Star. — London, England, 1807-11-19 00:00:00

V THE. OPERATIONS OF T.I kb , BRITISH ARMY AT BUENOS AYRES. (Continued from the me of yefterday ) NUMBER VI. On the 4th day of July, the day preceding the ill fated form, a plan of the propofed attack ~ f town was traamitted to the officers commanding corps, a copy of which (hall be given hereaf:er. I is believed by fume, that this plan was not adopted without confulting fome officers of experience and local information ; but from every information I have been able t coiled, the m Ide of attack was, in every Telenet, deviled by the Lieutenant General and Ma. jor General, exclufively. That the plan of affailing the city was not generally known, or fufficiently un derftood by the corps of the army immediately em ployed, will appear evident from the fequel. Oa Sunday the sth Jiffy, the troops defined for the form, aftembled an hour before day break, and repaired to the verge of the city, in a line with the advanced pats, that is, on its fouth fide, each corps and wing being polled oppofite to the ltreet which it had been ordered to penetrate, refpeetively, in the fol. lowing manner and difpofition The troops were direeted t , ) penetrate the town at once, by thirteen (freers, wi,ich were all parallel to each other, and equidillant about iso yards. The afiailants tonlifled of the 6th Dragoon Guards, sth, 36th, 38th, 45th, 87th, 88th, 95th Foot, and the Light Battalion. Except the 6th Dragoon Guards and the 38th, each regiment. and the light brigade, were to penetrate the frees by wings, in open column of feaions. The 45th and light battalion, and 6th Dragoon Guards, forming right divifion of the *Giants, were to enter five ftreets on the right of the city ; and the 88.11, 36th, sth, and 87th, forming the left, were to penetrate the remaining eight, in the above order and fu'eceffion. Two fix pounders were to be brought up, and covered by the 6th Dragoon Guards ; and the light brigade were to be followed by two light three pounders. The 3Rth regiment was defined to attack a very important poll towards the lea, called El Reoro, or Plaza Jc Toros, which lies dole to the bank of the riser la Plata. All firing was firittly prol. At funrife the fignal for the troops to rufh into the city was announced by the firing cf the cannon in the venue, which continued for a few minlitea. Each corps and column, anxious to be the fir(, immedi ately advanced to the fatal attack, agreeably to the orders and inftruCiions which they had refpettively received, and with fuch an alacrity and courage as juttly merited the palm of viCtory. To defcrit,- frilly all the operations of each indi• vidual column in the cootie of this day, would lead into a voluminous detail ; I (hall therefore confine rnyfelf to a dcfcriptiun of their principal movements and proceedings, that you may judge cf the fervices of each r f the corps concerned, and of their tepee. tive merits: while all, however, were fired with an equal (hare of courage, zeal, and emulation, they are equally entitled to the praife of having, in defiance of every hazard, completely performed and execti. ted, as far as was praelicable, th 4 fervices and ordus which had been required of them. For the fake of regularity, I (hall commence with the proceedings of the columns o■ the right, and from thence with thofe of each column, in fuccetlion, to the ►eft, without at prefent adverting to the order of the events. The 45th regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel GUARD, penetrated by wings the two (treets imme diately on the right of the city, the left wing being under the orders of Major NICHOLLS. The itreets were all completely deferted, and the utmoft tran- quillity prevailed there was no oppofition for a confiderable time after the 45th had entered the firms, except from a few (hots which were fired, with Alt efftli, from the crofs dreets. In an open Part, however, the right wing found itfelf expoled to the fire of two pieces of cannon, which, on the rapid appr.'ach of the t. :mpg, the enemy abandoned. Both the wings a the 45th now f o ►uted a junction, and proceeded along with the cannon