Star. — London, England, 1809-08-28 00:00:00

MI ARMY ACAPCET THE URDU( Tp& COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAI. THE EARL OT CHATkLA24I; COMMCNICATLD BY AN OFFICER ATTACHED 70 THAT V:PEDITION : _ _ The fleet; having on board the troops employed in alts service, sailed from the Downs, Portsmouth, Bar &c. on the 28th and 29th July. The main body i-f the Army reached the island on the morning of the after a pleasant passage. On account of the F revalence of strong winds from the S. W. no land ing could be attempted till the afternoon of Sunday, the 30th, when the brigade under Brigadier-General . ?icton landed, and took possession of the fort of Dom burg, with scarce any opposition on the part of the enemy. It is unnecessary to mention the services of the officers and men who contri•outed to the success of this evening, as they are already before the public, nor of the gallantry and intrepidity of Lieutenant- Colonel Pack, of the 71st Regiment, who, with only !Or) men, pushed on, perhaps with more courage than l'oresight, from thence, with, hopes of surprising the ti.wo of Terveer, and was compelled to retire front ;he entrance of one of the gates of the town with rne. loss. After suffering a heavy bombardment, town was obliged to submit on the night of The ist of August, and the garrison made prisoners of :car. The fort of I'en Hank, mounting- five guns, w,is taken without opposi:ion. While the main part of tile army W.I; occupied in the 7 eduction of Terveer or ('am veer, as it is frequently- called) the di -.ooon of Tecer vi', under the orders of Lieutenant-Ge :otTal Sir. John Hope, and convoyed by :•:ir R. Keats, in the Salcette frigate, with the assistance of Dutch pilots, procured from the island of Schowen, were proceeding between that island and North Beveland, ,wards the mouth of the eastern Scheldt ; and the tioops being shifted into small transports and flat bottomed boats, were almost all disembarked on the Ist of August near Tergocs, in the island Of South Beveland, without the least opposition. As there .appeared to be no army to offer any opposition in this place, the whole island was immediately taken pos ; ::ession of, It is 1,6 miles long, and 8 broad, and contains 31 parishes; the country it rich and fertile. Some Dutch troops who had been stationed .7t Tergoes, and in the neighbourhood, fell into the hands of the British while they were there, scouring the country, and among them were two officers. Early on the second of August, the operations of the Grand Army at Walcheren under the Earl of Chatham were turn ed against Flushing, situated on the western side uf the island, and commanding the entrance into the Western Scheldt. The large and beautiful town of Middelburgh, built nearly in the centre of the being, perha:ls from its situation, from want of men, or other causes, thought incapable of defence, had al ready opened its gates to the British. The environs of Middelburgh were scarcely cleared from the ene my, who, sheltered by a close and woody country, dis pnted every foot of the ground and road leading to Ensiling, which is distant nearly four miles from Middelburgh. With !.oLie loss, the British obliged the enemy to retire under the cover of his own batte ries, closely following in their rear ; and here it must he said, that the ardour and impetuosity of cur army in the pursuit exposed them in a great degree to the fire of the enemy from woods and thick fences, and in a more serious degree when, having precipitately car ried the pursuit to the very walls of Flushing, they be came exposed to a heavy tire from the enemy's works, which proved destructive to them in their retreat. The position taken up by the British was at the dis-1 tance of a mile and a half from the enemy's ramparts. The right extended from about a mile beyond the village of West Sooburg on the south, to the distance cf half a mile beyond that village on the north, occa. pying an extent of about two miles. The advanced posts were greatly in front cf this position. The field operations were conducted by Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Come, who fixed his station at the village of West Sooburg. The loss sustained by the British in the course (lithe 23 and during part of the:3d August may be calculated it not less than 20() in killed and wounded, a great proportion of which mast have been occasioned by tire vhich was opened upon the advancing co lumn from the enemy's batteries, by which they were ron:pellcd to retire