The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-09-06 00:00:00

- tkit STAtitAmik. TIM EXPEDITION. PI:1 V ATI? CORRESPONDENCE. " F1.1:411110. Arc. 33. The !r:lod and ori,tinal (shied af the I: speditlita, it is rtw fainntl,rannet be carried into rvertitioo. A Conn (al . ar (always considered a men-ore presaging the adop toot of the s!tfe coarse) was kid on Saturday last at Ter gar-, in ut Beeeland ; and. in couserprence of its resolve. OP -hips of war and transports have retired from their station or Fort I.lll', and are now, whilst I write, dropping down iota t' rtoiloed of Flushing. Frnin the means of defence ...s, and to by the enemy, all persons lrre agree u to the j It: risk of an attack upon Antwerp or the French ships, wider such circumstances I hut whilst this it the parrot feel iez. a great tw.iority expo-- either their concern at the de- I r w hich ease to the enemy such advantages, or at the adopt: oof a plan of orratians didicult for as to eye lite at the same time, an.l so prat-tit-able Err the eitemy to c•ainte ..ct. It is now a month sitire we latul:.l in %Vali-he m:. and. as ems he et 'weird, tile French hose been ineessont In their edlitts to defeat oar .i.aia ttairri. Ten sail of their lint•or • said./ moored between Antwerp awl f.trt I.illo, pro 7. t o -ted by batty! ie.; of heavy ordootice on the bunks of the Scheldt, t-s a hick river are placed very Ivo booms to prl-seot our further approach. Tile :firsea aing very ge oentlls pot in, the Freely!) juse in u ndated all the surround ing Country, leicsing town"- for trooFs. but on the dikes, taiouhls whiet they b :ve rut travers:•s, fortified. with pieces of s rt beavy ordnance. Batteries I'm- 7onsp!...tely itssu- Lard, %mild, iu makiwy the necessary arms:gement. for storming, require such is delay as worati mot probably r ive an anosccessful issue to sack partial, bet hazardous nit rk. The prevsaire of such di,Eculties has induced the relinquishment of their orii;ival design, and its I am informed, it is cow determined to destroy the navign ti•tis of the Scheldt altorthrr. For that purpose, a chain of transports laden with scow are is , be immediately sunk, with ir ea.:eacr ds j; It is sepposed that by such intone. gad Boas the estusequeist accumuktiou of sand, the eurreot of the Scheldt will he changed. and thrown is upon the whole of the country. betaasen Bergemosp-Znota and Antwerp. The flotilla of the enemy wilt be dims rendered toeless to them: but, I aware you, even such an Carft is among us considered a sorry realization of ear delis-lye dreams of coon:est. and of prise. million. In endeavouring to den lire Come causes which have produced an elroet so ditereat to our e speetatitni , . the must kreilivat u s place to incoioitkroble wets upon the departure from the 0-1 _Mal plan of operations. which were intended for the di ...Los of the tinny wider the command of the Marquis of :ic yr Lev. That disisino, enty.i,ting or thirteen bo oe d", Geoerals Nfivrti I:san and llvorr, nod ass posed s.. .ix n. flee bott.nliors as es er vita* awes service-- Coe 11.1, 9114. XI, 65.1. .5(Wr art 91st ergi. 1.. - tier.. to have lode I at C.stional. ard to hose pr.....iner I such a disc rsitet at must have rat off all means of sie . yli to a,;, either in meat or prosi bets. There De ez. red not a:•eirtent to preseto their arrival at the appointed rat :::/voli•, in f oft, they centianed fora number of days before Catboat; ; bet, as is *lntel+, were tumble In debark for -.-onf of bodt. Toe eneinss force at that time in Cad ,,..:, was computed w he about 205. v.) 'nett, and as the panther .of boats with, our squadrison could only allow the debarka oiou of 60a men a We, it was altogether gisen up, and the trails have since *cloaked n holly inactive in their cantor n.