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

de • eil j c dto them to retire without delay. Colonel' e g ii r loon a fi erwards again came towards me with . ;':,, i ,h or ity from Liniers, to require an uncondi ! hal (offender within a quarter of an hour. I was s phoequally artperemptoy in my refufal. shade th l i m ed tittle difcuflions otal ceffation of firing pall appearance, taken place in all other parts of thelown , f r om which I concluded that the troops ender General Crawford were either prifoners or had I g or obliged to retire. Numbers of the enemy during ;We conferences, either intoxicated with liquor or w i t h their (bad's, had rufhed forward wider the idea of ta king prifoners and &farming our men, but their unier iry proved fatal to many of them—the guns t „o, en the beach, had been much advanced, and *or covered by about feven hundred of the enemy. Th e gallant Lieut. Colonel Burn having been in purled of this, and hating to me that whatever our future operations might be, thefe guns would fi - ion ferious annoyance, of which I was but too well one . He having obtained my pertniflion, then fulbed on, at the head of frme of the Grenadiers, as well as fume Coal' detachments of the battalion cam -links, ineail nor much exceeding fifty men ; drove she enemy before him tooter the walls of the fort ; Ifiked the guru, arid fought ( better und e r a law hide and garden hedge, I . :0m the heavy fire which vas then opened upon them from the fort. di I had now received intelligence by a pencilled sore (tom Captain Waifon, that Sir Samuel Au-h -mnty v.ai in polreiri in of the Plaza del Toros, and that he tocommended my retiring along the beach, „ n a joinin A him at k etiro. 1 wrote an anfwer on the o rar note—l am stilt in potiellion of my pot} ; can to: Sir Samuel lopport me I.!is note never reached its dellination :it was now near two o'clock. We had been engaged in this unequal contett fcr about fit bouts, our numbers much reduced, men and of ficers falling fall, I rbid in the fir(' infiance by our intlru!lions to Advance again(' the fort and fquare ; all the ammunition bei:rg expended, and aware that intuit be 'ere long corneletely furrounded, or over powered by numbers, I deemed it moil advife chic, fur the good of the fervice, intlead of a !ringer fruit. leis refiltance, to fall back, a.nd reinforce Sir Samuel .kuchnnity, with the remains of the sth and 36th re giments then with me. it 1 aceoriinaly retired along the beach, AM ex poled to a F envy fire of grape and round (hos e front the fort, andvillt (time additional lots, lietween two and three o'crtek, I joined and put myfelf under the orders of Sit Satiotel Atiefirairty, i:h the to , regi. rants above menti red. The e.snduet of.the troaps ander my command was above all praitl , but I think it but juliice to them here to Itate, that vifihle as it riots have been to the eye of every c6rninon oblerver, very early in the day that we had no prelpe.9 of fur: cefo not a moroith was to be heard, in-t even an ap pearance of a with to retreat—the behaviour of both men and c flieep evinced that deg' ee of cool deternii nation, fleaay, patient oerfeverance, at,d p rom p t Obed;ence to orders, which are the real etittrtinm of true bravery and tifcip'ine. The remainder of the day was cecupied in tiling every tuition to ttrength en our pofi. Examin,cl by Members of the Court. ruined me about twelve o'clock, to llatiota. As early as ten o'clock, h ,pea of auccef, My reafons for bera,:le the enemy were greatly (1,1 which was vitible t , us from better proteded from our fire the ,heirs ; they were alt . () in poll - et:film .11er y, and we had trot one tingle :e horn White's houfe to the Recta ••,l te, me by the eye, gas about two hem the Chico pals to White's about f ur miles, and the ceuntry is diftance certainly might have as to have prevented all fupplies ‘nos Apes. to month I was fent for by Gene• I be consulted on certain points : treaty; with refpeFt to the treaty milder mv fell as cord:lilted. After were badly el Vied. without Wan ts, and although under cover, they fie night air, which was very revere alfo been four Jaya without meat, ort a very finial fupply of bifcuir ,r the profped we then had of a would have rendered them equal whet along marches were notto take • they were equal to further opera avia after the sth, but not on that Ihink the force lent again;! Buenos nt fur its redunion. int Colonel BURN called. he right wing of the 36th regiment ordered a pithy to charge the two .red to General Lumley that they 'his party