which they had low taken againfl El Rclidencia, a large building, Ind a pott of great confequence, which the enemy immediately evacuated. Having pnfreffed himfelf of this important pc:ill, Colonel GWARD, with the intention of joining the right wing of the light battalion under GeneralCaau man, advanced to hib left at the head of only the gre edier company, leaving the command of Refidcncia to the next fenior officer. In the mean time, the enemy rallied in great lumbers, and made feveral impetuous attempts to retake the place, in every one of which they failed, swing to the determined fit mnefs of the 45th regi taent, under Major Ikbow:As, who repulfed the ene• say with confidenble lofs, in every attempt, and retained poireffion of Refidencia until it was ordered to be delivered up, purfuaut to the terms of the con vent ion. During the time that the enemy were making on foteefsful efforts to retake this pat, Colonel GUARD 111 his progrefs to join General CRAuruaD, was much pilled by the fire of the enemy from the houfe tops, and alto by that of the field piece which was brought tip againli him : the grenadiers, however, under Cap tain PAYNR, gallantly flormed and took poffeffion of the gun, but not without great lots, Captain PAYNR lsimfclf being defperately wounded. He now fuc needed in joining the Light Battalion tridcr General jitaurutto, and unfortunately (hared its fat. At we titan loon have occalion to mention. The light battalion, and 95th Regiment, entered t,y wings the two next Orem in facceffion, to the left • , f thole which had been penetrated by the 45th. The right wing, commanded by General Ciao F URD, fent , n in advance a forlorn hope, confining fa Lietre. halt and twenty men, about too yards in front, and they alfo brought on a fieldpiece. The forlorn hope had advanced for a quarter of a mile .. , •ithout oppo• fition, when all of a fudden they were afFailed by musketry from a honk at one corner of the fireet, which difibled the greater number of the patty.— The wing coming up immediately after, were alto expcfed to heavy fi , e from the houfe tops, by which many were killed and wounded. This column, in patting a crofs Rrect, were alfo fired on from a gun planted at the dißance of tsc3 yards. The fire of l the enemy was now likely to because more and more l dare hive ; and, notwithaanding the pofitive orders they had received to the contrary, the General found it indifpenfably neceffary to return the fire upon the enemy, to prevent the facrifice of the column. They had now reached the church of St. Domingo, which they had been ordered to occupy. The doors were forced with cannon, and the troops took peffeflion,, polling themfelves aU round the outer and upper parts of the building. The colours of the 71(1 regi. ment, which were found triumphantly fufpended in the great arch fronting the communion, were in. Randy taken down, and difplayed on the outside of the dome. The fire of the riflemen from the church proved fatal to many of the enemy, who covered the tops of all the houfes in the neighbourhood, and were alfo very numerous in the fitters. About this time a Spanifh Officer, with a view, it is firopnfed, to gain time, or to allow the Spaniards , (s obtain a nearer pofition, came forward with a flag of truce, and offered terms of capitulation, nn a refulal of which he Rated, that live, al pieces of heavy cannon would be immediately opened on the church, with I the avowed intention of levetlir.g it to the ground. As might be fopr ' , red, the terms were rejeCted Daring this parley, the enemy pref Ted forward in the' fireet in vad numbers, and one of them form after. wards attempted to extinguilh the match of the gun which was planted at the outer porch of the church ; 1 this being perceived by one of our artillerymen, he, with a :I-A. ',latch that he had in referee, difcharged the gun, which, being loaded with grape, deftroyed many of the enemy, and difperfed the remainder the fireet. A little before this period, the fer vice was ' I deprived rf an Officer who, at his age, in bravery,', aaivity, zeal, and military talent, was perhaps never furpalfcd in the