The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1810-02-27 00:00:00

en the 'Amer end of the town, the furthest removed the citadel, the works were its a very bad iti te; that was the general traternent Was your Lordithip iii.truoted by Goversugent to r ah oat t h e accuracy, ol that information cost . ttive that Government relied upon that inforination all prabibility iu sending the Expedition. Id o o ut pettedly uoderstaitil what i. meanthyt nay bring instructed to rely upon it ; of. course I elideavoured to olitsin all the information I could when I ar rived. Did roar Lordship understand that that was in formation upon which you might rely in adopting fle o perations that were nec,satry to accomplish tlit ulterior objects of the Expedition ?—I believe relatice IVAs ill - teed by His Maje.ty's Goverutnent Ott that information. From that information, was your Lordship tit sloortt to think that Aestwirrp could be taken with operations of u siege?—lf that information i I b. ea true, to its fullest extent, and if su,ny • saroinahle eumnlllllaUUl, t had a l so to k en p i ece at the same time, it is possible that it might have taken without a loge. What layout-able conilw.atious dues your Lord mesn imriimilarly the absence of the :reatest part of the military force, a 4 repre oliej; I mein also. if it had been possible,fir the erertrucot to hi ive arrived in as short a tithe as it btJ t o .:. ft stattd to he i nisailile, et tla destina•inn. What was the time in a Knit your Lords;iip was taught to believe that the arinani.lit might pro'nible hay. arrived at S totvin•t ?—A• I have stati-d, wilt 3 4.33111111:Ittafl of till Invourieile circuinstanci 4, Dad understood it might at rive certainly within laity-L.141a hour) alter omit snaking the Wood of IL sl_ltrren. Br tusking the Wand of IValchereti, does your include landing and taking posiessi.a of any of the hatteri.P, or merely arriving of the coast of d'ilchereni—l should sae, arriving off the coast, under the most far..urable cireuunitanc..s.. From who n did your Lordship derive that opMi es ?—I heard that stated, 1 think s by different offi cers in conversing ea it; I thick it is iu some of the plans that are istibmAted to the Haase ; 1 rather think it is alluded to; by the most favourable cir cumstancew in mcte, that the wind was perfectly fair, and the went.,„,, favourable; I conceive also, that it is implied nns::r the most favourable circum 'Maces, that the batteries. of Cadsand would have been got possession of without any difficalty. Had your Lordship any distinct o elsl comma- Member from the Admiralty respecting the time at which the Expedition might hope to 'arrive at Sant bed not. What was the nature of the distinct ollieial opinion from the Lords of the Ad tui ralty, the coin niunication of which is mentioned in your Lordship's narrative? —I never NW that opinion hut otter; bet to the best at lay recollection, that opinion wrist principally to vate that there would be no difficulty in an arms. ineut of that size going up the Scheldt, sod that there wield he an difficulty in landing the army ou either of the Scheldt; that I take to be a public ;miter, which I *oppose is before the /lotus with the other ititutntation. By whom ass that opinion comuseeiested to your Lordship ?—I remember aeotog it; it wee coansaicure to toe by the &artery of State. By +hid, of the Secretaries of State ?--The Se cretary of Stahl for the War Deportment. By *lam was that *pillion signed von igtvd. I t:,iuk, by the three Navel Lords of the Admralty. The si4nariere of the First Lord of the AdMi nlty thrn was not affixed to that paper was rot ; it was given ay a profesiimial opinion. From that opinion, did your Lordship under von I that the Expedition could arrive at Sanityhet. within fur:y.eight hours after making Walcheren? Na,— certwinly not; there was no mention 'what war as to thaw. -- ---. From whom did your Lordship obtain that opi siw?—l think it was in different communications that passed, I believe, at thg Secretary of State . % It *halt different Officers were present. ' Can ynstr land.,lii i s state what officers were pre. wo, and whether their rtpuntuns were given in ern. l' , .;?—Their opinions were not given in writing ; lam not perfectly sure at this moment whether Sir Richard Strachau was there or not, but I recollect pure.* Sir Home Popham being there, and har ts; mach conversation with him respecting the tune of proceeding up the nver. . Will your Lordship have the goodness to state el *haday you yourself, whets you sailed, thought *probable you might disembark your army at %tartlet 3—That must depend so entirely on naval occurrences, it was impossible I should form any •Pioion; if it was under the most favourable mr. toast:laces, probably in about there or four drys. Three or four days after sailing from Deal, or if er the arrival at Walcheren ?—.Under the most loanable circumstances possible, in about four d'is after sailing from the Downs; possibly, but "eery probably. 