Star. — London, England, 1807-11-23 00:00:00

JOURNAL OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE BRITISH ARMY AT BUENOS AYRES. (Coodoord frost the STAR of Saturday Wt.) NUMBER IX. Having thus endeavoured with all the junice and accuracy in my power to defcrlbe the operations of the different corps concerned in the unfortunate Rorm of the city, I shall now fubjoin a copy of the orders, and the difpolition of the attack, with the fabkance of which the public is already acquainted. This was received by officers commanding corps on the preceding day, and is the fame that was alluded to in a former part of this narrative. From this the Reader will be enabled to judge how far the views and intentions of the Commander in Chief could be learned or underßood by the troops employed in the affaoh. BY LIEUTENANY•OENFRAL WHITELOCKE, GENERAL ORDERS. " Head•quarters before Buena Ayres, Juty 4, 1807. " Sir S. Anebnsoty will detach the 311th Regiment to pOreft Weil' of the Plaza de Toros, and the adjacent ftrong grounds, and there poft itfelf. _ • " The 87th, sth, 36th, and Pith Regiments to be divided into wings, and each wing Is to penetrate into the Brat dircritlg in its front, a column of fedtions, right in front. • The Light Battalion to penetrate by wings into the then on the right of that leading up from Mr. White's More, and the next to it, followed by the 95th. The left divi6on is to receive its orders from Lieutenant Colonel Pack; the right from Brigadier General Craufurd. Two 3 pounders to follow thefe columns, one cock. d The 45th to advance in. wings, leg in front, up the two next Meets, beyond the. Light Battalion. ■ The Carahir.rers to move up, and Lover two 6:ponndirs, which will he advanced up the ftreer. from Mr. White's beige, and remain with them. The 9th Llglitliragoons to move to their left, and take up the prefent ground of the Light Battalion, where they will receive farther orders " Each °Seer, commanding divifions of the left wing, that is• from the 88th to the 87th, to take care that he dots not incline to the right of the right, or the right wing, that is, the Light Brl• pde, and the 45th Regiment to the left. is The cannonade in the centre to be the fignal to rods forward. and each diviSon to go, if pollble, right down the ftrcet before them, till ch. y arrive at the left fquare of bonfes. next to the Rio de Is Plata, of which they are to porters themfelves, and on the top of which they are to form—if they 6nd that they ("offer mate. 'tally by any interior defence, they are to lodge thcmfelves as far in advance as they can. "Two corporals, with tools, to ►e attached to the had of cub column. "Tbe whole to be unloaded, and cofic;lg to of pravitta, on any account. " V/Fen the drifnrfa it emir. the otcnoft exertion is to be tiled to cp the flies collected and formed. "The regiments may leave their p3cks in their prelent canton • merits, if they with it. "The cannonade to at fix o'clock." In obedience to the above orders, the troops ad. vaned with fo much confidence of fuccefs, that no order for a retreat was thought to be required ; but the oppofitiou and loft which the columns loon met wlith, was a proof that the enemy, though an undif ciplitied rabble, were prepared for the attack , with every advantage which the known firength of their fituation, and the expertnefs they had acquired in the conaant ufe of fire arms for the preceding ten months, afforded them over 'a regular army, unpre pared and unable to aft, under fuch unhappy circum iances. The Britifh troops who had been compelled to fur ren4er to the enemy, were led through the Rreets, amidft the triumphant aulamations of the Spanifh foldiery and inhabitants. The office*: were condufted to the citadel, and the foldicrs 2 including the greater part of the wounded, were diffributed into the dif ferent gaols and prifons throughout the city. Although the populace evinced every mark of contempt towards the Bridal Officers in their way to the citadel. yet they were received with every degree of politenefs which the trifling Rate of affairs would allow by Seignior BALDIANI, the fecond in com mand, and the other Spanifh officers then in the cita del; who, we have, heard, granted them the affn rance of their per fed fafety, whatever might be the ate of the conceit. In the alarm which prevailed throughout the whole town, and in the confufion in which it was ina ceffarily involved, little attention could be paid to the comfort, or to the convenience of the prifoners ; and every Teeming neglea of attention on the part of the enemy it this refpea we are obliged to attribute to the unavoidable calamities of. war. The officers were required to fign a parole in which they engaged themfelves not to ferve againa the King of Spain, or his allies, during the prefent war, until their arrival in England, or until after they had been regularly ex hanged. They were then confined to two large rooms in the citadel ; and the wounded officers Weft accommodated in an hofpital at a Sort &fiance, where their own furgeons were permitted to attend them, as