Star. — London, England, 1808-01-28 00:00:00

the report to the main body (an efcort being necef fary, from the uncommon vigilance and a&ivity of the enemy), and therefore the tranfmiffion of the report would have occupied &knoll as much time as the advance of the main body would have taken ; at the fame time making allowa•ce for the longer period required by a larger body to march a given dillaece. THITD DAY. Gazers! G ow at' s examinat Q Were tau ever informed that the Etyth Regi ment would not join you ? A. I never received any information on that fubjed fubfequent to the delivery of the order by Lieutenant Colonel Burke. Q Having been informed by Colonel Burke that General Whitelocke was to fuppert you with his whole army, when and where did you receive infor mation that he wa. not following your line of march, and could not fupport you ? A. I did not receive any information that General Whitelocke was not following my line of march ; but when I croffed the Chuello with my divifion, I could, with a fprglafs, dillinguith the principal divifion of the army on the heights at a very cnnfiderable distance, and Co great that I was convinced there did not remain fufficient daylight to enable them to join my divifion. Q Had you any knowledge whether there was or was not a referve formed independent of the divilions under you and General Whitelocke ? A. I had no knowledge on that fohjeCt whatever. Q. What was the general face of the country through which you marched, was it open, inclofed, woody, or m ,untainous ? A. From the pofition t I took upon the night of the t It, it was perfectly open, v.ithout even a hedge of any fpecies. The ground ' had a very gentle accent from the Chuello to the village of ReduCtion—thefe heights appeared to ex tend in a direCtion nearly parallel to the courfe of the Chuello. During that part of the march we hid to croft a very confiderable number of boggy places, which rendered the paffage of carriages difficult.— croffed the Chuello, the first two miles, or thereabouts of the march, was through meadows.l &ant of them were wet, but firm. We then afcended I Come heights, and hum thence to the Coral the coun try was particularly hong enclofed with thick banks and very clote hedges. Q . ._ What was the dillance from the Chuello to the Coral of Miferari ? A. I do not know by admea furement—it occupied me three hours to march it, and I thonld think it between fix and feven mile,. Can you tell about what diflance it is from the bridge over the Chu:llo to the Chico paG ? A. 1 cannot. Q Can you tell how many days provifion yrur diviiron had when you commenced your march from Enfenada to the fuburbs of Buenos Ayres ? A. We had three days beef and bread, and one day's fpirits when we landed. Q Did you receive any fupplies of prnvifions from the main body, or from the fleet, during your march from Enfetiada to Buenos Ayres ? A. None, except a very fmall quantity of fpirits, which a fuhaltern officer, of the 36ih regimen►, brought up for the use of his own corps ; the other regiments received none. Q .. Did you obtain any fupply of provilions from the country during your march ? A. On the zBth none ; on the z9th and 3oth, two peonies, (peafants , of the country) who were in the fervice of Geu. Lum ley, caught low:- few bullocks. On the 111 the men had nothing till I came to my ration at night ; haw. ing afterwards captured tome fheep, they were deli acre(' to the troops. In driving the enemy from Re dodiun, I gat a ft:nail quantity of bread, but fo fmall as hardly to be worth dividing On the zd I had no provifions : the tefillt of my fuccefs on that night was the capture of tome bollocks in the Coral, and of about as much bread as would ferve two divilions of the army two days, as was reported to me to be the amount ; but it came into my poffeffion fo late in the night, that none of it could be ferved till the morning of the 33. Q . , Had you any information of the main body r f the ipanifb army on the ad ? A. I have already Mated that I taw large budies of infantry on the op ~,(ite hank of the Chuello ; whether they compofed I,le main body of the Spann army or not, I do not inow, having had no other infoimatien on the fubjcd. When General Whitelocke came up to the main body on the 3d, did you receive any informa tion from him refpeding the reserve? A. He or• dered me to form the army in line, and then I dif covetA that the 4oth Regiment, and tyth Light Dragoons, of Colonel Mahon's brigade, were abfent. Q z _ Was you informed by General Whitelrcke svliefe thole tegiment. were gone? A. Subfequently at his own quarters he informed me that he had left them in the village of Redudion, but for what pur pole I never clearly undo-flood. Q z _ . What did Colonel Mahon's brigade eonfill of betides the ryth Light Dragoons, and the 4oth Toot? A. I really am not fore whether the four dif• mounted troops of Carabineers were with him or not —it is right that I fitould add that this was the ar rangement the lafi time I had communication with the main divilion. _ Q .:. WAS