British service. This was Major TROTTER, of the 83d Regiment, acing with the light battalion, who, in reconnoitring the movements of the enemy, was unfortunately killed at the corner of the church by the enemy's riflemen on the houfes. The enemy now brought forward cannon againa the church, and . opened a heavy fire nn the dome and turret. After holdiag poffeflion of the church till noon, without any profpea of relief or fupport, and the cannonade at the church threatening them with defiruClion, General CRAUFURD was compelled to furrender at difcretion. The left wing of the brigade alto, preceded by a forlorn hope,and led on by Lieutenant Colonel PACK, fuffered very feve:ely after they had advanced about 300 or 400 yards. The people ferving the gun were killed. The column pulhed on, however, and took potreflinn of a large houre, tram whence the riflemen annoyed the enemy confiderably. Colonel PACK being anxious to atcertain the pofition of the right wing, and to communicate and receive farther in flrtglion4, without apprehending the danger t. which he might be expofed, advanced alone through the Ilreets that led to the church, which he fortunately reached, but not without receiving a wound, the enemy having rcpeately fired at him on his way.— Colonel PA CK being prevented from rejnyning the left tying, in confequence of the heavy firing in the ltreets, the command of this wing devolved on Lieu tenant Colonel CADUGAN, who took every prudent advaneage of the enemy, and after finding every prolpe6l of relief cut off, and having loft many of his men, was under the neceffary of capitulating I and this wing delivered themfelver up to the enemy a fhort time before the forrender of the right wing under Ceneral CRAUFUILD. The 6th Dragoon Guards, or Carabineers, led on by Lieutenant Colonel KINGTON, advanced with two fix pounders, as we have already hated, immediately from the fireet on the right of I Myirere de Mata dere, that is, on the left of the left column of the light brigade. After penetrating for a confiderable dif tance, they were expofed to a heavy fire from the houle-tops ; they Hill , however, continued to advance, until the fire of the enemy became fo very dellruftive, that it was found neceffary for them to retreat, which they effeeed with revere lofs. On this oceafion Captain Bottum'. was killed; and Lieute nant Colonel Kuscrot, being mortally wounded, fell into the hands of the enemy.--(To k continued. ) Lieu►enant Loan, of the Claudia, has brought home the Swedilli orders of St. Joachim, to the Duke de BOUILLON, Lord Vifcount TRarAmose, and Sir AUGUSTUS IMHOFF. This dillinelion has been con ferred by the Klan of SWEDEN upon Lord TR.. FALGAR, as a mark of tel4jefly's refped for the memory of the illuntious Nsisom. COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. On Tuefday right a new Opera was prefented, for the fira time. It is intitied Two J•aces under a Hood, and is the produaion of Mr. T. DiapiN, A Gentleman already wcllknoivn by feveral Dramaiic Pieces. The !quite is by Mr. SHIELD, the celebrated Cznpufer. The folluwing are THE CH! RACTER3. Marquis. Raimondi - Mr BELT nor Count Igt ciu - • Mr Jo r. Don Sabath-in . Mr INCLEDON Brasilia -14 tr FARLEY Marti! ique - . Mr FAWCE rr Governor - Mr THOM PiON Jeronimo - - Mr SILISIoNI Frederic° - Mr Tar con Heetor . - . Mr Lesion Serjeant - - Mr Kiri° Lady Abbefs . Mrs Day ENPORT Marchionefs Raimondi - Mrs DIEDI4 Claudine - - Mrs Dics:oNs Dogma Antonia - Mils Dot lON Urfula - Mrs C. Xi tats Agatha - - Mrs Livros% THE. FABLE. The Marquis Raimondi having dilTi;sated his fortune at the gaming table, religns his nobility, at: I quits his cointry to re trieve himfelf by corn coerce, leaving Ciaudina, his only daughter, to be educated by a female relation who, by the father's deftly, conceals from the young Lady her real rank—while ruppofing herfelf the daugh ere! a cottager, Claudine is addrerred by Ignacio, a young officer, bit• the arts ef Frederica, his rival. create a tin.; rrel between the lovers—lgnacio jo,llls his regiment abroad. Claudine, on the death alter relation, is fent to board in a convent, and all