not proceeding immedi to the Captain of grenadiers and mg both wounded by a difcharge guns. I then took a few more men. head of the grenadiers, and thefe i t h guns ; the large(' I fpiked ;- - the citadel, and the enemy began of grape and mufketry, after I ament into the citadel. Upon this ander cover at the back of lime aging lime time in that fituation I , ring off my party and follow the w going along the beaCh. I then Auctimuty at the Plaza del To on by Lot : BCATHCAmtr. ;6 h viet nailed •n the 4th ? A. We of ficirmicnina that day, in the fob lyres, and ciid not get to our guar t t and t 2 at night. The meat was is their quarters ; but from hay fires and cook it, it was reported two o'cloa in the !morning befr're ing to eat ; after Almich the ufual was ferved to them. ,er kmining Sir Samutl Attchmuty , e got meat at the Plaza del Tomos • the 36;11 rut the sth, at firil were and twenty four privates. But we were three cfiicers killed aid 1'124 .t was the firength of the enemy covering gins, and what WA* the force with which , ates. tee The left wing rejiii k g ilse beil of nisi reciillo icu there arpeared no h 11 / thinkno,f i were, ber sal Teri-r . to l es in nu rn be .. ' il ,' Ott fi r C th ey ivet cbe VP we could be from MI 0 of a nomerms aci.ll tggun. Tile dillao.ce t. lettas as it appear cu I mile; I. : diotancf: I honfe, I c,.... ive ab , • mach inckfw. "....i n,e been fit occupied, as fiom reaching Buenr i i• On the Sth iif the ' ' ral Whitelocke, to I 1., conceited with the II 1 hid, I did not conf • ' the gas the troops %Cr arts and great coats, Eats were etpufed to the " —my brigade had al c,d and had received bu X in that period ; but 'g: good meal or two, ss ;°F to any eoterprize who b''‘ place. I conceive tl 10 ' tionsagainfl the tow t' " day. I certainly th me kres was futlicient ed Lieutenant Ice s I c , •rnmanded the ro f et the attack. lor ~. e re Inns, flaring repor i : • Fault be taken. Thi .. Indy was owing to . his Subaltern being . Vain one of their gu I. Ind went at the hi sen, and took borl 1 ' . • was elblturater • , .i)very heavy fire i • • ye their derv:hen it 1 ok my men urn 'a a , •Ifes. Mier NO a ordered to brim ‘sith, which I faw 1 lk; •' d Sir Samuel . • 1 ocb • r . Queflint 1 ,How was the 36 or • i a good deal of iI • otbs of Buenos Ayi r , Its till between is le t oady for th e men i lag in light their fi ,4•1 to me it was near t , ty had a n y t hi n t. i 1 ' n ) ittantity of wine w eto On the st b, a l to m the evening, we I WI t. tdt site cafual t i es of t i.., t WOOffiCCTS killed a 1.,, is7rs found there w )74. pirates. sli t r 4t . What was th cs fie two guns, and I. . _ kg • t • you attacked them' A. I cannOt•fpeak poritively s ; perhaps 300 of the enemy —my party 'confined of about so men. . ,„ , • .• . Lieutenant COlonel Dove. I commanded the tight wing of the 88tir regiment on the morning of the attack. I feel it neceltry to (late to the Court, that upon getting under. arms on the morning of the attack, I felt my force In weak that 1 was convinced I would not be able to accomplith the objth upon which I was difpatched. I fent to head quarters and refueled to have two of my com panies out of the three that were there': thee two aim pat,i,:s joined us jult as I was marching off ; and to my utter allonifliment I perceived they had no flints in their arms. I Aced Major lernmonger, who commanded them, and direfted him to give me fome reafon for their appearing in this manner He intimated to me that General Gower had direeted him to take the flints out. I immediately ordered Major Iremonger to get flints from the other com• panies, if they could (pare them ; but I am lorry to fay the whole did not get flints. Major Vandeleur, who commanded the left wing, reported to me that two men actually fell in the Itreets, in the att of put ting in then flint., after we advanced to the attack. I had fa bad an opinion of the attack in my own mind, that l left my colours at head quarters, fearing that they might be taken. According to the fririt of the order of art ick which I received, 1 divided my battalion into two wings. each wing confiding of about zag rank and file. I direCted Major Vande leur to lead his wing to the fpot General Lumley ordered me, and to penetrate as near the principal defences of the enemy as he could. I then led my own wing to a clairch I was ordered to take poffef- I lion of by General Lumley. I met with no oppofi• tow or firing until I entered the gateway, when the enemy commenced a tremendous fire of. mufketry from the opponte bottles. Having