from a position which was cer untenAlc, w;thout the support of heavy ord nance, and altogether disadvantageous to them. The enemy still preserved a position in the front of their works, and collected in considerable numbers. Being sheltered by trees, buildings, &c. they lest no opportunity of harassing the British, either by attack inz their piquel.s, or making occasional sorties, but they were in almost every iiv,tance compelled to retreat under cover of the guns of Flushing, or other shelter. The strength of the place rendering it im possible to reduce it uithout the assistance of heavy prdnance, surrounded by broad and deep ditches, and every avenue flanked by cannon : orders -.vete at length issued for the construction of batteries : on the Ith and on the sth several pieces of battering calmon of a large calibre were brought up from Ter %%xr fcr the purpose of bombardment ; but from some unaccountable cause, it appeared that the ammuni tion had been left behind. A% soon as the Dritish manifested a determination Hof erecting bitteries in front of their lines, the enemy redoubled their att.r.upts to harass and molest the working partie.;, and the guar,is ;rid pickets sent out to cover the Arti!lc,:rs, and f . enru,' parties em p?oyed in their constrin:7 ion. A Mc was directed upon them from the ani;zrts, as well as from heir parties, lying m tiw , r tl,,nt ; and one or more batteries were begun to be troxi. , ii up in the face of those of the British, While in the mean time the prog.-ess cf our work was hat little interrupted, anti a line of batteries svie alreatty in some degree of for wardness, and were ex peued to open with great effect on the town in the einirse of only a few days. The enemy h,..<1 made ri•peated attempts to annoy us in the erecting of imt-antes, but their most formi- . dahle attempt W:/1 ni;:de in the evening. of the 7th August, when a body of them, supposed to amount to about 1:00 ra:tde a sortie :I , ,zainst the right of ourlire, eectipled 'by lit igadier-Gt.ner.d Graham's w consistinz ?i the "),0):11s, th e 50 1, and ;:Rh itt ii inents ; but trioir at . xcl: was sustained with i•eat it • rane ss' a t ui steawricss Ly ourttut ; And 711E - SCHEL. • JOUPJ F 1 - 0 E orERATIOXS.OF ARM :sTAND of WAL.CHERILN, &C,. 1 , - Roirals, and the flank . and fi ve battalion ;companies oil the sth, They were driven at the point of the bayonet with great loss, ism the pretincts of the fort. • Many . prisoners were made on this occasion, an it was ob served that the greater part of them were found to be intoxicated. The loss of the British in repelling this onset may be computed at little less than ISO M killed and wounded, among whom were several Officers. 'A report was in general circulation at this time, and credited, that the supposed object of this sortie was to plunder the town of Middelburgh, an attempt which was certainly as hopeless as it was hazardous. 1 The intelligence that an English army intended to make a descent on Walcheren had been communica ted to General Mom*, the French Commandant on the island, who lost no opportunity of procuring re inforcements of troops. Several thousand men, who were on their route from the banks of the Rhine to I join the army under the command of Bonaparte, , i were ordered to march for the purpose of reinforcing I that under General Monnet ; and a considerable number of men had been tkrown into Flushing front the fort of Bresicens, on the island . of Cadsand, imme diately .opliosite. On the evening of the liith, the etremy sOceeded in throwing in 900 men from the same place, in defiance of our fleet, which was so si tuated as to he unable to prevent it. On the Bth, 9tl;, and loth the enemy continued to molest the artificers in the construction of the bat tteries, which, however, went on with great forward ness, though they were not so soon completed as was expected. The picquets, advanced parties, Ste. were continually harassed by the enemy without our troops being able to dislodge them from their cover. In the afternoon of the II th ten sail of frigates passed mood the western end of the •island at a short (distance from the batteries of Flushing, for the pur . nose of entering the mouth of the Western Stheldt. But it must he mentioned, that previously to this movement of the ships of war, the fiat of Ramakins, commanding the Southern point of the island, and a great check on the shipping passing from Camveer between Walcheren and the island of South Beveland, had surrendered after an obstinate