correfpondence between h• r and Ignacio ccafes. Four yeas s arc fo7vole d to have clack,' (at the opening of the piece) fineethe reparation al the lorers, at which time the Marquis Raimundi morns from his commercial 'peculation!' with a fortune which enables l.im to relume his rank; Claudine is nude acquain • teil with her hi! , h. and quits the convent for her fatlitr's palace. day is let apart for the ceremony of the Marquis't purdic rein velltire a. d admiffion to hts former ban tirs on which day Ignacio arrives from fees Claudine among the affenibly, but, int pored:on by the brilliat cy at her habit, and the alterations and im provem, nta which four years of thence have effeeked, he does not luppofe her t:: fame lady. though ht is fo:cibi7 dwelt with her reremblance to hi- !avouti c cottager. Claudine takes a,:vantage of her lituation, and, with the aflif tance Urfula, her waiting maid, alternately appears tohim as the young Marcbiunsts aid the limple cottager, endeavours to attradl hiM i each charadcr, Mid ?la. the fatisfddion or proving at lad that his love is iiiiinterelted, and that he prefers the poor( lau dine to the rich , 3ciref!.. Conne..'led with the foregoing Rory are the loves of Antonia and Seb:lizian, wan arc friends of Ignacio and Claudine I he charad ,, rs of Vl3rtinique s Brachia. Helm- and Urfula, fur oiLli the materials for a miner plet—riedor and Urfula are con • fins, whore uncle ha, left them a lar,:e font t.f money.tri condition they marry together—to this arra:-.geliel:t tilt.) , are equally swede, but the avarice of I-fedi - it- determiner him to comply with it and enjoy the wid: legacy, rath e r than di, idc it with Urfula—by a trick of Brazilio's, howeiter, he is collar I for a foldter and the air divifion of the legacy the condition on which be is, releafed.— Martinique is the attendant of Ignacio, who before he fees Ctau dine at the aiTembiy, fends him in quell of her to her former cot tage riuderer, 'out Martirieitn, Lavi' g been 11 into the keret that the young Marchionef, i. the t ry la,lv to whom be is fent, remains concealed, and joins his fwe•-'heart Urfida. to aid her lady in the illl7oCrlit deception pradifed on the C..mnt. Jeronimo is an old civil cfncer of the city, wt:o affurnes to be deaf or bli:td as his convenience funs; and hredi rico is a fca captain, who having berm formerly Ignacio's rival %vithflauditie, and feting her again in her cottage habit, lays a plan to carry her off and by rouging Ignacio to refcue her, battens his dccifion. and thus gives him an opportunity of proving iiimfelf worthy of her The piece then concludes with the trirlc ucionaf Ignacio and Claudine, An tonia and Seirtilian, Urfula and Martinive. The Dialogue of this Opera has yet lefs to Teem mend it than feveral of Mr. Dianix's former pro duetions. Through three very long ACts fcarcely one good joke is heard, and the fentiment of the piece is extremely common place : the language, howeve►, is nut vulgar, and the Rory is unravelled with fufficient perfpicuity, though little of prominent incident occur ; and the conclufiun is eslily pated. The ailing, which is excellent throughout, made the whole go off with tolerabk eclat. Of the Mufic, which is its principal attraCtion, we cannot fpeak fo favourably as we could with it is not equal• to Mr. SHIELD'S former labours, though marked with the peculiar charafter of bis ftyle of compolition. In the Overture, which is light and fpirited, there is but one movement, and the Airs, Duets, Tr ios, Glees, and Chorufl'es, fcattered through the Piece, want the charm of originality, always re minding us of fomerhing we have heard before, though graced with plating variations.—Among the fingers, BELLAMY was by far the mull fuccefstul of the men, though 'tic:At:sow was in fine tone; and FAWCETT and Mrs. C. KEMBLE had fame comic la• bouts allotted them, which they executed with toler able kneels. But the main pleafure of the perform ance was the !inking of Mrs. Dicxotss. The Au dience, from fume caule or other, feemed taken by furprize; and having apparently under-rated the admirable talent's of this Lady, they limed at once enraptured and attnnifhed at the full evidence of her powers. In a long in the firli Att— 44 Why d , d he go, why did he go, 4 ' And leave me to figh beigho ?" The dirpla)ed a union of power and fweetnefs which even furprifed us, and which the hook received as it merited, by a general rapture of applaufe. It was in fa& chiefly the longs which reconcile,! the Audi ence to the Drama.