loft' nearly 30 men in the gatew ty, and finding it impraelieable to break open the cnurch doors with . the implements that were given me, I deemed it prudent to leave the flotation and penetrate the city further,.in hopes of gaining a more advantageous pofition. On leav ing the entirch we %vete afTailed with continualfiring, and I penetrated the city until I conceived I was near the citadel. Finding that I 101 l fo many men in the flreets—four grenadier officers being wound.d near me ; the Major, Adjutant, and Affidant Sur geon killed, and having 101 l in killed and wounded from 8o to too rank at .d file, I defiled to the left, a nd rook polled - ion of three Ironies. I formed my men on the tops of two of them, agreeably to the fpirir of my orders. After having maintained this p„fiti , n about four hauls, finding that I loft a great number of men, even here two of my officers being wounded—the enemy facing me in all ditations, and hearing no fire en my lett, 1 aaually concluded that the left mutt have retreated, as I received no Cupp:tit. After fending for the officers and taking their opinions up or the lubjeet, I deemed it prudent to accept the enemy's terms to furrender, on the pr - .solo that they treated my men and officers as ,hey ought to do. On being marched prif'ners to the citadel, I re j Aced to find that I had laved my men's lives, as I found 1 was fur rounded on all fide, by at lead three tr t:,ur thoufand armed men. On entering the citadel, I found that Major Vandeleur had been compelled to furrender about halt an hour before me ; as far as my recollation carries me, out of this (mall detachment, for it could not be called a regi ment, I loft about 220 killed and wounded, and feveri officers. • . a ditch tit, feet deep ,by. twelve wide: I,,hur:ried my men on as fall as cowld, and on geeing nut of he ditch, I found that the greet terminated in a (mall five, leading down to the river fide, and that we were in front of the wellern fide of the city, from which the enemy cornmeaced a very heavy fire upon us. With the Alliance of. fame men with the but 1 ends of their firelocics, we (o;ced a large door of a j earner houfe, which led into a fmall yard or (square, being a houfe with four wings. I directed the houle on the oppofite fide alto to be lor)ken open, being infenfibly drawn there by the fit e. I directed the men to shelter themfelves as well as they Gould, and as an inducement, I held out to them that they would be fupported. I polled men on the roof of the fir LI houfe we occupied, and as I found it impoffil)le to remain here from the file of the enemy being fo great, I ordered the men to afcend the parapet next them, in order to get upon the next Utile, which was occupied by the enemy, who lay concealed behind the wall, and every man that attempted to pet over to them, was either (hot or knocked down. Our men fill occupied the oppofite hcu(e alfo, but both panics were much tended to the enemy's fire, from the furreunding heufes being higher than ours, and we maintained our prifitions tmtil abiut a quarter after eleven o'clock, when I confulted with my officers what could be done. There teemed to be.no ap pearance of fitpport, and we heard no fi:ing in the direction of the Plaza; a great number of men and officers lay around us wounded, and we agreed that without a breach of humanity, we could not hold out longer, on which we held out a white handker chief, and immediately a tipanifh officer jumped up from behind a wall. Captain Carrol, who inter preted, informed him that we furrendered upon terms. He immediately atked what terms ? I replied; we only required quarter and the care of the wounded. He immediately put his hand to his break and replied, that they were Sp-ruiards, and At/ay: treated their prifoners with humanity; on which terms I yielded, and gave him my (word. He then gave a [hour, and an immenfe number of the enemy came over the walls and received the arms of the men, after which they conducted the officers to the Citadel, and the men to feparate prifons. (No questions were put by the Court or by General WHITI Loexs, and the witnels accordingly with- drew. Brigadier General CRAWFURD called. Being requelied to continue his narrative from wh e r e he lett off on his former examination, he fpoke as fo:lows : " In the written difpofition I received for the attack of the town, it was direded that my brigade fhoold enter it on our right in the centre, in two columns, the left column to confiit of five companies rff the light battalion, and fix of the 95th, making