resistance. The passage of the frigates was warmly disputed by the enemy, but owing to the spirited fire of these ships, they succceeded in effecting the attempt with a very trifling loss, although every thing; was done on the part of the enemy to hinder it. Thus the efforts of the French to convey reinforcements into flushing were by this movement rendered abortive. In the mean time every preparation was taking for the approaching bombardment, and the enemy sheav ing an obstinate and determined spirit of resistance, the British General ordered eery engine at hand to be employed in the reduction of the fortress, for the purpose of bringing the operations to as speedy a determination as possible. In addition to shot and shells, a great quantity of Mr. Con greve's rockets were brought up. It appears that about this time the inhabitants of F: .thing had urged M. 'Monet, the Commandant, to permit the women and children to go out of the town before the opening of the English batteries, which was now hourly ex pected, which proposal was refused, althou g h it was said to be sanctioned by the British General. It: the afternoon of the 13th August, all the cannon and mortar batteries having been completed, mount ing nearly 60 heavy pieces of both descriptions, the enemy's fire was answered from our advanced bat tery on the right, while at the same time a fire of rockets was directed from the left. It was not long after the commencement of this fire, when a part of the town was distinctly seen to be in fi.imes. The fire of the enemy was principally turned upon the advanced battery, which seemed to gall them very much with its fire. The fire continued the most of ; the night from our batteries. In the morning of the 14th, eight line of battle ships approached the town, and opened a very heavy cannonade on it. The enemy answered the fire for some time, but the batteries were at length silenced . on that side. On this occasion Sir IC Strachan's ship (Tot aground, and sustained the tire of one of the sea-1 h ' batteries for two hours. In the course cf this after-I noon, it appears that the enemy sent out proposals! for delivering up the town on certain conditions, which not being acceded to, at half past nine this evening the mortar batteries opened with :t tremendous tire,. which was continued without intermission till half past three 0-. e following morning. At midnight a stormi;ig party, consisting of 150 men, from the 36th, 71st, and German riflemen, the whole under Lieu tenant-Colonel Pack, of the 71st regiment, advanced under the cover of the night, and, without firing a shot, surprised.one of the enemy's advanced batteries, mounting two pieces of cannon. About thirty of the enemy were made prisoners on this occasion—the rest, who retreated, galled our people greatly with their fire as they fell back upan their own works. Lieu. tenant-Colonel Pack having spiked the guns, thought it advisable to abandon the post. In this spirited at tack Lieutenant Ingram, of the 71st, was killed, and four officers wounded, among whom was Major Mackenzie, of the I:6th regiment, an old and expe rienced officer.' The cessation of fire from the British batteries early in the morning of the 15th, was in consequence of a flag of truce having been sent out from Flushing, offering an unconditional surrender of the fort and town. Previously to this, however, it appears that the enemy had attempted to inundate the island, by opening the sluices at Flush:ng, with a view to de stroy our works, and diskdge the army from their position before the town. In this attempt, however, they were not successful farther than in damaging the fields, which were irrigated to such a depth and ex tent in consequence, as to he iticapabL7 of cultivation far i long period. this, the ditches of Flushing were so much ,-, v!rflowed as to render all ( communication `i•twecn the enemy and their advanc ed works almost impracticable. Thus fell the important fortress of Flushing, after `holding out for a period of 14 days inst an army of 110,000 men. We shall at present decline offering any oiaservations on the manner in v.hich the operations were conducted in the reduction ef the place, but shall 'simply express our regret that the object could not have been obtained in a shorter period, particularly as rho great length of time occupie4in the siege afforded the enemy a good opportunity of removing their fleet, which had been stationed at Flushing, to a great dis tance up the river Scheldt, which will