well as the wounded foldiers, who had been s:Bated in the firms and brought into the citadel by the enetWr. The reft of the wounded Officers 2lld 'nen had been removed from where they had taller inro • the neared churches, and private honfes in different parts of the city, where they were treated with great humanity and attention by the priefts and friars, as well as by private families—a noble proof that true tatilhan virtue is Rill to be found. in a diftant colony of Spain, almofi independant of the mother country—and to a feeling heart affording that ineffable gratification which ever mitigates cala• mity, and foftens the rigours of relentlefs war. We Irma now return to the troops, which, on the morning of the 2d July, were left by General Wan-a tom at Reduction, under the Honourable Colonel Mallow ; they amounted to almoft zOOO men, and were compofed, as we have already mentioned, of the 96, 17114. detachments of the Both and sift Dragoons, and the 4oth Foot, with five pieces of cannon. Betides theft ate included many of the M diers of other regiments, who from ficknefs or excel . - five fatigue, had been eft behind as misfile to keep up with the army. Colonel Mamas having been di reaed by Lieut. General Won-mom to continue at this village until he fhould receive further orders, remained until the sth, the day of the 'fault of Buenos Ayres, during which period he anzioufly expelled orders to advance. The entry brought forward no troops to oppofe him, but his outpofts had been occafionally alarmed by parties of horfemen, who fucceeded in furprifing and murdering feveral of the advanced (entries, after a peculiar mode, which dexteroufly employed by the natives of South Ame rica, in catching cattle, and termed a la . fil, or noofe. Early in the morning of this day the firing of the cannon at Buenos Ayres was dißinely beard at Re dußion ; and Colonel Memos, apprehenfive that Ge neral Wm rst.ocica had been linable to tranfmit him the necelTary orders, from fame unforefeen obßaele, now refolved to march forward, and therefore drew out the troops for that purpofe. •• . , At the moment, however, of • hit faring for ward, the long mated order was brought to him by one of the native guides, who having been inter cepted by the enemy, his countrymen, narrowly efts. red with his life. The troops immediately moved on, and, taking the route to the bridge, arrived there after a tardy march, abort four in the afternoon ; here they halted for the eight, and pang the bridge in the morning, which they found entirely forfaken by the enemy, as well as feveral heavy cannon, they proceeded to El Miferere, near the head quarters of General Wntee Lock a. The ration and affairs both armies remained in the fame Rate as we have lately defcribed, antil the following day, viz. 6th July. Sir S. At/CHMurr having received intlruaions the preceding night, to that ail% Rill continued in poirealon of El Retire, without having received the long expe&ed orders to a& from the Lieutenant Ge neral. The enemy Hill remained on the defenfive, on the houfe tops, in the greets, and along their bat teries. in expe&ation of another attack from the &Wilt, who Rill amo'inted to nearly 6500 men, and were in poffeffion of two Rrong polls in the neigh bourhood, viz. El Retiro and Refidencia, the former of which commanded the citadel, and, in the eftima• tion of the Spaniards, tendered the fate of that, as well as the city, extremely doubtful. Tn the mean while, Rear Admiral MUltallt was not inaetive ; he had Rationed the men of war as near to the city as the depth of water would permit, and !hewed every difpofition to affill the general caufe, by making an offer to lands lirong body of feomen and marines to co.operate with the troops, which offer, I have been informed, the General did not think it neceffary to accept. The Admiral, how ever, ordered four of the gun boats to approach as near as poffible to the citadel in the morning, and open a fire upon that building. A fire accordingly commenced from the boats, which were under the direaion of a Lieutenant of the Navy. but not iefore the enemy had made repeated attempts to fink them, by the fire of feveral cannon, which the Spanifh Ge neral Lawisas, in perfon, dire&ed to be levelled at them, from the citadel, but without effea. The fire of the gun boats was admirably condueted, and pro.' duced conilderable elle& on that part of the citadel which was occupied by the Britilh Officers. No. thing could now exceed the alarm rf the Spann Ge neral. The feat of Government, as well as the principal edifices of the city, being threatened with immediate deßralion from one quarter, and fearful of being alfo momentarily expofed to the fire of the Plaza de Toros in another, as well as from Refi dencia, LINIIRI wifely raw the precarious Rate of the Spanifh power, and that no time was to be loft,. he therefore feized the prefent moment, and deman ded an immediate interview with Brigadier 'General CRAWFURD, the fenior Britifh Officer in confine ment. We are not fufficiently acquainted with all that palled at this interview ; the certain refult, how. ever, was, that a flag of truce was inßantly patched to the gun boats, which confequently de fated from firing. A meffage was alfo conveyed to Sir S. AUCN MUM at El Retiro, communicating the meafure that had been neceffarily adopted. (To be continued.) .Difpatches, in anfwer to thole brought by the Fiore flag of truce from France, were (hipped late on Friday night on board the fame (hip, and Rte failed for Calais at day light on Saturday morning. The Meffenger who brought the difpatehes from France remains in London. COLCHESTSR, Nortmant t.