Star. — London, England, 1809-04-13 00:00:00

i o urteen pieces of heavy cannon, and mentl . - . , n ortars and howitzers, and the cannonade' and I,,,,,,;,:sdrnent continued with little remission until iota o f tliti ..23,1, when the French General sent a tro inet with a letter to our advanced posts, near the Dott i;l e Redoubt, in the front of attack. In this corn rinication General Villaret proposed, as the basis of r , z ociati , n, that the French troops should be sent to F r ance free from all restriction as to future service ; b,it this being inadmissible, the bombardment recom n...nced at ten at night, and continued without inter mission until nine o'clock of the 2lth, when three %r:iite flags were discovered flyiag in the fortress, in c ., ns equence of which, our fire from the batteries im mediately ceased. It is with the most heartfelt satisfaction I have now the honour to report to your Lordship, for his Ma - - i est v's information, that, supported by the talents of :he General Officers, and in particular of Lieutenant Genera l Sir George Prevost, and of Major-General '.l, ;land, the experience and zeal of all the other Of and the valour and unremitting labour of this aory, s trengthened by the indefatigable exer ti ons o f R ur .Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane and the squa dron, the campaign, notwithstanding incessant rains, ! L is hcen brought to a glorious conclusion in the short , ; ,.ice of twenty-seven days from our departure from borbadoes.—The command of such an army will constitute the pride of my future life. To these brave tro ops, conducted by Generals of experience, and not t o inc, their king and country owe the sovereignty of important colony ; and I trust that by a compa rison of the force which defended it, and the time in ,which it has fallen, the present reduction of Martinique not be deemed eclipsed by any former expedition. I have the Honour to inclose the Articles of Ca pitulation, as originally produced by the French Commissioners, in consequence of General Villaret's Application to me for this Purpose, during the Fore roon of the 24th, and acceded to by Lieutenant- Central Sir George Prevost, Major• General Mait- Intl and Commodore Cockburn, appointed by the Rear-Admiral and myself to meet them. This Ca. it:dation, which was mutually ratified the same !light, will, I trust, be honoured with His Majesty's A .'prr,hation. I inclose also a Return of the French Garrison, rhich :t is supposed will be in a State to embark in the Course of a few Days ; from which it will ap pear that I did not over-rate the original Numbers of the E m y. By the ritTt Conveyance, I shall have the Honour to submit m yorr Lordship's Consideration the vari ous Detalls which are now referred to in general Tcrms, and to repr.rt the Merits of the several Corps; but :?.c. Scence of the Officers of the Royal Artillery has ben :on conspicuous not to be particularly noticcd, the Interior of the Enemy's Fortress being torn to pieces by Sells ; his Works have also been much injured by Shot him the Gun-Batteries, man ned Ly the Seamen under the. Direction of Commo dore Cockburn and other Naval Officers. After the Embarkation of the French Troops, I skill have the Honour to command the Eagles taken from the • Enerny to be laid at the King's feet. Captain Preedy of the 90th Regiment, one of my Aides-de-Camp, has the Honour to be the Bearer of this Dispatch : He is an Officer of Service, and I ;:,eg Leave to recommend him to His Majesty's Fa •rour, and to your Lordship's Protection. I annex the following Returns—Ordnance, Am• al.inition and Stores taken from the Enemy ; Provi !inns in the Fortress, with the Daily Issues ; the .King's Hospitals. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Gro. BEcKwyrn, Corn. Forces. - Here follow the Articles of Capitulation, of which the follow . rE is an ab,ti act :—The garrisons of Fort des Aix, Pigeon Island, lc:. are so be -ent in British vess, Is to Quiberon Bay,there to be ex cr.anged. General Villaret Joyeuse and hia Aides du-Camp are to tt sent to France without any restriction. The men and of f icers be allowed to carry off or dispose of their property. (Miters 1..'0e allowed to remain six months in Martinique if they desire ta stile their affairs. The laws, religion, and property, &c. of ttt Colonists, to be re-pected, subject to such modifications as the Govetzilitm may direct.] [The Gaette contains, besides, a great variety of Rec7rs, of which we can give little more than the :.!Cs, viz. List of men capable of being embarked, signed l'ona.—Total-2 General Officers, 12 Superior Of i.ers, 111 Officers, 1827 Petty Officers or soldiers, 42 Marines. Return of Ordnance and Stores found in Fort De- A u and its dependencies—consisting of brass and iron PT'S, mortars, howitzers, gun-carsizges, and ammu nition of various kinds. Return of Engineers Stores. A Return of the sick and wounded in his Majes '7's General Hospital at.Martinico, between the Ist znd 27111 February, including 14 French.—Total— ":.-ounds 380, fevers 172, fluxes 244, ulcers licasualiti.s 6, debility 4.—Total 815. Discharged cured.—Total—Gun-shot wounds 121, f `- .l `-rs 80,fluxes 112, ulcers 2, casualities 5 —Total 32(). Died.___Total—Gun-shot wounds 239, fevers BG, illes 129, ulcers 7, casuality 1, debility 4.—Total REMARKS. Eight men were received into the Hospital in a dying state r:cil mortal wounds. ° man of the West India Regiment died of a locked jaw, and died of gangrene, in consequence of wounds. fhe recoveries from operations have been very successful, the men in general are doing welL •tven Officers have been admitted into the Hospital of wounds, 1 " qwhom we:e mortally wounded, Major Maxwell, Bth re ' .:‘ and Capt....el Taylor, At ting Quarter Master General ; ' t has Leen dischari.d, Major Campbell the others are 'y I. (Signed) A. Ilax.Ect, Inspector of Hospitals. Aihtit.turv-otncz, APRIL it Captain Joseph Spear, of his Majesty's sloop the WoWrong ar rived at this Office, this morning With Dispatches from Rear. Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander Cochrane, K. B. Commander in Chief of his Majesty's ships and vessels at the Leeward Islands, addressed to the Hon. William Weßede? Pole, of Which the following are copies : Nepturt , .• Fort• Royal Bay, Martinique, Feb. C. 5, 1809. Sir —By a letter of the 18th, a duplicate of which accompanies this, together with one of the 4th, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty will have been informed, that it was intended to open a fire on the enemy from four batteries on the succeeding day, in addition to his own guns turned upon him from Fort Edward, which was accordingly done at half past four in the afternoon, the time appointed. The enemy at first returned the fire with spirit, but it gra dually slackened until the following morning, and then entirely ceased, except at long intervals, which made it evident he was beaten from his guns. While the batteries were kept constantly firing on the enemy from the Western side, Captains Bart( n and Nesham, of the York and Intrepid, with about 400 seamen and marines, continued to be employed in getting the heavy cannon, mortars, and howitzers, up to Mount Surirey from the Eastern side of the knt, which was a service of the utmost labour and difficulty, owing to the rains and deepness of the roads ; but notwithstanding which, a battery of four 24-pounders and four mortars was finished by the 22d, and the gulls mounted ready for service. On the following day several more guns were got up, and ready to be placed in an advanced battery, intended to consist of eight 24-pounders ; a similar battery was preparing to the Westward, and the whole would have been in a state to open on the ene my by the 26th, had not a flag of truce been sent from the fort on the 23d, with proposals for a surren der on the principle of being sent to France on parole; but Lieutenant-General Beckwith, the Commander of the Forces, and myself, not judging it proper to accede to such terms, the batteries which had before opened their fire, recommenced the attack at half. past eight o'clock in the evening, and continued it