prevent, =least for a tinie, every chance of their falling into our p-s -session, ---cmrszyrassiwriwireriortriniiiig *ere fiferfii: see** of by the British Guar& ; and on the 17th the piece was garrisoned by our troops. In the morning of the 18th the Frenkh garrison marched out priso ners of war, and embarked at Terveer, on board ships of war. Generals Monnet and Oiten embarked at Terveer on the 20th, for England. The former is reckoned by the inhabitants of - Flushing as an austere, and op pressive officer. The character of Osten is that of a mild, honourable and good Officer. General Grosvenor's division embarked at Rama kens on the lgth, to proceed up the Western Scheldt. Sir Richard Strachan had proceeded up that branch of the Scheldt with six sail of the line. The enemy had, it was said, drawn up their fleet above Antwerp, which a high spring tide that happened daring the operations against Flushing had greatly facilitated. " MIDDIME URC , AUG. go. Intelligence has been just received from the vi. cir.ity of Lillo, stating, that the flotilla under the command of Sir Home Popham had been attacked by nearly one hundred French gun-boats and brigs, and that the result was, as usual, decidedly in favour of our navy, although possessing scarcely half the strength of the enemy. " Our vessels have taken three of the French brigs and sunk one, the others sought safety in flight.— , They have gone up above Lillo, near to where the French fleet lie. This was the boasted flotilla which was, in conjunction with the fort of Lillo, to have given protection to the French fleet. The number of that fleet is now accurately ascertained—they amount to nine sail of the line and four frigates,: Before they can be approached, the immense chain and boom which is across the river must be broken, and the fort of Lillo must be passed. The chain is, I understand, considerably larger and more difficult to be broken, than that which crossedllasque roads. The attempt to break is was to have been made, and probably has before now, by the Courageur, Capt. Plampin. The distance between Lillo and Fort de Lief kenshoch is not half a mile, but these b4tteries are not strong. • I am told by persons of intelligence on whom I cen rely, that the French ships may pass Antwerp, and go up too high to be followed by our fleet, if their masts and guns be titken out. It is still resolved to attack Antwerp. It is stated that Bona parte has collected a strong force. While our army and navy were occupied before Flushing, and Sir John Hope waited the result in Feveland, Bona parte's agents were actively engaged in providing this force—amcing those agents was King Louis himself. He was at Antwerp and Lillo on Sunday last, to review the troops and the fortifications. The I royal salutes upon his arrival at each of these places were heard by our vessels. I " some deserters have since come over to us, who saw his Majesty, and who describe him as very eager I to forward the preparations for resistance of our at tack. The report of these deserters, however, as to the stature of the French force, is very encouraging. But who ever heard any report of a contrary nature , from a deserter ? Among these deserters are some Hanoverians, who state, that the whole force assem bled in the vicinity of Antwerp does net c::ceed 15,000 men—that they consist of persons of different nations, who were prisoners of war in France, and who were forced by ill treatment (to escace starva tion indeed) to enter into the French service. This may be true, but I remember that we had a similar story about the garrison of Flushing ; and it was ex traordinary with what eagerness these ill-treated pri soners fought for the power which so forced them into service. " The garri'on of Flushing consisted of nearly 9000 men, not one-third of whom were French, and yet how few of them deserted to us,scarcely any indeed hut Our own countrymen, who are, for the most part, subject to- the suspicion of having before deserted from our own army or navy. They state generally, that they were taken prisoners at Copenhagen, or Spain, or elsewhere, and forced out of prison to tight against their country. But the evidence of the. sus picion I have mentioned appears from their having been sent with the French prisoners to England. " General Nlonnet and suite, t )gether with 30 or 40 prisoners of war, who have been caught in diffo... rent hiding places throughout the island since the surrender of Flushing, embarked this day for Eng land—fivo boats were