any communication opened with that reserve under Colonel Mahon between your juiltlion with the main body on the 3d, and the period of the attack ? A. None that I ever heard of. Q._ What inforsnation relpeaing the enemy's force and other arrangements did you obtain from the prifoners taken on the ad ? A. I obtained myfelf very little—l was ',relent at very few of their exa minations. The outline of the information I got, was, that at mid dap of the ad the whole of the enemy's attention and force was dire:led to the fea line of Buenos Ayres, nr rather the line of the Plata —that about that time it was reported they intended moving their guns, and drawing the principal part' of their force towards the cer.tre of the town, to de fend their Greets by moveable cnl.•amns• . _ () By whom were the prifoners examined ? A. They were examined at General Whitclocke's quar ters. I believe generally by himfelf. (.Was ... there any examination of the prifoners prtitous to General Whitelocke's arrival with the main body ? A. No regular examination by myfell. I (poke to feveral, but their infermatien fecund In little litisfadory, from their own Qatement, that the enemy were in the at of adoptingnew meafures when they marched, that I did not give myfelf much trouble. Q, State whether any and what omens werel taken between the jundit n of the main ho3y on the 3d, and the attack on the sth, in order to fecnre the I (*occurs of the fubfequent operations of the army againtt the town ? A. The queltion is fo general it is utterly impoffible for me to anfwer it. I can know nothing but that which pallid in my own mind. tZ What meafures were taken by the General to your knowledge ? A. General Whitelocke ordered that all officers commanding brigades and regiments timid attend at his quarters on the morning of the 4th ; when there, the orders were delivered to them, which were to be put in execution on the next morn ing, and they were direlted togain every information they could of the particular portion of the town which would fall to their fh ire in the firft inUance during the attack. All the tools which .could be c )Ileeted, and applicable to forcing the doors were direlted to be fearched for. The detail of that attack was pub. tithed in General Whitelocke's letters, and I cannot fufficienily recolleet the minute part of it to venture to detail it from memory. Q .:. Was the plan of that attack communicated by General Whitelocke to any one, to your knowledge, previous to this meeting on the 4th ? A, Certainly, it was to myfelf, and I have reafon to believe, to feveral others. On what day ? was it the 3d or 4th ? A. On the evening of the 3d to me, but generally on the morning ct the 4th. Q .. Did not the command of the army devolve on you, had any thing happened to GeneralWhiteloeke? Certainly, according to the cußom of the fervice, bu t not in confequence of any dormant commitlion, or any provilion for that purpore. Q z _Had you foch confidential communication with General Whitelocke of the intentions of Government in fending out this expedition, and of GeneralWhite locke's plans and operations, as to have enabled you to carry them into execution ? A. General White• locke was pleafed to thew me the inftruefions under which be was to aft at an catty period of the voyage —they were voluminous, and I have a very indif. tin& recolleklion of the matters they contained.. I have plready Rated, that I have never heard of any thong like a plan of operations in the River Plata. Q,Were you ever formally appointed fecond in command, or have yon a letter of fervice to that effect ? A. I had no other letter of fervice than that of Major General on the Staff : on my arrival with General Whirelocke at Munte Video, in notifying to the troops his appointment as Commander in Chief, he defcribed me as Major General, and fecond in command. In the latter part of the fervice I commanded a Brigade. [Here the infiruetionis of the 4th of July were read,] Q z _Can yon Rate to the Court why the attack was not made on the 4th ? A. Not correetly. Q. Did you receive any, and what information from General Whitelocke on that point ? A. On the 4th, when the ()triers were given our, it appeared to be the general with of the Officers who corn manded divitions to have the remainder of that day to reconnoitre their pointb. and then it was I believe, that General Whitelocke fixed the fubfequent morn ing far the attack. I have already Rated that he in formed me that he would fummon the town a fecond time before he attacked it. He did fo on the morning of the 4th. Q . _ Having Rated that General Whilelocke joined you at two o'clock on the 3d ; can you tell why the town was not fummoned that fame evening ? A. I cannot. _ . [We believe General Gower's examination on the part of the profecution ended here.] The Court was cleared in order to del;berate as to the manner in which the witnefs was to be crofs examined, and the Members remained in deliberation i for half an hour. On our re admiffion General Gower's c,ofs examination began. Zuefiienr