‘ ors iii *loth .d. I have been &oared,. that it wos th, dete•minatitto of the Marquis of Iluntley to have run the stroosp.ti ti ap ound—haleett it was given out in orders, but that hi, ion utio.t was ovet-ruled by a mamma frum head • Wt. arc now it, pooteksion of facts which compel us to r:zart-t dep....we from the or glut design. We first 'mow 1.1:t ear as have completely availed themwlves of the olr:•• ai b hos octurred, to weave their fleet from oar li te:ft-4 nisei. We also had molar dentoostration that it .sac f: nal Cashewd the garrison of Flushing received supplies, up to ittemoruittg of the 7th of Angust. both in men and to proviiloas. ant: we concluded that had the co.nmenicatinti with stladsand been mare imiekly r:o. either by the investment of Yiseittleg by see, or by the intended diversion of the Msequis of e vet re's division on Callsand, Fleshier would have hero, Pow. the want of provisions, or of Melt IN 1) •rform the sluts of garriscsa, compelled much eorlier to surrender. It is a Eget, po to the bib nod 6th 4ygu-t, there were 'mufti, any but Pru-sianstv.l Colonial troops in "'whiny, .sort that tlwir best regiments, those who tallied nut on the crating it the 7th, Iwo! only arrived from Antwerp on the Msht of the 6th of .Ati;mst. it is. therefore, to the protracted talfeatta.lll of that the insurmountable difficulties to our ;glut. it shippine are attributable; and had Calmed been attnekest„ Was designed. the surrender of Flushing would have been at-vegetated. Of this fatal deviation, the want of boats is openly staled to be the cause, not, Is my opinion, a very satisfactory one, Su proceed frem a naval armament, o'r.irh consisted, when it le:! fnzland, of 36 . sail of the line. frigates and sloops. 61 grzsbriar,s, tenders, gun-boats, homb-, transports, ate. &r. _ . " It is detinusisett to keep possession i7 4 ' this Wand, bat Beleland is to be hootediaiely abandiused. Tlk- troops sta tioned in the latter begin lobe very unhealthy, and si!shauhis they have been in bans and comfortable cantasimests sicrt their arrival, there are comparatively more of them its the different Hospitals than of the division of the army which tat i.s the delds sail the surreader of Flashing. But disease is making rapid 'strides with the whole, and every bostaliou is now aceragiog a Ins of a man a day. Several (livers • vvr hero also attacked with the fever, which is somewhat 13 that prevalent in the West Indies. It is with coo e,.rn t a:o obliged to state, that time malignity of the disease L ., grrovated by the wretcbed aceohmodatioe provided for tne , :ck. In most of the regimeelal hospitals here 1: ,, r4 are nothing in the shape of beds for the saltier re ,t upon, and I have heard from most respec fuhle nothonty that the only provision of that kind iinTt not for so large an army consisted of 1030 sets of be In. I hair the pleasure to communicate, that those two o:iiree., Lord Rosssv is and the llssammtble Culonel t'..sys i aAN r. have recovered from their lodisposition. The i•olor i, dnl.ws iu his endeavours to provide every *mant el ~ 1 'time !ir the very Gee battalion of detachments which he 5:11n44. If it be the deci-ion of the Cabinet to retain it is the opinion of military see, that it willtr oisoe in army of fifteen thousand men, supported by a very 1 .4. naval firice. We know nothing of the Akin of the" • • •••tlhela, unless through the London Papers. Au Odleer v. *i %scot isy•-r to Cadosad with a Ilag of trace tn Mad Presets • eli;:a.eis en Sunday, wos not soared to land • r :.:-Itred by the rreoch Olicer that peace j 3 f dia." :7!isixatot, tst!io distinguished hinicelf hi the %tar, in aid of Sir 111:,rmar CUR • ii a litiMiller Of BONA, %RTC, hie hair- Midi Colonel ScutLr.. I s teferrici, the Rorercnd MA:a:form linoote, A. CitsplAirt iii Ordinary to his high. it the Prince of WALE% to the ViCar•oge 6 1 91 Sno.es, on the presentation of the lirter- MI T. F. DArtsom s Treasurer of Chiebester Ca• traidt al Church. • z From the LONDON GAZE7TE, SEPT. 5. Dor:rilng-ftrcct,.Sept. 4, 1909. Divnatche,, of which the following are copies, were yeletday morning received at the (Nice of Lord Vi•coont Castlereagh, one of his Majesty's Principal Sucre•aries of State, from Lieutenant. Geiteral Sir J. Stuart, dattal Ischia, sth and 11th July lit. Ischia, July 5, 1909. Loan—ln my dispateh to your Lordship of the 9th ult. from Milano, 1 did myself the honour to ac q uaint you with a project which I had formed, in concert with Rear-Admiral Martin, to make such a movement as, although it should pro. duce nu issue of achievment to otorselsys, might still operate a diversion in favour of our Austrian allies, under the heavy pressure of reverse with which we had learned at the period they were bravely but unequally struggling. The first measure that suggested itself to our contemplation, was a menace upon the kingdom and the capital of Naples; and the army as within detailed being embarked, we sailed under convoy of his Majesty's ships Canopus, Spartiate, War. rior, and some frigates