—Jow ES did not appear to much advantage as a finger, nor was there any thing in the tell that called for any particular notice..--In a few words we may fay of this Opera, that it is likely to pleafe for a 'fhort period, but cannot, we think, become a powerful flock-piece.—At the fall of the curtain lime hotlile founds were heard,hut they were greatly overpowered by applaufes. The fecund reprefentation, tall night, curtailed of tome of the puerilities of its dialogue, and one or two of its weaken long., lets tried our patience, if it did not much increale our good opinion of its gene. rat merits. It will, however, deferve all the fupport it is likely to receive, in confirming the claims of Mrs. DicioNs to the reputation of one of the fish cha. raeleriflic, as well as Icientific, Englilh Opera lingers of her day. A fire broke out at two o'clock on Tuertlay morn ing, at the houfe of Mr. Taylor, carpenter, at Bal. ham Hill, near Streatham, in Surrey, which entirely confumed the dwelling houfe and furniture ; silo the workfhop and the men's tools, and fume tlab!ei. Thurfday morning, about five o'clock, the Cotton Factory belonging w Mr. Thornley, in Heaton-lane, Stockpot t, was difcovered to be on fire, which raged fo furioufly, that its oppofite element (although a plentiful fupply was adminillered by means of the engines) could not flop its progrefs, until the build ing, with the whole of the machinery therein, was confumed.—The damage i. eftimated at 500431. about a moiety of which we are informed is intured. MA RCZ. IS WELLESLEY. NUMBER XIV. Sir—When the word otientation is applied to the noble fubje& of thefe letters, it brings forward the delicate, but intercliing quellion ; the capacity in which the &Arentor General of Britith India. was formerly, and I ught to be confidered at prefent. On reference to the Records at the India Hoofs, previous to the acquilLion r:f territorial p , .tfellions, an order wil! be found for the Govern ,, r io be always prcfent, when the prices ase fired with Me native merchants on famples of piece goods to he ftibte• quently delivered If the Governor General of Bri• tifn India is looked upon fulely as a c Immercial agent for a Company of Merchants, ti.e b toy guard is, without any doubt, tioneceffary, aid pollibly (mall laving might be effected in dilcharging a few letvants, atiAc'icd at prellot to the Ucr,etriment Houle at Calcutta. When the liaft India C.mpany were folely mer chants, as in China at preterit, a retinue or running footmen, ftcc. might be dilpetifed .A 4 and we accor dingly find on the bornbay record., that Lieutenant M.Pherfun was put under ailed for not turning out the guard on ihe vitt:thee of the Governor into the fort ; and lubfrquently another order, that Lieute• nant M.Phegfon is releafed from his arrell, having made an apology to the Governor, that he unfortu nately miftuok him for the Cook's Mate of the Nancy grab (hip. That orders have oceationally been fent by the Court of Director., in their mercantile capacity, to the different Prefidencies in Lelia, totally repugnant to the general (fruit which thould guide their orders as Sovereigns, mutt be admitted. For inflance, within the lad Five years, of prohibiting the weavers in the Northern Circars, from working for indivi duals, thereby nut only prohibiling the importation of bullion from the Arabian and Prifian Gulphs, lout throwing many hundred families, both merchants and weavers, into the greatct p •ffible diarels. The reafons which induced the Noble Marquis to inter fere in the commeicial arrangements of another Prefil:ncy, and directing the prohibition to be withdrawn, are of count explained in the official do. cuments ; apparently they proceeded partly from motives of humanity, as, the