—On the 3oth *. died, fuddenly, at Chichefler, at the advanced age of 98 years and (even months, MAI v, raid of WILLIAM POOLE, of the Hooke, in the county of Surer, Efq. At the table of a much refpeOed friend, and fur rounded by thole whom fhe moR loved, fhe expired almoll in an inflant, and without a groan. The fol lowing lines, on occafinn of this event, are the pro duaion of We HAYLIIT : Nail ! and farewell ! dear venersbk friend! Whets lingtben'd days, without a finale, end. The placid Angel, who had bidt thy birth, Waded Mee almoit a tummy, on earth; And led thee thro' the Chelltian cares of lik, A tender Rep-dame, soda duteous wife Theo, at thy deftin'd Woo to depart, Joy'd (as the witnefs of fo pore a heart) Exempt from mortal sepia, to difmile Thy peaceful fpitit to eeleaklbEfe. SPECIAL yultlls. On Satorday, Mr. Sulam Num,: attended with the Freeholder's Book of the county of Mid dlefex. at the Office of .the Remenibrancer of the, Excheqner, and performed a branch of the Sheriff's duty, which it has been ufual to leave to the infe rior clerks of the Sheriff's office. Two Special Juries were to be Ilruck, and the Attornies in the caufes attended for the purp,fe. On the Remem brancer opening the Book to name the Special Jurymen, who, as is well known, are generally a repetition of the fame names, oven and over again, the Sheriff produced- the As of the 4th of George the Second, chap. 7. rec. ii. which forbids the re turning or fummoning of any perfon as a Juror, at Ny Prism, in Middlefix, who has ferved within two terms, under the penalty of 51. for every offence.— The Remembrances- very liberally admitted the force of the Sheriff's' argument, and agreed nut to name any perfon who had ferved within the time limited by the AS ; but as a lift was not then prepared for the perfons who had ferved within two terms, the Attornies agreed to defer the ilriking of thefe Juries till Monday, (this day). Indeed, it is very credi table to the Attorney for the Defendant, that he entered his formal proteft againft the nomination of a Jury, except with the limitations preleribed by the AR. For general information, we think it proper to infest the claufe itfelf " 4 Oeo II chap. 7. tee B.—Provided always, and be it en aZted by the authority 'foretold, that re perfon hall be returned to Strve as a Juror at any Selhons of Nib Prius, ip the county of Mid. Alerts, who his bun returned to terve as a Juror at any fuck Set ae° of Nlh Prius, in the laid county, in the two terms or vaca tions nest lonmediately preceding, under filek penally upon the Sheriff, Under•Sherif, Bailiff, or other Officer employed or con. cerncd in the fummoning or returning of Jurors in be hid county of Middlefez, as might have been 'nettled upon them, or any of . them, for any offence againft the hid recited claufc." Mr. Sheriff Peemit's, by enforcing this Mutsu/ claufe, and fecuring that degree of variety and con• fequent independence in Juries, which was the ob vious defign of the Legiflature, will effeEt a public benefit, which ha• fcarcely been exceeded, in prac- tical utility, by any meafure, fince the enailing of the Habeas Corpus Aft, or the Bill of Rights. Saturday afternoon, the Chairman and Sub Com mittee of the American Merchants had a meeting with the Prefident of the Board of Trade, when his Lordfhip (Barnum) communicated to them the determination of Minitters in regard toithe navigation of neutral Rags, under the prefent fyftem of blockade. Mr. &pleura, the Chairman, immediately after leaving the Treafury, convened a meeting of the Committee of American Merchants, and made the following Report on the fubjea of the recent Orders in Council : " London Tavern, November u. That American veffels cannot fail any initance diredt from the ports of the United States to any port of the enemy in Eu rope. American veffels may proceed from the ports of the United States to the ports of the colonies belonging tc the enemy, and di red back to the ports of the United States. The Order does not prohibit them from going aired from the ports of this kingdom to the colonial ports in the Welt India illands belonging to the enemy ; and it is not intended to prevent them from proceeding from this kingdom with colonial produce to the enemy's ports, whenever Parliament Mall have decided on the duties to he int poled on filch exportation. " American veffels may continue to trade from the ports of this kingdom to the ports of the enemy, and from the ports of the enemy to this kingdom, and