which he had gained, and to retreat to Odelltown.

365

A more grateful subject now demands our attention. During the months of June, July, and August, the squadron, under Rear-Admiral Cockburn, in the Chesapeake, was incessantly engaged in barassing the enemy in every assailable position, till the arrival of Sir A.Cochrane, our commander-in-chief on that station. On the 17th of August he was joined by Rear-Admiral Malcolm with the expected reinforcements from Bermuda. An attack upon the American flotilla in the Patuxent was planned, and the fleet sailed up the river. The military force under Major-General Ross, was landed the 20th, at Benedict, on the right bank, and advanced towards Nottingham, where Commodore Barney was stationed with the flotill; while Admiral Cockburn, with the shipping, proceeded up the river. On the approach of the latter, the Americans set fire to all their vessels except one, that fell into our hands. The British commanders, who were now only 16 miles from Washington, resolved to make an attempt upon that seat of the American governIn pursuance of this design, they reached the village of Bladensburg, about five miles from the capital, on the 24th. On the opposite side of the Potomac the enemy, between eight and nine thousand strong, was discovered posted on a commanding height, while bis artillery defended a bridge that crossed the river. Our force, which was not half so numerous, attacked with such impetuosity, that the Americans quickly fled. Commodore Barney who commanded the artillery, was wounded and taken prisoner; and ten pieces of canhon fell into our hands. Our gallant little army moved the same night without NEW MONTHLY MAG.-No. 10.

ment.

Admiral Cochrane, before he entered the Patuxent had sent a detachment of frigates under Capt. Gordon, up the Potomac, to make a diversion by attacking fort Washington, which, with the artillery, was compl tely destroyed. The populous town of Alexandria having thus lost its only defence, proposed to capitulate: Capt. Gordon consented to spare the place, with the exception of public works, on condition that all warlike stores, shipping, and merchandize, should be given up. Owing to the dangerous passage, and the preparations made by the enemy to intercept our little squadron, it was not without great diffi culty that it descended the river with its prizes to rejoin the fleet, having in these operations had 7 men killed and 35 wounded.

Sir Peter Parker in the Menelaus, with some other small vessels, was at the same time sent up the Chesapeake, above Baltimore, to divert the attention of the enemy in that quarter. After having frequently dislodged small bodies, by landing parties of seamen and marines, Sir Peter ventured to attack a force of five times his number, and possessing the advantage of artillery. This daring attempt was nevertheless successful; the enemy fled at all points; but the British commander received a mortal wound, of which he expired in a few minutes. In

this rencounter the crew of the Menelaus had 14 killed, including their captain, and 27 wounded.

Baltimore was the next object towardwhich the attention of Admiral C VOL. II,

3 C

366

rane and General Ross was directed. The troops disembarked on the 12th of September, near North Point, on the left bank of the Parapsco River, about 13 miles from Baltimore. Not far from North Point the enemy had entrenched himself across a neck of land, but on the approach of the British troops he retired precipitately from this position. About two miles beyond it our advance became engaged, and the gallant General Ross received a wound in his breast, which immediately proved mortal, and the chief command developed on Colonel Brook. The advance continuing to press forward, the enemy's light troops were pushed to within five miles of Baltimore, where a corps of about six thousand men, six pieces of artillery, and some hundred cavalry, were strongly posted under cover of a wood. Dispositions were immediately made for a general attack. The enemy's force being utterly broken and dispersed at the first charge, fled in every direction, leaving on the field two pieces of cannon, with a considerable number of killed, wounded, and prisoners. The day being far advanced, and the troops much fatigued, they halted for the night on the ground from which the enemy had been driven. At day-break, on the 13th, the army again advanced, and took up a position eastward of Baltimore, about a mile and a half distant. Arrangements were made for a night attack; but during the evening, Colonel Brook received a communication from the commander-inchief of the naval forces, apprizing him, that, from the sinking of vessels in the harbour, naval co-operation against the town and camp was impracticable. Un der these circumstances, it was determined not to persist in an attack upon the town, where the force of the enemy was estimated at 15 or 20,000 men; the troops were withdrawn on the 14th, and the following day re-embarked at North Point, with the loss of 39 killed and 251 wounded.

On the 26th of August, an expedition under Lieutenent - General Sir J. C. Sherbrooke and Admiral Griffith, sailed from Halifax, in Nova Scotia, for the Penobscot river, which divides New Hampshire from New Brunswick. Fort Custine, which defended the entrance, was carried after a short resistance; and the John Adams frigate which had taken refuge here, and was supposed to be secure against every attempt, was, with other vessels, captured and de royed. By the subsequent reduction

[Nov. 1,

of the strong position of Machias, the whole country between Penobscot river and Passamaquoddy Bay is now in our possession.

It may easily be conceived, that the destruction of the capital and the alarm excited by the different attacks on various parts of the coast, must have filled the people and government of the United States with consternation. Did we want other proofs how deeply these humiliations were felt, we should find abundant evi dence of the fact in the snivelling proclamation of President Madison, who impudently denying the atrocious outrages committed by his countrymen, talks of "the wanton destruction of public edifices, having no relation to the operations of war." and the "undisturbed plunder of private property." "And," continues he, "whereas these proceedings and declared purposes, which exhibit a deliberate disregard of the principles of humanity and the rules of civilized warfare; and which must give, to the existing war, a character of extended devastation and barbarism at the very moment of negociations for peace, invited by the enemy himself, leave no prospect of safety for any thing within the reach of his predatory and incendiary operations, but in manful and universal determination to expel the invader"he therefore exhorts the good people of the United States, to join their hearts and hands for that purpose, and all officers, civil and military, to exert themselves in executing the duties with which they are respectively charged.

The false colouring given to this offi cial document issued by the president since his return to Washington, does not fail to strike even the Americans themselves. One of their public writers, in refutation of the charges which he prefers against our troops, asks this question :

of