ALMIGHTY knows, no injured pylon ever app red t., him in vain, and partly from the eitablilhed principle, that encourage ing the importation of bultium, and the export of manufaaured produce, teas mole confonat t to the duty of the C, rnp.oly a. Sovereigns, thiin any little advantage they might derive as merchants, even ad mitting that the: . paid an additional farthing per yard on the cloths required for their own inveltment. It mu!t, however, be admitted, that in no part of the world, is greater fectuity afforded by the State to, the fecurity of property of even the meaneft indi vidual, than througLriut Britifh India ; and the eff:Els of good Government are visible wiltin the lsli ten years, in the improved appearance of the lower chafes of natives, increafing in popularivn, as well as in their habitations, culinary meads, drds, and the magnificence difplayed in their religioias and marriage c eremonies. • A Gentleman palling through 'a village in the province of Cuttack, and r , bierving every Lace fmiL ing with gladnefs, inquirrd into the caufe of the re joicing ; and on being informed it was in enure queuce of the village being transferred from the Mar hal tab to the Br itilh Government, he afked the prin. cipal native the advantages they would derive by the change i—" We can marry, name our children, go 64 from our own cf uotry, and return with the fruits " of our indultry, without paying a tax ; and 66 when we die, we can bequeath mu property to 8 4 our children ; whereas, under the Marhaitah Go -64 vernmens, it would devolve to the State." The prefent is not the proper pet iud for innovation, even it the grand machine of Aliatic Government required it, which is far from being the cafe ; or, it might be obferved, that as long as the Latt India Company, in their mercantile capacity, confider that the grand objea in Britifh India is to obtain piece goods at the loweft pothole (mice, fo long will this nation be deprived of thole incalculaWe advan tages which might be derived therefrom, when the true principles c:t Sovereignty became the &It, in- Read of the fecondaty objea for conlideration at the India Hoirfe. FLAN FACTS. Assauxr.—Tuefday the Hon. Mr. BUTLER DAN• vans was charged before the Maginrares in Marlbo rough greet, with an afrault on Mr. HUGHES, the Bookreller, of Wigmore•Areet. Mr. D. was charged with having, on Monday lag, accnmpanied by Mr. JOHN Kura, called on Mr. H. to demand the Author of a publication, in which Mr. B.'s name is difrefpea. fully mentioned. Not ►eceiving the information he ex peited, he attacked Mr. H. with violence, beat him feverely. He was held in bail, Martell in root. and two furetics for Sol. each, to appear at the next Qprter Seffions at Hicks's Hall. On Saturday morning lad Mr. Mors, an Excite man, was difcnve►ed fuffocated in the foil in Billingf gate dock, fuppofed to have fallen over the fide of a falt veffel, which he boarded the preceding night ; the body was taken to a public hoult for a Coroner's Inqueik. At Highgate, a few mornings Since, two Ladies were dreadfully alarmed by the appearance of a black figure in their bed room. The youngeft of them immediately ran down (lairs and alarmed the family ; when, to their afloniffsment, on returning to the room it was found to be a chimney•fw•eeper, who had defcended from the wrong chimney, to the no fmall confufion of the Ladies and the whole tinnily. Betwixt the night of Friday and the morning of Saturday lad, a moll barbarous and deliberate mur der was committed in the town of Kilmarnock, on Jean Alexander and Chridian Peacock, in the dwel. ling honk of the former. It appears that they were ftrangled, the one with a cord and the other with a handkerchief. The perpetrators robbed the honfe Of tsi. in lilver, bank notes to the amount of sol two (liver watches, and three plain gold rings. From a precognition taken, there is reafon to furpea th at William Burnfide, jmuneyman fhne maker, in Kit• marnock, and Thomas Taggart, alto a journeyman fhoe.maker, are the perfons guilty of this fh :eking murder and robbery ; both of whom have been ap. ?reloaded, and art now in Kilmarnock Gaul.