The National Register. — London, England, 1811-12-22 00:00:00

804 .• • four guns of horse artillery ; Col. and judgment, and after an obstinate rcsist.._ point of the bayonet, completely routing their force, and took, their guns. A strong column from their works advanced to their support, but our line being arrived, they were instantly pursued, and driven rind, r shelter of their batteries. In this atra r so creditable to Col. Gillespie, and all the corps of the advance. the grenadier company of the 13th, and the detach ment • f the 89th regiment particularly distinguished themselves, by charging and capturing the enemy s artillery. Our loss was trifling compared with the enemy's, which may be estimated at about 500 men, with Brigadier-General Alberti,,_ langeroysly wounded. '!'hough we had hitherto been successful, beyond my most sanguine expectations, our further progress -became extremely difficult, and somewhat doubtful. The. enemy, greatly superior in numbers, was strongly en trenched in a nosition, betweem the Great River Jecatra and the Sloken an artificial water-course. neither of which were fordable. This position was shut up by a deep trench., strongly pallisaded. Seven redoubts, and many batteries, mounted'with heavy can non, occupied the neat commanding grounds within the lines. The fort of Cornelis was in the centre, and the whole of the works wa defended by a numerous and well organized ar tillery. The seasc'n was too tar advanced, the beat too violent, and our reimbers insufficient, to admit of regular reproaches. To carry the works by assault was the alternative. and on that I decided.—ln aid of this measure, I scrected sonic batteries, to disehle the principle redoubts, and for two d lys kept up a heavy fire from 20 18-pounders and eight mortars and howi . .zers. Their execut on was great, and F had the pleasure to find, that though answered at the commemoement of each dalebe a far more numerous artillery, we daily silent eel their nearest batteries, con siderably disturbed every part of their position, and were ervi dently superior in our fire. At dawn of day, on the 26th, the assault was made. The principal attack was made by that gallant and experienced officer, Col. Gillespie. He had the infan:ry of the advance, and the grenadiers of the line with him, and was supported by Col. Gibbs, with the 59th regiment and the 4th battalion of Bengal volun teers. They were intended if pus to surprise the redoubt • No. 2, corwructed by the enemy beyond the Sloken, to endea vour to cross the bridge over that stream with the fugitives, and then to assau!t the redoubts, within the lines, Col. Gillespie at tacking those to the left, and Cu!. Gibbs to the right. Lieut.- Col. M -Lew], with six companies of the 69th, wes directed to follow a path, on the bank of the Great River, and when the attack bad commenetd on the Sloken, to 'endeavour to possess hitneell of the enemy's left redoubt N 0.2: Major Tule, with the flank corps of the reserve, reinforced by two troops of ca valry, :our guns of horse arillery, two companies of the 69th, anti the grenadiers of the reserve, was directed to attack the *corps at Camper% Maybe°, on the west of the Great Riveryand el - away-La to cross the bridge at that post. The remainder et the army. tinier Major-General Wetherall, was at the batteries, where a column, under Col. Wood, consist ing of the 78th reeiment, and the sth volomeer battalion, was directed to advance aeainet the enemy in front, aed at a favoura ble element, when aided by the other attacks, to force his way, if practicable, and (pen the position for the line. The enemy was under arms, and prepared for the combat, and General Jansens, the Commander in Chief, was in the redoubt where it commenced , Col. Gillespie, after a long detour through a close end intricate country, came on their advance, rutted it in an instant. a and wjth a rapidity never surpassed, under a heavy fire of grape and nlusquetry, possessed himself of the advanced redoubt NoeS. He passed the bridge with the fugitives under a tremendous fire, and assaulted, and carried with the bayonet, the redoule NO. 4, after a most obstinate resistance. Here the twoilivisiens of the column separated. Col. Gibbs turned to the right, asd with the 59th and part of the 78th; who bad now forced their weiy i e 'rout, carried the redoubt No. 1. A tremendous ex lesion of the mageaire of t! is wok (whether accidental or desi (1 is not ascertained,) took pl ce at the instant el its cap ture aed destroyed a mimher of gallant afficers and men, who at tht•meraerit were crowded on its ramparts, which the enemy had aba lone::. The redoubt No. 2, against whic • Lieut.-Col. M eves diiected-, was carried in as gallant a style ; and t lams te t teat, , twat most. v ‘liiine and experienced Officer at. the moment of victory. The front of the position was now open. and the troo e s rushed in from every quarter. nerme the operati -ns on the right, Cul. Gillespie pursued his advaptaee to the left, carrying the enemy's reel übts towari's the tea- and leen.. j o ined by. Lieut.