and smaller vessels, on the 11th of last month, leaving orders to the division of his Sicilian Majesty's 'troops, which had been placed outlet my conduct, and were waiting my instructions at Palermo, under the command of Lieut. Gen. de Rourcard, to proceed to a given rend. zvous. Jlts Royal Highness Prince Leopold I found, at our subsequent junction, had embark ed with this division. Our appearance on the coast of Calabria, which we reached on the morning of the 13th, had the effect of inducing the body of the enemy stationed in that province to abandon, fur the purposes of immediate concentration, the greatyr part of their posts along the shore, when those upon the line opposite Messina were seized and disarmed by a corps ender Lieut. Col. Smith, who had been de tached from the fleet immediately after our sailing from Milano, with provisionary orders fur that purpose. Major-General Mackcusie, who had sailed with me, as designed to bear a part in this expedition, returned also at my request about this pe:iod, fur the general superitstendance of these service's, as well as to hold the general command in Sicily, which becomes a charge to insportant during the term of our present operations. On the 21Ih ultimo the advanced division of the British and Sicilian Beet, namely, that which con tained the British troops, anchored off Cape Mi. send, in the vicinity of Baia, when our prepare time were immediately made fur a debarkation upon the island of Ischia ; and the necessary ar. rangements and dispositions of boats being en. trusted by the Admiral to Sir Francis Lafurey, a descent was forced on the following morning by the troops named in the margin•, commanded by Major-General Mec.Farlane, under the immediate lire of his Majesty's shim Warrior and Success, aided by the British and Sicilian gini.boats, 1:1 the face of a formidable chain of batteries with which every accessible part of the shore was perfectly fortifi.d. These were turned and successively abandoned as our troops gained their footing.— About 250 or 300 men of the ist Legere, in the lie. t instance, fell into our hands. General Colour's, who commanded; refired with his principal force into the Castle, where he rejected a summons from Major-General Mac. Farlane, awl held out till the 30th ultimo, when a breaching battery basin.; been erected against his works, he surrendered upon terns of capitula. Lion. As it was conjectured by tho Admiral and my self that tile 'access and promptitude with which the landing upon Ischia was effected, might pro bably operate an influence upon the adjacent gar rison of Procida, a summons was immediately sent to the Commandant thereof, who, in the course of the day, submitted to our proposed terns, an event which contributed most fortunate ly to the almost entire capture or destruction of a large flotilla of about 40 heavy gun-boats, which attempted their passage during the slight and ful. lowing morning to Naples from Gaeta, and ex. pccted to fool protection as well as co-operation °odcr the artillery of the fortress, its their pas. sage through the n mow streight that separates the island from the main. This important service was executed by Capt. Staines, of his Majesty's ship Cyanc, assisted by the lispoir sloop, and the British and Sicilian gun boats. It Is with regret I add, that in a subse gaunt attack upon the frigate and corvette of the enemy is the bay, the above gallant ()dicer receiv ed a wound.whieh must for some time deprive the service of his assistance. The amount or prisonen who have fallen into our hands already cereeds Iboo regular troops. exclusive of their killed and wounded, both of military and marine, in different partial cocoon. ters, which we have reason to thiuk are consider. gbh.. A►noug the prisoners are a Geueral of Bri. gale, two Colones, and upwards of 7U Officers of progreuivc ranks. Nearly 100 pieces of ord. nance, with their corresponding stuns, have alats become our capture. It is with muck greater satisfaction, however, my Lord, than any that can be derived from these local or momentary advantages, that I con template our success in the material and important object of diversion for which the expedition was designed. A considerable body of troops which had been recently detached from Naples as a rein. forcement to the army in Upper Italy, as well as almost the whole of the troops winch had been sent into the Roman States, to