about 600 men, and the tight column of four of each of thole, making about 540 ; the left column to receive its orders from Colonel Pack, and the right from myfell We were dilated to penetrate, if poffible, quite down to the river, and there to occupy any of the light houfes as near as poffible to the centre of the town or the market place. The brigade being formed early in the morning on the two roads which had been pointed our, advanced upon the ligoal guns being fired ; as we entered the town, the left cAlumn under Colonel Pack was of courfe the neareft the north eaft of the enemy's pofition, and came fir ft into adion. I paired with the right column right through the town, and arrived with the head of it at the beach without meeting any attack, except from (mall parties of the enemy ported on the houfe tops or the fireets, who ocsafionally fired upon us as we paired, but without much effed. I law that the fort was at the dillance of 4 5 0 y ar d s , and as in the pofition in which I then was, I could not fulfil the object of the difpofition given me, I determined to advance to the fort. I knew the 45th regiment was dire6ted to enter the town by the two areas imme• diately on my right. I fuppofed, therefore, that this regiment was at that time on my right, and I fent Brigade Major Camplorll to order Colonel Gard to advance with the 45th by the ftrcet, in the fame diredion parallel to the beach, and informing Lieutenant Colonel Pack at the fame time, who had already made a very vigorous but unfuccefsful attempt to penetrate through the enemy's principal pofition. From what Colonel Pack had ken, and his general knowledge of the town, he was induced to urge me to go to the Refidencia, which is on the extremity of the fouth fide of the town. This was between fevers and eight in the morning, and although I had The grealeft dependence in Colonel Pack as an officer, yet I did not think I fhould have been juaified in retreating at this early hour to the Refidencia, which I might certainly have effected without any lots or difficulty : this converfation paired clofe to the Convent of St. Domingo, which was one of the polls I had always confidered I was to occupy. I therefore refolved to take this pofition in the mean time, hoping that I might receive fame rapport or co-operation to enable me to advance (till further, and in this opinion I was confirmed by that of the traly brave Major Trotter. (litre General Crawford flied tears). little thought, when I thus, to the ben of mj judgment, obeyed the orders I received, that no effort of any fort would be made to communicate with me. I had been directed to take certain posts, and there to wait for further orders, and this was one of them. Almolt immediately after we took polreffion of this building, which was very dole to the emirs main pofition, a confiderable fire was di- reeled from the tarrouncling houfes again(( all thole parts of it from which we could annoy the enemy ; and the roof of it not being flat, it was not fo advan• TWSNTYSECOND DAY. tageous as the buildings in that town were in gene Major Vewnrt.tva again c.zled. . rah It was about to o'clock, and I had no reafon After explaining to the officers and men &seta as I to fuppofe that any confiderahle difafier had befallen art of nor army ; and wh en a b out t hi s t i me a could, the object of attack, we ad vance d into thelown .toi any p • upon hearing the tignal guns. We loon perceived tot bparnfh officer with a flag df truce approached the the enemy's videt tea, who retired upon our approach, conv ent , I flattered myfclf .os c that the other columns looking to the tops of the !routes on each fide as if .hays Rahlffhed themfelves as near to the enemy's givir, 6 direCtion , . I ordered the column to advance "on frcipal pofition as I was, G enera l Li n i ers was dif fed capit. When he ca into the rc in double quick time. W e were infiantly a ff ailed o - f a the to convent, u la he te informed me tha m t e the 88th p r o egi h with a molt tremendous fire of mufketry, grenades, men(, and tome other corps whi c h h e did not name, thole pots, and other combufiibl es , w hi ch fcorched were prifoners—that all ou r at t ac k s h a d f a il ed, and the men molt dreadfully. We p u lh e d on, h owever, and when we arrived within fight of th e last fquare that he was charged by G enera l Li n t ers to fummon we frund a breastwork form e d o f b ags of earth ' , me to furrender this I peremptorill refuted. and built (tiredly actors the flreet, which we had fosere { the officer went away. difficulty