from the ports of his Majefty's allies to the enemy's ports • but not from the enemy's ports to the ports of his Majc Ity's allindiredt, nor from America to the ports of his Majefty's allies, with colonial produce. " There is radon to believe that an Order of Council will. iffue, regulating the periods at which notice (hall be cosifidered to have been received of the Orders in Council, of the sith isiftant, in the United States of America, by which regulation, veffels that Man have cleared, or than clear, out from any port in America before the acth of January next, Dull be confidered to have clear ed out before notice of the order ; and veffels, which man clear out between the soth January and the soth of February, will be liable to be detained, fubjedt to the queftion, whether they had began to be laden before notice had arrived at the port from whence they failed. From the toth of February all American vet. felt will be confideted as having begun to lade after notice, and _will thereby be ftsbjedt to the provifiems of the aforefaid Orders. Certificates of origin will not be required to be delivered up, which may be on hosrd veffels which than have failed previous to the notice of this Order, at the port from whence they failed. " There Isidro realms to believe that so duty is intended to be laid en the re-exportation of any articles which arc the produce of the foil . of neutral nations, with the exception of cotton ; and that the trade between this country and the ports of the enemy's colo nies by neutrals, will be regulated by licence, and confined to the export of MLitt% manufadures, until the meeting of Parliament : and that the trade between this country by neutrals, with the co lonies of the enemy In the Welt ladies and South America, will be -placed on the fame footing. (Signed) " Joan Onar,Seeratary.' JOINT-STOCK COMPANtIIS.—We rejoice to fee that the Attorney General has turned his attention to a prallice highly injurious to the Commerce of the community, and big with ruin to the country. Can any thing be conceived more inimical to the induftry of every daft than a regular fyßem of gambling, by which the cupidity of individuals is tempted to hazard fmall fume in the hope of large returns—returns which can only be obtained by the ruin of thoufands By Inch a fyftem, large turns are drawn from their regular channels, and the argument of every indi• vidual is briefly this: '6 My advance will only be a tribe ; if I lofe the whole of it, I can bear it—but &Mild the febente anfwer, I (hall be amply re paid."..—Were the individuals, who fuhfcribe. the ,only perfons that coubd fuller by a failure, it would ,a ferious evil to the community.; but this is a trifle compared with the flow but certain ruin which the progrcfs of the undertaking, whether it fucceeds or not, brings on all thole individuals who are engaged in a fimilar line of bufinefs. II They cannot abandon their trade—Thec mull make ! efforts to keep their cuftomers from the net of the joint Rock company. They are tempted to fell at a lofs, in a hope of better times—find their families are ruined. Even if thefe wild fpeculations fhould prove a fource of profit to the projeaors, they fhould not be tolerated. Na benefit of this kind can corn parfaits the Inifehief done to the community.—See bur Law Report.) On Saturday a Spanifh tailor was brought to the Public Office, Bow-ftseet, charged with having ef aped from being a prifoner of war. Mr. GRAHAM ordered him to be taken to the Tranfport Board for them to difpofe of him. The Counting-houfe of the Powder-mills, belonging to Mr. butts, on Hounflow Heath, wati broke open oa Friday night. The thieves entered by a window, which they forced in, and broke open the writing defks, but fi nding aching there, they carried off threes ieces of Rabe linen, and a quantity of oacbihr cad. ~ t , LAW INTIILLIGEAT i. COURT OF FfN4'S BEN 211, NOV zt. The ATTOINIT GENERAL moved for a rule to (hew caufe why a criminal information Mould tr. , t be filed againft.Mr. Ralph . Dud, a Gentleman who, af t, having let on iciot a fchetne making a turn. pike road under the liver Thames, hai now become the founder of twoinfikutions publicly advertifed in the papers ; the oae - for conaittring a public diftil lery, the other for the manufatture of paper. Tilde inflitutions were contrary to an ACt. of Parliament. (the flat. 6 Geo. J. c. iB, f.. s 4) which, aler recitirg that feveral undertakings and practices had hecu publicly contrived, &c. fince the 24.1) day of j me, 1718, which manifeftly ten to the common gritv. ante of great numbers cf his Majelty's fubjetis in their trade or commerce and other affairs. At.d the petfons pretending the public good, lo open books for public ftibfcriptions, and draw in many unwary perfons to fubfcribe therein towards raifing•great fungi of,Knoney, whereupon the fubfct ibers pay finatt proportions, which amount in the whole to large turns, which dangerous projeets do relate to Mertes and other affairs, wherein the trade of many of the King's fubjeCts is concerned ; and whereas in many