aid the late usurp ation of the Papal dominions, were precipitately recalled on our first appearance on the coast ; and I venture to hope, that the check which has been operated, and w►ich I shall endeavour to !preserve, a Troor that tindfd ruder the con:mond of .Major-General Mae Eartaar, assistrel by the Honoarabk Brigastier-General Lumley. la Salt Light loran/re (ip 'ld Batt. Light lalautr‘ !tonicity ;:,J , lilst kegs tits► Corkin* Rangers No Detacbseest Calabriiist Free Corp,.. l.):► Artillery, Shill Corps, &c ..ki 4 ii:-pawArs, 9 Ilowitse rt. will have already, though remotely, contributed to support the efforts of our brave allies. The preponderatlog regular force Width the enemy has now assembled in the contiguity of Naples, aided by a largo body of national gnards, preclude the hope ► at this moment, of any attack upon the capital. But our (wiling upon these healthy islands (which were essentially necessary to us as a temporary lodgment as well as a depdt)in affording us the earliest means of information, is also a position from which we can profit from cir. ciimstance, or can move with facility and promp titude to ulterior objects; while our enemy, who are observing us from the unwholesome plains of Baia, must be kept on the alert by the tomer. tainty of our operations, and harassed by the n;cessity of curresponding with our every move. meld. A flotilla of gun-boats, which I found it ncccs. sary to fit out at Messina to aid the army in that narrow streight, under the direction of Captain Readc, of the Quarter-Master-General's de. partmcnt, has acquired the approbation of the Admiral by their conduct upon this service. Capt. Cameron, of the 21st Regiment, who commanded a division of these boats, is, unfortunately, among the few who have fallen. The harmony and perfect concert that haveseb. sisted between the naval and military branches upon this duty, and between his Majesty's forces and those of his Sicilian Maje,ty ; the great dis position to concurrence and support which I have received from Lieut.-Gen. Lord Forbes, and the other General °Slicers; the able arrangements of the Adjutant General's and the Quarter-Master General's departments under Major . General Campbell and Lieutenant-Colonel Banbury, as well as those of the ordnance branches under Lieut.-Cols. Bryce and Lemoine ; the providence of the Cummissortat and Medical departments un. der Mr. Bergman and Dr. Franklin; and the seal, readiness, and good will of the army throughout, are the means by which I am prepared to avail myself of opportunities to prosecute further a service, the plans and progress, hitherto of which I humbly hope will meet his Majesty's most graci. ous approbation. I have the honour to be, &c. (iiped) 3. STUART. Here follow the articles of capitulation of Ischia, who b allow the gurrisou to :march out with the human of war, mid apiece of anillery drawn by six mules, mi condition ilte) shall lay (hien taeir arms an the motorway, and he tramported to Malta as prisoners of war, to be eieltaoged as soon at pitiable. The articles of capitulation fur Precida are nearly the same, with this addition, that rewiels belong*, Ilona fide, to permits of the sawiJ, mina oat besequestraled. The total as caber of killed anti wouuded is 15. Caiseron, of the 9W Foot ' whileduiilk duty with the dahlia, wan hided; and Capt.Arma, of the Corsican Mather,, was wounded. The return of iirlianre and shores in the Wands of Ischia and Worlds. is very rowidensble, cons shag of pun, shot, ad snores of various doers/Aims. labia, July 9. MT Lour—lie my dispatch of the sth inst. I had the honour of stating to your Lordship, that Lieutenant-Colonel Smith had been detached after our sailing from Milano, with the 10th Regiment and Chasscurs britatiniques, which were to be joined at the Faro by the List Regiment, with orders to occupy and disarm the posts upon the streizlkt opposite to Messina, upon the late re. treat of the enemy upon the first appearance of our armament upon the coast of Calabria. Au attempt to reduce the castle of Scylla was attended, in the first instance, with disappoint. mein, from the sudden reappearance of a large preponderating force of the enemy, which con atrained laient.