filled with the baggage of Mo net's mite. Monet is not considered as a man of ability—he is a mere soldier, devotecl . to Napoleon but he endeavours to write. I haye . seen some pa.. pers he addressed to the inhabitants of Flushing in the course of the siege, . and they are perfect rhodo montade, remarkable-for vapour and inanity. Gene ral Lusten,whO was second in command, is a clever man. These Generals do not disguise the fact, that they had no hope of holding out long at Flushing, ! after their - communication with Cadsand was inter cepted ; but that they were enjoined to resist as long ; as possible, in order that the English army should be so detained that time might be afforded for the col- ,! lection of a force at Antrea. If, however, the communication with CadsandThad not been cut off, they were not without hopes of receiving a mallicient 1 force to qualify them for making a general attack upon our army. The reinforcement they did receive from Cadsand was about 4000 men. It therefore now appears quite evident that the Marquis of Hunt ley was not only justifiable in declining to disembark ; at Cadsand, but that he would have been extremely culpable had hQ attempted to risk his force under the circumstances in which he was placed. On all hands, it is confessed, that Commodore Owen could not fur nish boats to land more than 700 men at a time, while, from the nature of the weather, it was impos sible for then , to take more than one trip in a tide. What then, with such a force on .Cadsand, was to be come of 700 men before they could be reinforced ? But the fact is, that the enemy had a force at Cad. sand considerably outnumbering the whole division under the command of Lord Huntley. It is there fore peculiarly fortunate, that what was so much re gretted some days ago did happen to take place, and in consequence, the conduct of a gallant Officer, which was for some dayS the subject of much ani madversion, stands now perfectly vindicated. " But Many persons very naturally ask, why was not the communication of the enemy with Cad sand sooner prevented by the interposition of our liavy ? Had the frigates, u hose gallantry I men tioned in a former letter, made a similar da h at the outset of the siege, the communication "nd to might have been stoppekl at owe. Th i ever, is not to be deplored, as the comr served only to augment the number of 44 Lord Chatham sets off to-morn Beveland. The transport;, &c. our troops up the Scheldt are lying Some of the troops are embarked. G, nor's-division embarked at Rammiken, South Beveland. The 2Cth, 28th, 351 giments, remain in this island. 44 There is reason to suspect that a French soldiers are concealed at throughout the island; they are said to veral hundreds--some are discovered An order has been issued at Fluthin ! all men who bore arms, accompaniec that, if they do not surrender within a they will be treated as spies. " I am engaged in making inquiry : of this island as a conquest to England a commercial, and a political point 01 maticn upon these points must be de. lishmen, now that it is determined to rei This determination is manifest. Col the engineers, has already received every necessary measure for imp rovin tions of Flushing." TERI'EF.I2 " A report has been in circulation h our Vessels have passed Lillo ; but, among those who arc competent to find that this report is credited. It is probable that that description of our which such a passage would be attempt reached Lillo in time for the event all, " All our force destined for the opi Scheldt have embarked. The regim main here are the 23d, 36th, 7, 81st, and 63d. It was supposed that remain would have been General Gral having suffered so much during the siel it was naturally supposed that this opi lief would have been afforded them ) bi pear that the valour this corps displa7 recommended them fur selection as to other consideration. " Lord Chatham and suite proci South Beveland, where the head-quanc established. ,‘ The troops murmured much befi ture, in consequence elthe loss sustain of our currency, which I have before you. •The. soldiers have received thei at 4s. 6.1. each, that is at two guilder! these dollars are current at .nly slivers. , 4 We have now a repnrt here that of the ground near Fort Lillo is so col will be totally impossible for our arm: on the land side. It might have beet John Hope on his fist descent in Be‘ had no orders. This circumstance vet. the plan of opc.