without intermission during the night. The next morning, a little past six o'clock, one of the Magazines in the fort blew up with a great explosion, and soon afterwards three flags of truce were hoisted by the enemy, and hostilities ceased on our part. A letter was then received from the Captain-Ge neral Villaret Joyeuse, requesting that commissioners might be appointed on both sides to settle the terms of capitulation, which was agreed to, and Lieutenant- General Sir George Prevost and Major-General Maitland were named by the commander of the forces, and Commodore Cockburn by me. These officers were met by the General of artillery Villaret, (the Captain-General's Brother,) and Colonels Montfort and Boyer, in a .cnt erected for the purpose between the advanced piquets on each side, when the terms were settled and ratified before midnight ; a copy of which I have the honour to incicse. This morning a detachment of troops took posses sion of' the Bouille redcubt, and the ravelincs and gateway of Fort Bourbon, on the land side ; and the garrison (a return of which, as well as the rest of the prisoners taken since the commencement of the siege, is inclosed) will be embarked in the course of eight days in transports, and his Majesty's ships Belle isle and Ulysses will proceed with them as a guard to Europe. I now beg leave to congratulate their Lordships on the happy termination of a siege, which was, by the uncommon exertions. of the army and navy, brought to a close within 28 days from the sailing of the Ex pedition from B.Lrbadoes. The fire kept up by the batteries was irresistible, the enemy was driven from his defences, his cannon dismount 4-1, and the whole of the interior of the work ploughed up by the shot and shells, within five days after the batteries opened. Never did more unanimity prevail between the two services than on the present occasion. One sen timent, one wish pervaded the whole ; and they looked with confidence to a speedy and glorious ter mination of their toils. I had on this service the happiness to act with Lieutenant:General Beckwith, an officer I have long been in the habits of intimacy with, from whose zeal I had every thing to expect, and which the recent events have so fully realized. He did me the honour to consult me on various occasions, and his commu nications and co-operation were friendly and cordial, which, on all conjunct expeditions is the surest pledge of success. I have already informed their Lordships, that I entrusted the whole of the naval arrangements on shore to Commodore Cockburn. His exertions have been unremitting, and his merit beyond my praise. He speaks in terms of high approbation of the able support and assistance he received from Captains Barton, N:bham, and Brenton, whom I had selected to act with him. To all these officers, and the Lieu tenants and other officers, petty officers, seamen and marines immediately under their commands, I feel truly obliged for performing the arduous duties im posed upon them. The seven-gun battery at Folville was entirely fought by seamen, from which the ene my suffered severely. , I have also the fullest reason to be thankful to the other officers and men of the squadron employed on the blockade and reduction of the island, fur their general activity and emulation. I subjoin a list of the several retinas and pontri which I have been 'able to collect; and send herewith. For any other inforthation I beg to refer their Lordships to Captain Bpear, of the Wolverene, an old and deserving Commander, whom I have en trusted with this dispatch. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) ALEX. COCHItANE. List of Men capable of being embarked. Total--14 Superior Oicers, 141 Officers, 1827 Subberns and Soldiers, 242 Seamen. (Signed) BOYER, Chef d'Etat Major-General. Return of Officers and Seamen killed and wounded whilst serv ing on Shore under the Orders of Commodore Cockburn, at the Reduction of Martinique. Nt. tune—None killed; t badly, 1 slightly wounded. Pornpee—Three killed ; 3 badly, 3 slightly wo , inded. Belleisle—None killed ; I badly, 3 slightly wounded. Arnaranthe—Three killed, 4 badly, 2 slightly wounded. Total—Six killed; 10 badly, 9 slightly wounded. (Signed) G. COCKBURN, Commodore. Names of Officers wounded. Amaranthe--Mr. Thomas Wickland, Boatswain; Mr. Thomp son, Gunner, slightly. Ponspee--Mr. James Scott, Master's-Mate, slightly ; Mr. Thomas Mills, Midshipman, slightly; Mr. John Edevean, Gunner, badly. Names of Men Killed. Pompee--Robert Rundle, Carpenter's crew ; Moses Butler, able ; Patrick Mackay, Landman. Amaranthe—John Kerr, Coxswain ; William Roberts, boy. (Signed) G. COCKBURN, Commodore. Martinique, February 25. List of the Squadron employed in the Reduction of Martinique. Ships of the Line—Neptune, Pornpee, Belleisle, York, Captain, and Intrepid. Frigates—Acasta, Penelope, Ethalion, Rolus, Circe, Ulysses, and Eurydice. Sloops, &c.—Coree, Wolverene, Cherub, Stcrk, Amaranthe, Haughty, Express, Swinger, Forrester, Recruit, Star, Eclair, and Frolic. (Signed) ALEX. COCHRANE. Neptune, Fort Royal Bay, Martinique, Feb. 2.6. CINERAL MENIORANOCNI. I have great satisfaction in announcing to the Squadron, the Surrender of the Fort Bourbon, which event was finally concluded, and the terms of Capitulation ratified, on Friday night ; and yesterday the British troops marched in, and took possession of the principal defences of that fortress ; by which the sovereignty of this important Island has been secured to Great Britain. When I reflect on the labour and difficulties the commodore, the several captains and officers, petty officers, seamen and marines, have encountered, and on the short time i s which this service has been a© complished, I am impressed with the highest sense of their perseverance and courage ; and I shall not fail to report the same to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. I have also viewed with admiration the bravery and discipline of the army ; but British troops led on by such officers as we have had the happiness of serv ing with in the reduction of this Island, are invinci ble ; and it is with no little pride I have witnessed the cordiality which has so uninterruptedly subsisted between the land and - sea forces, which, on all com bined expeditions, is the surest means of leading to success. I request that Commodore Cockburn and the se veral Captains will do me the honour to accept my warmest thanks for their exertions, also the other Officers and Petty Officers, Seamen, and Marines ; and that the Captains will communicate the same to the latter in a suitable manner. • (Signed) ALEX. COCHRANE. To the Commodore, the respective Captains, Commanders, &c. &c. ADMIRALTY OFFICE, APRIL 12, 1800. Copy of a Letter from Captain George McKinley, of his Majesty's ship Lively, to tke Hon. W. W. Pole, dated on board that ship, Vigo, the 29th of March, 1809. SIR—As I have thought it of importance that my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty should have the earliest intelligence of the Surrender of Vigo, I have dispatched Mr. T. Furber, senior Lieutenant of this ship, (in a vessel hired for the purpose), with a copy of my letter on that subject to the Hon. Vice- Admiral Berkeley. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) GEORGE NPKINLEY. Lively, Vigo, March 29, 1809. SIR—In consequence of a letter I received at Villa garcia from Captain Crawford, of the Venus, off Vigo, informing me that the loyal peasantry were in considerable force around the Castle and Town of Vigo, and that the presence of another frigate would very much contribute to the surrender of that fortress, I joined him on the evening of the 23d instant. The next morning I went to the head-quarters of Don Joao de Almada de Sauzia e Silva, who com manded the Patriots. At the instant, a summons was sent to the Governor of Vigo to surrender at discretion, which led to a negociation between him and the French, which continued till the 26th, when Don Pablo Murillo, commanding a regular force of fifteen hundred men, composed of retired sol diers in this province, arrived, and sent in a summons to surrender. In consequence of which, on the fol. lowing