-Col. Smith to raise the siege, and embark fur Mebsiva ; a measure which was ef fected, I am happy to say, on the 29th ult. with out the smallest loss, but that of his besieging train, which necessarily became a sacrifice. It fortunately, however, has prated only a sacrifice of the moment. The official reports from Major- General Mackenzie state to me, that on the night of the 2d inst. the enemy, from some sudden pa. 'tic, retreated again front the coast, having pre. viuusly blown up the works of Scylla, and not only left vs again our captured stores, bit an im mense quantity of ordnance and stores of their own, which had been placed in depot. Major. General blackeitzie mentions to me in particular that 30 pieces of brass cannon had • been thrown from thu rock into the sea, from whose', bow. ever, there could be no difficulty in raising them, the water being extremely shallow. These stores had been progressively assembling, I am informed, by means of coasting navigation for a considerable time past, as preparatory to the long menaced, and I believe really iuteuded invasion of the kingdom of Sicily. Thu conduct of Lieut..Colunel Smith daring the cheese of this service, although attended with a momentary reverse, has been represented to me by blajur-General Mackenzie in terms of great approbation, w ith every praise to the zeal and perseverance of the troops employed under his or ders. Ho has also expressed great acknowledg. meats to the active assistance of Captains Craw ley and Palmer, of his Majesty's ships Philomel and Alacrity, who were his co-operators on this service. The great disunion of party in the province was a material obstacle to every mains of intelll. gcice, and led to the loss of u deta:litneet of the 2tst `Regiment, which had been lent at the solici. ,anon of the inhabitants of the town of Palmi fur their protection. General Murat directed a Sag of truce to me after our arvital here, to offer a treaty for an exchange of three officers, four nolo commissioned officers, and 80 men of this party, who were stated to he prisoners, and on their march to Naples. I had scarcely agreed to the measure, when, in a seeming fit of humour, oc. cuioned by a dissatisfaction at the terms of the capitulation of this island, he sent another lag agile to me withdrawing the former oiler, and de. eliniag any further correspondence or communi cation with me whatever. I hare the houusr to he, &c. J. STUA RT, Lieut.-Gen. Total nf Woonilol, and :11issing--1 Cfipfain. 1 rank and 61e, 1 mule. kilkd 19 rank and Ik, woeudrd; Ciptans, V okluilterns, 4 ,errant,, 4 drrasineri. ;rank .104 tile, prisaneril 21 rank and lie, 4 heron, 11 isale§, 1111 SIDS. ion:gain Hinter, of tae D's. was kilted s Captains Mae mid Laurin, Lifigteaaii:: .ii`Xlb and iLickay, were Luc.* prikniers. ' Copy ofa Digatehfrom lealor-Gmaral Caro&Mel to Th. coma Coodenaga, &W Mays C4rios, before the City at Halal Domirio, nth Jody, 1 Saint Carlos. befog* the City of ft. Mating.% Jai's. MP. M T have the pleasure to inform yoir Lordship, that I sailed from Jamaica on the 7th alt. with the trams . 0 per margin, and landed at Palings', the neatest 'indigos place, 3b miles dia. tent from the city of St. Domingo, on the MA inst. When I Immediately proceed e d to reconnoitre the forts iad fortificatiuns, which was boatpletoly effected on the tfith, and filly satisfied me that the walls and bastions were assailable by coep.da. main and, considering thn garrison who bad bravely defended theta for a constant Idep et eight months, it appeared to me that prompt and dad. sive measures were mcht prudent before a idlest enemy, and would obviate the evil effect of epee trenches in the rainy season, the day fee to he dreaded by this corps, and which had alreedy made a severe impression on the Spanish natives of the country, foer hundred out of six headrest of their best regiment being rendered deb fosses. vice, and would probably be attended with' mere mortality to theliritish troops than a coellitt olive the walls. His Excellency General Sanehet, from whoa I met on the 30th nines., the most kind and cor. Itial reception, being very sick some time beers and, I am grieved to say, still continues se by fatigue and liver disease, ordered the Spanish troops at the different posts to execute any di. rectifies given by me, which they cheerfully per. formed by a forward movement immediately, anti effectually cutting off the conernenieetion hewed the city of St. Domingo and the strong fortress of Fort Jerome, which, by covering the oilyinadlog place, prevented our communicating with the sqnadron. Having the