by General WH IT ELPC RH. 0., Did the information you received, or your own knowledge of the difpufitions of the inhabitants, induce you to think it was unfafe to leave any (mall detachment at Colonic A. Colonia was neatly deferted ; its inhabitants were therefore of no mo ; the information I had alluded to confiderable bodies of armed men, which had appeared in the neighbourhood. O What were the difpofitions of the inhabitants towards us ; and was any readinefs 'hewn to afford us either affillance or informatioß even fn the moll private way ? A. More implacably hottile than I did conceive it poffible, until I faw it ; except one fmuggler, who was, I think, by birth a Portugnefe, I do not believe there was one man really attached to the B,itilh cattle in Spanilh America, fo far as my information goes. Q Were not the civil authorities, who had been noticed as promoting the infurreetion againtl General Beresford, particularly ? A. I certainly con fidered 1., and under flood that the Court of Audien• cia had ufurped nearly the whole authority in that country. Q._ Did you not confider the Court nf Audiencia as part of the Civil Authorities alluded to in the furnmnns ? A. I did. [Here General Whitelocke informed the Court, that as he had form documents to produce in the courfe of his defence, to which he fhould have occa• Pion to call for General Gower's evidence once more, he (horrid decline putting any more queltions at prefent. The Judge Advocate then informed the Court that his examination of General Gown was concluded, and that any Member of the Court was now at liberty to put what quetlions he pleafed to the Witnefs.) o.2ellions by General Sir Joan MOORS. Q Did General Whitehxke inform you how your Corps was to be fupplied with provifions, after the provifions allowed were expended ? A. I had no orders on the fubjea. Q After your arrival with the Commander in Chin at Monte Video, in what manner was the in terval employed ; and what meafures were adopted in enable the army to proceed to the attack of Buenos Apes-1 mean, what information was obtained as to the country to be palled over ; what meafures were adopted to procure bodes for the cavalry, ar• riflery, and for the tranfport of provifions ? A. Ge• neral Whitclocke arrived in the Plata on the gth of May, on the s I th he took the command of the troops. The force was then divided into two divifions ; the one Rationed at Colonia under Lieutegant•Colonel Pack, of the 7111 regiment, codified of a fault de team nt of artillery, a few dragnents inmate& three compaoies of the 95th regiment, the light companies 4 f the 38th, 4oth, 47th, and 8 7th regiments, and four or five companies of the 4oth, belies their light company. The other divifion of the army oc cupied Monte Video, with its fuburbs and lonic de tached polls. On the ioth of May, General White locke ordered me to communicate to Rear Admiral Stirling, then the Senior Officer of the Navy in the Plata, that he wifhed an arrangement of tranfports to be made, for the reception of 10,000 men on their paffage towards Buenos Ayres, for tonnage for 18 pieces of light artillery, with their propoctiln of ammunition, for two batteries of heavy artillery, and, I believe, for provilions for 21 days, for the 10,000 men. The climates from the Officers at the heads of each branch of the fervice were callefted, both for dead weight and flowage, and delivered to Rear Admiral Stirling. All the bodes that could be obtained on the left bank of the Plata, between Colonia and Monte Video, were procured. The enemy's patties had driven that country with loch fuccefs, that very few of a tolerable defcription re mained ;and even thofe which were procured, never having been acculomed to eat either dry forage or corn, were extremely ill calculated for embarkation. Eight tranfports were cleared for the reception of fuch horfes as could be procured ; and General Whitelocke called upon all the Britifh fubjals pre fent, whether officers or civilians, to give up all the horfes that could platy be (pared, fir the public fervice. What numbers were proctored in this way I do not know ; they did not pals through my hands; nor do I know to which of the fervices, in at tillery, cavalry, or commiffatiat, thole horfea were diflribu ted. On the 24th of May there was a report of a force •of the enemy, eflimated at 4000 men, having croffed from Buenos Ayte., and it was Rated that the merchants had loft all power of tranfmiiting their merchaollize into the country, in confequence of its being ct nflantly plundered by there Teo*. On the t zth of June Lieutenant Colonel Packhonfe, who commanded the out polls at Camels, retreated on Monte Video, from the number r f the enemy that appeared in that neighbourhood. During the whole of this period, the Garrifon of Monte Video was employed in embarking the vat ions fibres, and in furnifhing the large working parties that were commanded for the repaiting and adding to the de fences of the place. I was prefent at General White locke's quarters at various periods during that