day, the proposals (No. 1.) were brought on board by Don Pablo Murillo. accompanied by three French officers. The answers to them (N 0.2.) were delivered at five P. M. by Captain Crawford, who concluded the capitulation which I have the ho nour to inclose ; and the whole of the garrison, con sisting of a Colonel, forty-five officers, and about thirteen or fourteen hundred men, were embarked the next morning. I should be wanting in every feeling of an officer, wer.?. I not to acknowledge the liberal attention and zealous services of Captain Crawford. It also becomes most gratifying that I am enabled to inform you of the spirit and determination of the Spaniards to expel from their country the invaders of all that is dear to a br.ve and loyal pe pie. No doubt of success could have arisen, had the enemy persisted in holding out, frOtti the able and twat* to:4ot of Don Pablo Murillo, and the good order:of Iris troops; the strongest proof of his zesll the jtist case of his King and Country, and the ardour of the p*asantry is beyond all description. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) GEORCIE IeKINLEY. The Hon. Vice-Admiral Be keleyi &e. &c. P. S.—l beg to inclose as coirect a statement cf the French face as time wauid allow me to procure. (Signed) GEORGE M`KINLEY. [No. I and 2 we omit, being only the rough draft of the terms finally agreed upon in the following] CAPITULATION Of the Totvn and Forts of \igo, occupied by the Dell& of the Regiments forming Part of the Second Corps of the French Army in Spain. 'Phis day, the 27th of March, 1 209, it sii o'clock in the even ing, we, Jaques Antoine Chikit, Chef d'Escadron, Governor and Commandant of the French Troops in the Town and Fort of Vigo, on one part, and James Coots Crawford; Esq,Ciptain of the British frigate the Venus, deputed by George M'Kinley, Esq. Commanding Officer before Vigo, and Don Pablo Murillo, Ctdo nel Commandant of the Spanish Troops before the Town s on the other, have concluded the Articles of Capitulation for the French Garrison in the 'I own and forts of Vigo, in the following Terms, viz. Artic'e 1. The Garrison shall march out of the. Town and Forts wi:h th it Ar.ns and Baggage, and with the Honours of War. Answer.—The Garrison of Vigo will be allowed to march out of the Forts, with the llonours of War, to the Glacis, where they will g r o und th e i r A r m s , and surrender th e m se l ves Prisoners of War, the o:scers keeping their Swords and their Wearing App. rel. Art. I . The Officer; and Men shall be embarked in English Vessels, and conveyed to the nearest French Port, on Parole, not to bear arms against Spain and her Al:ies until exchanged, or until Peace shall take place. Atisw•ar.—The Prisoners shall he cond':cted to an English Port. Art W. The Officers and Persons employed in the Military shall keep their Arms, and the whole of their Equipages; they shall rake with them their confidential Attendants and Servants. Answer.—Answered in the first Article. Art. IV. 'The Money belonging to the French Government' and destined for the Payment of the Troops of the Second Corps, shall remain in the hand; of the principal Paymaster, who is ac countable for it. The Paper. relating to the Accounts of the Rtgiinents shall be preserved. Answer.—Public Accounts shall be preserved. Art. V. The Troops shall not lay down their Arms till the moment of embarking, and then under the protection of the British ; that is to say, that each Division or Section shall success sively lay down their Arms when respecivelj` embarking. Answer,—Answered in the first Article. Art. VI. The Inhabitants of the Town of Vige.shall be respected. Answer.—Granted, according to the Laws of Spain. VII. The Two Hospitals, containing about Three Hundred Site:, shall be taken Care of by the Inhabitants of the Town, una der the British and Spanish Protection. Answer.—The Prisoners shall be treated as the Lem of Hu• itianity require. VIII. The Place and tke Forts shall only be delivered up at the moment of embarking, to a number of the blockading Troops, consisting of Three Officers and Fifty Subalterns and Soldiers. Answer.