The communication I h ave jet re l ate d , as well in afcending, from b e i n g covere d w i th raw as the confideratinu that I had been above four hours hicks. On gaining the top oktlsis, we defoessled into • this • h in poii wit out any perfon from our troops Examined by the Cour►. I think I Surrendered about a quarter before twelve. I clever received any communication from General Whitelocke during this time, nor do I think Any perfon could pnffibly come through the tremen. dous fire I left behind me. If there had been a pof fibility of reporting to General Whitelocke before I furrei.dered, I did n'u know where he was to be found. According t. my own ideas I Should have fent to the !Aileron for Gen. Whitelocke. Q2eilions by General WH LOCK a. Should yogi not have reported, as a matter of courfe, to head quarters if you could not report to your own Brigade Mejor ? A. Certainly. Were the flints taken out of the arms at head quarters not put into the pouches, and were there no ipAre flints ? A. If they obeyed my orders they ought to have had fpare flints. I cannot lay what they did with them they took out. Major VANDELEOR Called. I commanded the left wing of the 88th regiment at the attack of Buenos Ayres. About five o'clock in the morning Colonel Duff cleared me to move the three companies of the 88th, being one half, to General Lumley's house, which was about too yar is to the left of the regiment, and to report to him my arrival, be heing under arms, which order I execu•ed. Shortly after this another company joined me. General Lumley ordered me to move my front as far as the advanced picquets, and there wait till the fignal guns fired. I alked General Lumley if he had any particular orders to give ? he anfwered, the detail already given, was to penetrate through the fireets to the water's edge, or as far as I could and there lodge myfelf to the bell advantage, but charged me particularly to allow no firing. I par. ticularly req.retled him to give me fume information relative to the mode of defence of the edirny, or what oppofition I was likely to meet. He replied. he knew no more than I did, but that k was parti cularly neceffary, if poffible, to penetrate into the tiretts. -I Pi I. r • c °ming . near me,, made the think it was a frtnation which it was not advifeable to remein in, and I de. term,ined to take the firll favourable opportunity af extricating myfelf from , it, conceiviag the bell ap. protunity would be when the enemy thould approach in large npmbers in the fire:es, as by mix* evith them we might, by that meat's, render lets effeatual the fire from the forrounding houfes, which wete by this titre completely occupied. Between twelve and one o'clock a conliderable column came into the area on the weft fide of the convent, apparently with an intention of taking our three pounder flaadit g in the fireet. I immediately ordered the rifle corps to come down from the upper pat t of the building, and likewife to take down the colours of the 71(1 regi ment, which being found in the church, we had /tallied ; and whilst I was preparing for evacuating the pall, the enemy, on the point of feizing the guess were attacked with great bravely by the grenadiets of the 45th regiment, under Colonel Gard, which had joined me at the convent, together with a fmall patty of light infantry, under 111..j0r Trotter. The enemy in the fireet gave way, hut the fire from the honfes was fuch that about forty elate 45th (grena. dicta) were killed or wounded in three or four minutes. Major Trotter was killed. I ordered the remainder (feeing it was impoffible to do any thing) to retreat into the convent, which we continued to defend until half pall three o'clock. After the at tempt to evacuate it, which I have jolt defcribed, I WAS fully convinced that we were unable to extricate ourfelves by our own exertions ; and as not long after it appeared that the firing had ceafed in all other'parts, and nobody came near us, I concluded, of cootie, that the attack had generally failed. About this ti:ne I afTembled Lieutenat Colonel Pack, Lieut. Colonel Gard, and Major M'Leod, who commanded the detachment of the rifle corps. I told them that in my opinion a retreat was uttterly impoffible that it was completely in the enemy's power to anni hilate the remainder of the brigade, we being then is the very heart of the town, out of which it was cleat to me that all the re(l of the army had been 'obliged to retreat ;—in thefe circumflances, having waited about eight hours in a pat which I had been ordered to occupy, in expectation