•rations, as it is feared impossible to get naar•enough the Ft to destroy, much less to bring them GER'N4I.N PAPERS. AMSTERDAM, AUGUSI: B.—Troops from the Litt:l;n: of France, as well as from the neighbourinF depart• mores, are marchingshithdt , by thousands. the roads from Paris to Antwerp swarm with soldiers. at if the same in this country. The troops which were at the Helder will be removed by waggons to Bergen. op-Zoom, and those which were in the different camps are on their 917trch to Brabant. The regiment, in Germany Tire also to return. The sluices at Berger: op. Zoom have been opened. A Royal Decree orders, that the armed burghers of the capital shall be formed into three regiments of four battalions each ; each company will be 154 strong ; volunteers from these tenors :ire to form a Corps d'Elit6, out of whiCh will he selected a carat corps. These troopsttet; only to be employed tor the defence of the capital. . Another decree-regulates the organization of the armed burgher corps of Haerlem, Leyden, the Hague, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Hertzagenbusch, Breda, Ber gen-op-Zoom, Hembergen, Williamstadt, Ste. General Count Rampen commands the French arrhv assmibling at Brugge. The division of Gene. rd hemharlhae, which is 12,000 strong, has already proceeded thither. General Charbonnier is every mu. meat expected with considerable reinforcements. Lieutenont-General Tarayre has joined the French army with 6000 Dutch troops, part of which are the Royal Guards, and forms the right wing. Tiie,e troops burn with zeal to measure swords witb t!:e enemy. t i are to take o goov;rtu 'i ro ojeldr s d nc ., ° . . f t3 s a O g lth, , -17 , 1 e. O a I rsvn t i v v , .. tot z • At7r;th ri • toy here t o .d av, z i ou r i t t ie t ei )• e • t : prisoks. t flushi ng 3:1 .1 to amount to ae• certc.in;,,:ri c j i retain the ii~,t • ti Lone! oiders • td;,. Lt, upon incui,:r judg e , i ;: • naval force, b y pted, could lluded to. perations np e c s ments which 77th, 71st, gi•:, l , lat the troops to raham's ege of Flushing ; pportunity of re. but it would ap. aped, so str ingly u overcome every Morec d alters ft :ra:Gre c h r e do s teesP state a ahin er n ire mentioned to r ein s i: l Pd 4 llhY st y i i v nt 61" d two guilders 97 at the inundation :ompleat, that it my to waproach it taken taen by Beveland, but he ory much affects d that it will be French fleet even off." s from the intet;:: rhbourinF depart. sands. '1 he roads h soldiers. it is ps which were at . grins to Bergen. he different camps The regiments in sluices at Berger: armed burghers ) three regiments ipar.y will be 154 are to form a winced a cavall employed tor the ;anization of the :yden, the Hague, usch, Breda, 13er- Inds the French iivision of Gene. rerncr_ll,tc nlrradv ANOTHER LETTER, SAME DATE. The French .Admiral Missiessy has manoeuvred is a most able manner. Though he was under the te. cessity of throwing his heavy cannon overboard, in order to pass some difficult parts of the Scheldt, ho ; has taken a tine position with his squadron, opposite to Lillo, and has sailed up the Scheldt twelve miles in presence of the enemy. j The King has learned with great satisfaction, el: j the heretofore General Bruce, who has been callel ' before a Council of War, is a foreiqner he being 3 Scotchman, and no Dutchman born. Lieutenant-General Brune, Master of the Horse to ;,,the King, is appointed Governor of Breda. General • Tarayre, whO has been reinforced, has taken a p 9.- ; . tton between the villa,ve of Platen and 117rgen.op• Zoom, and unites with ) the French army, being hip right wing. The flotilla, which advances before thr line of the fleet, l:tcly bombarded Bnthz for the whol(. • day. Fresh troops arrive daily at Antwerp. Alk-n't 5000 of the Imperial Guard are every moment ex. pected. The addresses of the Rabbis have not been fruitless; some detachments of Jews have alreafly arrived a . . the Hagne. They attract much observation. A num bet. of these Jews have requested the blessings of Rabbis before their departure. ANOTHER I.T.TrER, SAME DATE. It is difficult to form a judgment respecting ti;: - future plan of the enemy. A part of their force is on the islands of -Walcheren, Schowen, and South Beveland. It is said that they have five divisions of sea and land forces, .one of which, on the Ch ani sth, was proceeding to a more no rtherly dcstinatioß. There has been fighting before Bergen-op-Zoom, anJ on tile sides of li , iyskens, also on both sides of til? Scheldt. The English have addressed a proclani3. ;ion w the people of Antwerp.