time, when he examined three or four men, who profeffed that they knew the country between the Enfenacir and Buenos Ayres, and all the variou. points on which it was polible to land. On the arrival of the Fly Hoop of war, Lieutenant Colonel Burke was Pent up the river to reconnoitre the banks ; he returned on the 28th of May, and reported from his ohfer va tions, that the Enfenado Barragon appeared to be the moil advantageous place for laniling, and that the enemy did not at that time appear to be at all jealous of us. Q Were any meafrires taken to family the army with provificros beyond the three days a llwance car ried by the men ? A. None that Ikn w of. Q . Was it communicated in orders, ot in any other manner to you, what was the movement of the rell of the army, when you were ordered to advance, on the 29th and 3oth ? A On the 2Th I was ordered not to move till the main divition of the army came up to my point ; on the gosh the fame thing. General Whitelocke then afked me if I could reach Reduction that night ; I (aid it was impotale for me to tell, but I would try. He then informed me he would remain with the main divifion at the point from which I was then going to march. When I had marched about four miles, I found the battalions of General Lumley's brigade fo totally exhaulled, that if I had advanced farther, I (liquid have left the greater proportion of the men behind. I reported that circumstance to General Whitelocke, he appro ved of what I did in !laying there, and ordered me to remain till he joined me next morning. General Whitelocke joined me between nine and ten on the IR of July, and the two divifions marched together fur a lhort &lance it was evident that the column would have been very late, when it pared Reduction. The men, particularly of General Lumley's brigade, were very much exhaufled a ndGeneral Whitelocke,in order to give them a chance of getting on with to lerable rapidity, ordered all the blankets of the army to be thrown down, and that with the men thus lightened, I Should attempt to pt towards the Chuello beyond of ReduCtion, leaving the village to be occupied by liimfelf with the main divilion. FOURTH DAY. GeneralGows R% Eiamin - Wtionby the Court teemed. Q (By Sir Jona MOORS) Was the country from Enfenada to Buenos Ayres fo little frequented, drat men could not have been found at Monte Video, and forced to guide the army ? A. I fhould con ceive that the road from Enfenad t to Buenos Ayres is well known, in confeque;•ce of the former beirg the place at which all the 6rge Mips employed in the commerce of the latter are laid up. I was not at all employed relative to the obtaining intelligence on that point. For my own private information I tiled to collea what I could, but I could not find any body at Monte Video who fpoke very accurately on the fubjeet. [By defire of Sir John Moore the queflk-n was hete repeated.] " General Glwer," Paid Sir John Moore, " I am anxious that you fhould underhand what I mean by this twellion. We all know that there are to,ooo people in London , who can thew us the way to Windfor, but not one of them, perhapit, will take the trouble, unlefs a rope is put round his neck and he is told that he (hall either guide the at my or be hanged. Now I want to kuow if this was done at Monte Video ?" A. 1 knew but of one man who ever profeffed that he knew the road, and that man was carried up to the army : all the others whom 1 preffed upon the fubjea, (fated, that they had gone in (mall veffeis to Buenos Ayres, and never landed at the Enfenada ; however, between Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, before the latter felt into the hands of the Englifh, there was much intercourfe. The ufual way by land is to go to Colonia, which is .oppoftte to Buenos Ayres, and then to anti over ; but I do not believe that any perfons ever go willingly by land from Enfeoada to Buenos Ayres. q t. The march of the army on th e zsith and 3oth of June, and tli of July, teems to have been in two divi us, did you conceive it to have been the fame nn the sd ? A. I did, with the e itt „,... the fmall variation, which truft have ha the main dicifinn commencing it s march KT % , 4 , my own, by the left Rank from a Point ab ort miles in the rear of the one from which I Q . Had you any troops of the 17th ,• dra g ;,:: you, or if nut , to what crps w ere they A. I law on the zsolt about thirty hurfes is fellit,n of the 17th dragoons that cou l d be : lerable, but they were loon redurd to tvrh, there were not fi x of them fit to d o ally duty' lifter. I had three orderlies mounted n n holies, which were the only horfes wo r ih n Q 4. Was Ilse face of the country filch s t ,l admitted of the march of the a rmy i n (0 hi rallel columns, and thus to have fhortened E M I march ? A. From the Et! knada to the never could find more_thao one road d ung . " morals. Fr.m the heights to the Chnelln:' part teemed equally fit for the p a il :Re of is in all direCtions. From the Chuel'o to fl ue „ n l i for the &It two miles, the road Teemed