-Col. M•Leod, of the 59 - h, with part , of they c , alas, he thia•ted him to attack the park of artillery, weic;r carried in. a twat inweerly manner. putting to fileat a b ply of the enemy's •avtdre the; foriaed and atteMpted to defetsd it. rk hhare ti: . e of nie •ketry was now kept up by a strong b..ay ot e .eaq, ,veto b cJ. take:'. post in the lines in Ken of Fort Cee - uelis, but. were driven from them, thu fort taken, REGISTER. the enemy completely dispersed. They were pursued by ..;olonel Gillespie, with the 14th regiment, a party of Sepori and the seamen from the batteries under Capt. Sayer, of the Royal Navy. By this time the cavalry at d horse artillery had effected a passage through the lines, the former commanded by Major 'Travers, and the latter by Capt. Noble ; and, with the gallant Colonel at their head, the pursuit was continued, till the whole of the enemy's army was killed, taken, or dispersed. Major Tule's attack was equally spirited, but after routing the enemy's force at Catnpong Malayo, and killing many of them, he found the bridge on lire, and was unable to penetrate further. I have the honour to inclose a return of the loss sustained, from our landing on the 4th, to the 2.6 th inclusive. Sincerely I lament its extent, and the many valuable and able officers that have un fortunately fallen : but when the prepared state of the enemy, their numbers, and the stret:gth of their positions are considered, I trust will not be deemed heavier than might be expected. 'T'heir's has greatly exceeecd it. In the action of the 26th, the numbers killed were immense, but it has been impossible to form any accurate statement of the amount. About 1000 have been buried in the works, multitudes were cut down in the retreat, the rivers are chocked up with dead., and the huts and woods were tilled with the wounded, who have since expired. We have taken near 5000 prisoners, among whom are three General Officers, 34 F ield Officers, 70 Captains, and 150 subaltern Officers ; Gen. Jansens made his escape with difficulty during the action, and reached Ruitenzorg, a distance of 3i) wiles, with a few ca valry. the sole remains of an army of 10,000 men. This place he has since evacuated, and fled to the eastward. A detachment of our troops is in possession of it. [Here follows an eulogium on all the Officers and men em ployed•iu this arduous contestd It is with particular pleasure, I assure your Lordship, that 1 have received the most cordial support from the Hon. Rear- Admiral Stopford and Commodore Broughton, tiering the period of their commanding the squadron. The former was pleased to „allow a body of 500 seamen, under the valuable officer Capt. -ayer of the Leda, to assist at our batteries. Their services were pa• ticularly useful, and l have the satisfaction to assure you, that both the artillery and engineers were actuated by the same . aeal, in performing their respective duties; that has been so conspi cuous in all ranks and departments, though from the deficiency of the means at their disposal, their operations were unavoidably embarrassed with uncommon.diffluities. I have the honour to he, &c. (Signed) S AUCHMUTY, Lieut.-General. (A true Copy.) (Signed) T. RAFFLES, Secretary to Gov. Gen. The Right I-lon. Lord &Tinto, Governor- General, &c. &c. &c. General Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing of the Army, commanded by his Excellency Sir Samuel Auchninty, since its landing on the Island of Java, on the 41 1 1 of August, 1811, to the 26112,.Lace when no casualties lame occurred. Total killed—Europeans, 1 Lieutenant-Colonel, 3 Captains, 9 Lieutenants, 2 Ensigns, 2 Staff-strjeints i 6 Serjeants, 91 rank and file.-Natives, jemindars, 2 havildars, 23 rank and file. 'Total wounded—Europeans, 3 Lieutenant-Colonels, 2 Majors, 14 Captains, 36 Lieutenants, 7 Ensigns, 1 Staff-serjeant, 32 Ser• jelmti, 2 drummers, 313 rank and file.—Natives, 2 subildars or . serangs, 4 jemindars, 9 havildars, 1 drummer, 107 rank and file. Total mi:sing-13 rank and file. Total horses-14 killed, 21 wounded, 3 missing. (Signed) P. A. AGNEW, Adj.-Gem. Return of q f•ers Killed ,Wounded,and Missing,fn the Army under the eoinnu.nd of his Excel.' eney Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel Auchmutg, front iti landing on the island of Java, on the 4t4 August, unlit Vie' 7th August 1811. From the 4th to the 19th August 1311. KILLED.-78th Font, Lieutenant Munro. • WouND !:n.—Staff of the Advance, Captain Thom, slightly; 89th 1 7 :)ot, Captain Ramsay, severely ; 78th Foot, Captain Ca n,eron ; 89th Foot, Lieutenants French and Young slightly; 69th Foot, Lieutenant Rohinion ; Horse Artillery., Lieutenant and Adjutant Driffield, severely ; 14Th Foot, Ensign Nikison, severely. On the 22d and 24th August 1811. KILLED.—RoyaI Artillery, !Ai:Atte:lam P. Patton ; Madras Monett!, s, I ,ieutenatit G. Shepherd ; Bengal Foot Artillery, Lieu tenant Frieworice Tarnaby. • Woe 74 n KI: 1 ,-69th Riot, Lieutenant Clargcs. since dead ; 6th Battalion Bengal Native infantry, Captain, F.. Shaw, ; Bengal Engines:rs, Captain imith ; litengal Artillery, Captain If ichard ; 69th Foot, Lieuttna , t ;Mitchell; Royal Artillery, Lieutenant and Adjutant W. colehrooke Lieuttnant E. S.'Munro ; ;ens - . ' ~~ ‘,114•;•••••.•••••■PeaV •1104-..." THE NATIONAL Col. Gillespie attacked it with sp irit I and ,bstinate resistance, carried it at the 1 Coll •i... •