of thole orders I had been taught to cepa:, I did not think thatthefacrifice of thole who remained was neceffary either for the honour of his Majefly's arms, or could be of any ad. vantage ; but I added that although I &mild feel myfelfjußified in eating upon my own opinion, yet I thonld do nothing with a view to putting an end to the anion, unlefs I had the etaire concurrence and fatadion fmy field officers, they being the only cues in the convent a - ding as fuch. After mature deliberation, Lieutenant Colonel Pack, and Lieute. nant Colonel Gard did pofitively and unecrivocally give it as their opinion, in concurrence with thine, that our (iteration fully juftifi.d me, and made it ad. vifable that I fhould hold out a Wag of truce, and put an end to the anion on the bed terms we could obtain. Lieutenant Colonel Holland, who was on the flaff, and was prelim at this converfation, was not confulted, becaufe he was my brother in law, and I thought it would be improper. Major Mac Leod appeared to hefitate, from which I thought he was of opinion we could extticate out (elves. I then Paid to him—lf you think we can get out of this place, although I do not, I will at this moment place my fell with you at the head of the column, and let us be the firft to lead it ont. Major Mac Lead did not accept this propnial, but cocnurred in opinion with the other field officers. A flag of truce WAS then held out, but as the enemy had in the courfe of the day feveral times ap proached with flags of truce, merely for the purple of enticing us out, and then fired upon us, our people after this naturally fired upon their flags of truce, fo that it was a long time after we difplayed it, before they took any notice of it. At length, an of f icer came, with whom I bad a cooverfation in the pre fence of Colonel Pack and Lieutenant Colonel Gard; and finding that no other terms would be obtained, I thought it advifeable to furrender the brigade as prifoners of war. The number I think we furrendered was 600 rank and file. My divilion, on entering the town, confihled of about 54.0. Colonel Gard brought with him about too, and Colonel Pack's divifion was about 70. The number of killed and wounded I cannot exaltly (late, but we left nearly one hundred wounded on the floor of the convent. On the after noon of the 6th, Major General Gower came into General Liniers's houfe, where I then was. He came into the room where we were dining with Gen. Liniers, and in which I had no opportunity of laying any thing but what was heard all round the table— and I Paid nothing of matters of confidence. He afterwards went with General Liniers into his num apartment ; and before they entered upon bufinef., I thought it my duty to take General Gower elide, and tell him that from what I had obferved, I was quite convinced, that if the army attacked again in tt a fame way as they had done on the sth, they would be completely defeated. Not another word palled Ie• tween us until tome hours after this, when Major General Gower fent to me to come into General Linier's room ; and when I came there the articles rf were on the table, and the convention drawn tip perfune- were employed in copying them. I (late this, to thew that not a tingle word had previoufly pallid about the prifoners. Gen. Goer told me that Oen, Liniers was receiving various reports of great cruelties committed by our foldiers, which kept the people is a (late of great irritation, and which might produce fetious contr./pence: to the prifoners in their power— to which I replied, that I believed, and I de now believe, that fo long as fuch irritation was kept t p by thefe reports, there was region to apprehend that the prifoners were not fafe. General - Gower WI ore an order, and anted me if I would accompany G e . neral Eglio to the Refidencia, in order to deliver this order to the officer commanding there, which I did. Examineci by the Judge Advocate. . (ZDid any gun boats approach the town after you were taken prifoners, and what etre& had their fire on the town ? A. Two or three gun bats did fire on the town on the morning of the 6 - h. Some of the El i ot went through General Liniers's houfe, but the fire of fn finall a number coal not be [efficient to produce any effefi. q :. _ Was the co.-operation of the fleet ever required, t or was it mentioned in the plan of attack? A. Ido n ot know if it was required, nor did it enter into any 1 'plan of attack, communicated to me. 40L . Should you have adopted the pion you did, if )ou - had known that the Itsfidencia was the fpuifie ~I i~