eqnslyr, ticable, and there wele then tw o roa d s .ottr ' , uths. Can you Aare the reafon why the pal, the river was not attempted at th e b r i Jgo i do not know correetly ; the bridge was defol io be of wood, and in the direffion in which i t , fuppofed to b: there was a very large &soli* officers who had been in Buenos Ayres W att the guide that was with me, believed to be th eli on fire. t.t .. Do you know whether the bridge ever connoitred ? A. Certainly not by me, was Jar k, and its diflance was, I think, fii 6 4 , Was it not palible to afcertain wh ei h t bridge was on fire or not ? A. Certainly, by ing a conliderable corps towards it ; but the had fuch large bodies of cavalry betwers it mg pardon, that nothing hut a confidetable could have approached it. Q Had the march of the army be en i n columns, might ant the whole have allied at Chico pafs on the morning of the ad, a n d pi f ed with the advanced guard ? A. 1 knoll shy they fhould not. 'Lite regiment, theleat c pable of marching ,n that army (being the %N T with me ; they had a great number of veryi, i , men, who had been nearly a year on board d tranfports. The 36th being a flouter bndy of b i did not fail In much, but wee much fatigued, corps, inured to hard lab.Atr in that cou.ttry,,,, evidently much more able to march than a lately hmded. _ Qvo your think any material advantagitei hive been derived from the whole army patio river and attacking the eremy en the td? [General Whit elocke objected to this quinin,' the ground of its being a matter of opinion, ban te:wards withdrew his objeflion on this grotted,a the anfwer mull refer to a particular 26, but a general opinion.]—(Z2eflion repeated.. A. 1 believe we fhould have carriedßuenos An had there been a force to fupport the isptti made by the light battalion, we mull have can the ylace.'_ . _ Did yntr report to General Whitelockr want r,f pi ovifions cn the to of July, or lull manner did you prnpnfe to proviflun your oaf A. On the ill of July General Whitelockefori corps himfelf, and remarked iicnn tbe very eta ed flats of the 88th regiment : he told me tta expe6ted 1 lhould catch a fufficizot quantity of b locks with the advanced guard, not only for my or but for his column alfo. Q . _ Could not provifions for the army luxe to conveyed in boats, and a communicalioa open with them ? A. The oply point I believe belie the EnfenAd4 and the Chuello, where provifimuce be landed, was under the village of Reduelioe-1 the defcription which I have had of the tiver,li lievc the vietuallers might have come cli.fe in. lh difficulties the patttge through the morals, from fhore to the village, might have pelmet!, I Lot know. Q . _ In the orders delivered to the Cattail ficera for the attack on the gth of July, what ihM was allotted to yon ? A. I was ordered by Genet! Whitelocke to be at the Coral before the WI which the cannonade was to commence. I Int wait there till he arrived and t.) receive his cadets Were the general at ders given to the Ms on the morning of the 4th verbal or written? Al) order to me was verbal—the infirtglioes m yellerday were read at that time, and each Gem Officer copied them. O Was it then or at any other time mum cated to the Officers commanding the diffetesti tacks, what was to be the Ration of the Coraromi of the Forces, in cafe they thauld have occafxs report to him ? A. Ido not remember that it r it may have been without my knowledge, Witt not fpoken of before me to the belt cf my In lefti n. Q_ Did you rxprets a with yourfelf on the niche .}-h, to delay the attack to the 5 . 11, to •you time to reconnoitre ? A. No I did not— heve the enemy outnumbered us in the ratio of I in men, and to tot in artillery. Q_ Had you any o. 3 11 s i a tar ? as A A. r Certainly ee(l c tiers to coital hides at of my being fent to Colonia was to expedite the order e tl ff ieeet,that the great was verbal , . Et to this Lion of that divilion of troops in the thorteli rime, as the bad s. either was about to let in, nal (hipping might be damaged, or the ft-antra of might have become more difficult. Colonel accompanied me, and pe An will remember correctly. ( By General Meadows) Were you end as to the mode of t:te attack to be made upon B Ayres ? A. May I ark whether it relate; to, attack upon the town, or the general plan off [General Meadows here laid be meant the at ut the Town.] A. I was—,-on the evening of the 3d of Mb Whitelot ke fent an order that L fhould comet. quartet c. He then afked me if I had ant idea the town fhould be attacked ? I !fated that! I tainly had thought on the fubjeti, having me ltd , preceding day for that very purrote. He awe it I had put my ideas upon paper ? I anflured I had, and he defined to fee t ...)tn. I IlatedtheP I was at my platters, and I let fed it at hitdefin delivered it to Q. Was there any confid We variation bel it Oat Yes, rote L lan 7WAS ot prc Ide 0 1, at. 1 pted iiter W wow r l e r rQW tal I eta mt. bt rn A. ? ing re 1 0 wt the revirio liftene (i 0 ke — up the ithe adva Id I, al n di pi, di. 4]olrke Q_ trtai ( t_ 'plc LQ Oml