—Referred to the first and last Articles. IX. The present Capitulation will only take effect when rati fied on one part by Mons. Chalot, the Governor, and on the other illy the Commandants of the blockading Land and Sea Forcer, and guaranteed in all its Articles by the British Commanding Done at Vigo, the Day, Month, and Year as above mentioned. (Signed) CHALOT. J. COUTTS CRA.RPORD. PABLO MURILLO. Statement of the French Forces, &c. surrendered by Capitula. - tion at Vigu, 87th March, 1809, to his Majesty's Ships lively and Venus, and the Forces of his Catholic Majesty Ferdinand the Seventh. 46 Officers, 958 Infi•rior Officers and Privates fit for Duty, 300 Sick—Total 1304 men.-447 Horses, 6 Carriages, Covered Waggons, and Carts; Military Chest, containing 117,153 Francs in Fren-h Specie. The returns of the garrison, cannon field-pieces, muskets, ammunition, ordnance stores, &c. &c. not yet received, but the whole together, with the horses, carriages, and specie, have been delivered to Don Pedro Murillo, Commander in Chief of the forces of his Catholic Majesty Ferdinand the Seventh. (Signed) GEORGE AOKINLEY. ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, APRIL is, 1809. Copy of another Letter from Captain M'Kinley, of his Majesty's Ship Lively, to the Hon. W. W. Pole, dated March 29, ) 809. Sir—l have the honour to inform you, for the in formation of my Lords Commissioners of the Ad miralty, that, in the act of embarking the French garrison, advice was received of a French force ap proaching, when Don Pablo Murillo immediately marched, attacked, totally routed them, and made many prisoners, who informed me they were a. de_ tachment of 300 men from Fuy, for the relief of Vigo.—l have the honour to be, &c. ( S igned) GEORGE MtKINLEY. A Gottenburgh Mail arrived last night, by which we learn that the Emperor of Russia has given his sanction to a suspension of hostilities with Sweden, conditionally, until an answer is received from Paris, to the application made there also by Sweden. Yesterd • y a Ballot was held at the East India-house for the Election of six Directors in the room of JAcos BOSANQUET, JOSEPH COTTON, EDWARD PARRY, THO MAS REID, JOHN ROBERTS, ROBERT THOktNTON, Esqrs. who are to go out by rotation. At six o'clock the glasses were finally closed, and delivered to the scrutineers, who, at a late hour, *- dared the numbers to be as follows : sir FRANCIS BARING, Bart. Sir HUGH INGLIS, Bart JoaN MANSHIT, Esq. Sir THEOPHILUS METCALFE, Bart. GEORGE MILLETT, Es q . GEORGE WOODFORD Tart.LossoN, Fri 766 ROBEItT WILLIAMS, Esq. Whereupon the undQlmentioued Gentlemen were de clared duly elected, viz. Sirt FRANCIS. BARING, Ban. Sir HUGH INGLIs, Bart. JOHN KINSHIP, Esq. Sir THEOPHILUS METCALFE, Bart. GEORGE MILLET', Esq. ROBERT WILLIAMS, Esq.; PLYMOUTH DOCK, APRIL 11.—Arrived the Cuckooschooner with dispatches from Vice Admiral Sir J. T. Duckworth ; they contain nothing of importance. His squadron is hourly expected hcre. Also arrived the Betsey hired cutter from Ro.shefort : the Orestus, Captain Leponitiere, from Falmouth; and the Lord Eldon hired ship from the Straits. tailed the Triumph, of 74 guns, for Portsmouth. PLYMOUTH, APRIL t I .—Came in the Lord Eldon armed ship from Cork.— The M2r: schu , ner, Capt. Tl.omcs, from St. Mi chael's for London, spoke on the sth inst. the ship Eliza of Loa don, from the South Sea, last from St. Helei;a, then in lat. 51. 0. long. 10. 30. W. all well. PORTSMOUTH, APRIL 19.—A - rived his Majesty's ships Tri umph. front Plymouth ; Hope, Weymouth, abd Lioness, from the Downs; a galliot under Prus , ian colours, sent in by his Ma jesty's ship La Fische ; Jane, Sligh ; Austin, Hurter; Freedom. Sharp; Fame, White; linen Hall, —; and Tucker, --; and several other tranports from Lisbon.—The whole of the expedi tion have put back to Stoke's AP] Ger 17r.c Rey !lig )1 the pea the to Tc bui has ricti tnrn :T.cc ned dere sh:i 1 ,ron C Aid ;, 6 •iOlll fir): fj Lain criAt tt se :s be Is 'at It, o t ( [' Re! : I. '42 spit 16 ( A , L 1 I,c I ft.p. I 0 150 • - r iv,