cafes fuch undertakers have prefumed to ad as if they were corporate bodies, and have pretended to make their 'hares transferable, and many other unwarran table praltices, too numerous to mention, have been and daily are contrived and let on foot to the ruin of many of the King's fubjefts. Enaits, that after the 24th of June, t 720, all undertakings as aforefaid,and all undertakings tending to the common grievance of his Majeftes fubjeas, or great numbers of them, in their trade, and all public fubfcriptinns, &c. and more particularly the ailing, or prefumiag to aft, as a corporate body, the relYing or pretendins to raffe tranf ferable ftock,lhall be void. And by the tp.h ration of the fame flature, all fuch undertakings are deemed public nuifances, and the undertakers therein are liable to punilhment, by fine upor. inditimerat, or in. formation, and all) to incur the penalties of a 're. munire, by Oat. 16, tic. 2. Mr. Dod, in defiance of this flatute, had advertifed a plan to iaife Tco,ocol. by 2000 transferable !bates of set. each, payable by iritlalments ; no payment to exceed ten per cent. and notice to be given at lead` twenty days. The general management to be vetted in directors. Several fums of money had been railed, and it appeared by an account given by Dod himfelf, there had been between fourteen and fifteen thoufand pounds paid in advance by perfons who had taken thares. This related to the ditlillery. In the adver tifement relating to the paper manufaftory, the in ducements held out to the public were fimilar, but the fum railed was to be larger, and the fuhfcribers were not to be liable beyond the amount of their fubfcrip tions. Lord aerie soanuort...". 4l Have there perfons, par ticularly the defendant named, only made there pro pofitions—or have they acted tinder them ?" ATTORNEir GIiNEILAL-•-" My Lord, they have, in a multiplicity of initances, aged under them : I can (hew, that, in one inflance, they have altually, in the hands of Smith and Co. backers, a fum not las than 15,0c0 or i6,000l." Lord ELLimaozouCH44 Have they ufed the fame principles, and abed upon them, in the paper mann fabory fpeculation ?" ATTORNEY GENERAL" They have, my Lord, precifely." Mr. A asorr, alfo for the profecution—li Yes, my Lord ; and in all the fpeculations they have fubmit ted to the public." ATTORNEY GENERAL-m. 46 This Mr. Dod, my Lord. is the perfon who called for fubfctiptions iu a like manner, fome time ago, for making a turnpike road under the Thames." Lord ELL I, N aoaouc m ... 4 Mr. Attorney, take put rule." LlIkL. Mr. Jollie was brought up to receive the judgment of the Court for a libel on certain perfons in the county of Carlifle. Affidavits were read in vnitiga tion, and the defendant. was ordered to be brought up again on Fziday next. RAPS. Faden, charged with a rape, was brought upp. by habeas corpus from the jail of Portrinouth ; ando in confederation of the peculiar circumilances of the cafe, from which it appeared that the pasfon making the charge againft him had the free exercife of her will at the time, was admitted to bail .in four lure ties§ to take his trial at the next Affixes for the county of Southampton. SINGULAR. A ccroser.— A few evenings fence, while the fervent., belonging to Hatchett' s h o t e l, Picea. dilly, were employed in their kitchen, they were fud denly alarmed by flames of fire burning forth from the bottom of the room ;—water was immediately thrown on it, and it was put out, as was luppofed ; but on bringing a light to the place from whence the fire was thlught to have proceeded, the Aerates fud denly burn forth again with double fury, and very much (cot died one of the dreffers. Freth water was irisniediitely got, and again thrown on it, when in a few minutes a molt dreadful explofion took place, which (hook the bogie fo much, that the waiters and perfois %Olio were running down flair, to alGft in putting ous the fire, were thrown down, as were fe veral perfons (landing in the coffee room. After the alarm bad fubfided, it was difcovered that the ceff. pool, which runs under the kitchen, had burn with the above explofion, at the fame time throwing up nearly a barrel of foil. The flames were canted by the foul air (in 'this cafe fulphurifed hydrogen) which. burning through a crack took fire by coming into contatt with the fire or with tome candle. The ca. pool had not been denoted for Come time pall, and the fmell was mon intolerable. FIRES.—On Thnrfday morning, the cotton fac tory belonging to Mr. Thornley, in Stockport, was difcovered to be on fire, which raged fo furioufly, that, though there was a plentiful fupply if wine?, the building, with the whole of the machii ery, %vs confumed. A few days (lace the weaving fatory, belonging to Mr. Scott, of Sherborne, was discovered to be on fire, and in a very short time the whole of the pre. mires were dettroyed, with" the valuable machinery and every thing elk which they contained. By the exertions of the inhabitants, and the favonttble di. ration of the wind, the devafiation extended no fax. that. )1,•• 1. r*. Dl,