same attesting refund the French General's application for an armistice, es by in.. closures No. 1,2, and 3, I advanced with a de. tachminit of the Spaniards to the church of St. Carlos, and established my quarters there within musket-shot of the city, confident that the Bri. tish troops would be with us that sight, which, however, was rendered impracticable, by berry and incessant rain, until the following *fit of the Ist, after suffering the greatest fatigue sod prin. lions, draping the field-pieces on bed madly aid dreadful weather, and passages of rivers, without proper conveyance. The Ist of July, I received another letter frost General Barquier, Ne. 4, answered by No. II; allowing him until twelve the neat day for an answer. In consequence of a continual fire of musketry from the walls, whilst the white flag was up, I moved forward with a pony of dragoons, and sent an Aid-de-Camp to demand the cease, who was very politely received, and assured by Gene. rap Barquier that the inhabitants were king at immense numbers of wild pigeons flying over the walls, but that he would give strict orders for it to cease during the suspension of hostilities. OR the 'id instant, I received a letter, No. 8, front General Simpler, respecting the movement of the troops' to .Saint Carlos, which had bees occupied on the 30th ult. when his overture for negetiadoi was rejected; answered by No. 7. On the 3i the Commissioners for the Capitulatioa mot; those on the part of the Fr skit having declared that their instructions were positively not to consent to surrender, which I also understood by prison. en and intercepted letters; and as I did not con. ceive myself justifiable In admitting any Whet terms, the lei ting adjourned until a continuities. lion could be bad with the Commander of the Naval forces. In consequence of bad weather, the answer wag not received instil the Bth inst. which perfectly coincided with my opinion as to the oily terms that could be granted to the enemy. I was also informed that the River Rune had overflowed its banks, and we were thus separated from the greater part of IM ordnance stores and our provisions, which further determined me to bring the matter to immediate issue, as I stated to Cap. taro Cumby, and requested that co-operades armed seamen, ammunition, and prosisiesso which I found him ever ready most cordially to afford. * With humble submission to the Almighty Dis. poser of Events, full confidence in a just sense, and British hearts to maintain it, I wrote the let. ter, No. 8, to be delivered to General Barquier, on the garrison again refusing to lay down their arms, and immediately made the following dis position : The first brigade, under the commend of Lieut. Cul. Honford, who preferred that command to the duty of Deputy-Adjetant-General. The second brigade, wader Major Curry, of the 54th regiment, Liesteassit-Colooel Smyth, of the 55th regiment, a valuable officer, nut having joined, by the Diego transport, in which he was embarked being a bad sailer, and whose absence I would have greatly regretted, as well as the excellent Officers and men with him, bad the ea. pected ensagnmeut taken place. On firing the first gull from the enemy, the Reserve to be formal of the Royal Irish and blth Gtooodion ; 50 men of fhe ad West India regiment, and the same number of the Porto Iticu Regiment, as this body hail sufficient cover, as long as the walls of the church and my (piano's remained, upon which above 20 guns and ode mortar bore at the distance of 385 yards. I directed Brigadier-Gen. French, a most active and zealous Officer, to take up a position at a hollow about one hundred and fifty paces distant in my rear ; and should the garrison attempt a sortie upon the reserve, to wait their close approach, charge bayonets, and follow them into the city. Had the enemy remained within the gates, false attacks and feints at different points, wisre to he made during the night ; and, scaling !mitten being prepared, a general assault was to take place in open day, the first fa+ourable opporthiitty, a lodgment effected upon the bas tions, but the troop. slot to enter the streets until further orileri. MIMI this hoar of iuspence tinder arms, flee onty sensation perceptible wit linpatkiiee for at. tack, and the countenance of every British sof doer at that interesting period, depleted a resolute determiuttion to plant the glory of England pith I