5 9 , Poting the armament to have arrival at Sant. 'lt't to four days after sailing from the Downs, *bit Line did your Lorikhip calcul tie would have No secretory to have handed the at inantent. to 41 0 I.lten a position lwfure Antwerp, raid to have "tend to.ntar batteries and opened tire against the t mo?--1 do nut know that ; that would have been laa course of operation. I can at its in what tittle 6 4 .shly the artily would have been landed ; wha 6,-ald hire Le-n the subsequent operation Ido not 111 .. , aCZ:it know ; it must depend on client:tattiness. 114 ( 1 your 1 1..oril•Itip formed no calcul anon whew /64 tailed, of the probable time you might arrive : 0 1 your artily at Ant werp a f ter l an di ng at Saul 'ei?--I had certainly considered very fully vaii !%.operations which might be to take place, but I r- ' , heady said that very possibly the prelinii !ry s eel' of Lill o an d Li ef kenshoeik might take P I C, before any attack alma Antwerp; posisibly lits might lint. t_il4'itat tune d oes your Lordship imsfene the prr- IZq• siege s of Lilo and L ie fk ens h uei k mig ht ,"I ° lr!di rapr.sing your Lordship to have 0 4 ,..!! "" 1 " 11 C.itt day s at Setatvliet ?—lt is rather to ans wer t h at question, because I W.lll not r. , ... , ,1, .0... el wh a t was t h e state of L illo end i-mte..shustk. .if wh a t garr i son was in Ilallo or .... o6Osed t , or w h at was the nature of the coin '. , Wankollll. WI— M • • , m e military opinions delivered to the Com as!, • 4141- Chief• mud by him to Government, sub. witted to your Lordship, avid at what time ?—I really do not recollect at what time; Ism, them probably at the time they were tint delivered. I-Lad your Lordship am col 1111 l unication with the General Officers who hail given their ideas on the subject of those opin'ons ?—I had some. Will your Lordship have the goodness to stet: with which officers, and what was the nature of those conversations ?—The stature of the conversations were very general ; they were not submitted to me for opinion; the papers were submitted to the Ca binet. I had general cosiversatioas, from being ac quainted with all the officers, hut nothing more. Did your Lordship a►k for any information re specting the difficulties of the enterprise which are alluded to its those opinions?—l do not per fectly understand the question. Had your Lordship any conversat:on with Sir David Daudet' upon the subject of Ins odiuion ? I had some g,neral conversation with him. From the result of those conversations did your Lordship nonirritant] that Sir David Mendes Marl changed his opinion wish respect to the difficul ties that lie apprehended msuld attend the execu tion of this project ?—I had no reason to suppose that he had changed any opinions he might have given. Did your Lordship require any more detailed explau mon of the general ildficulitt stater( in these opinion.. to ottriid the , . operation:-1 do not kilos , / what particular dill'• titles ore aZiodeit to; t h e opi nion of S r Datiil Dundas I nadeistood to be di ret:ted to the betUreit taro different opt Ica of 01/titiit 1011. „ r Does . your Lordship recollect lhe expression in Colonel (Jordon's opi 1111 l ttiat'ese Expedition I/t• the Scheldt, tliougn preferable to the other modes, w • a% a desperate enterprize ?-41 do not recollect ilt,t expression. I do nut recollect particularly Co:onel Gordon's report at this immoral. Your Lordship states in your narrative, that you yoursell entertained great doubts of the prset,en bility of this ente►prise nalil you had seen the opi alone of the Admiralty ; will your Liirdship state upon what those doubts were grahadeti ?--T.ey were doubt* of a general nature. l had always un derstood that the moving a very large fleet upon the enemy's. coast, and to enter a usysation that was not perfectly known, was a very difficult enter prise, sad I bad great doubts whether it was pro bable they would arrive within a very short time at their destination; those doubts were removed by tat opinion given by the Lords of the Admiralty. Hod also entertained considerable doubts with re. spect to the practicability of landing artillery, ca valry, &e. upsu the banks of the Scheldt near Santvliet, but they were removed also by the saute opinion. . _ Were those the only causes your Lordship had to doubt of the practicability of this enterpr.se ? believe the doubts stated in my paper are con fined entirely to the progress 01 the arna.unent up the Scheldt. In point of fact, was that the only ground your Lordship, as a rutlitaey man, had to doubt of the plohebility of suceeedin4 m this enterprise?— There weer many other circum.tatices of doubt etrainly. For inst4nc.. %liether all the load& race was strictly true; whether it turned out that there was such, sa absence of farce; whether the state of Autvrerp turned out as tie waved is that intelligence; certainly they were all subjects of doubt: if they had all turned out favourably. I should certainly have had a coulideut opinion es to the success of the enterprise; but there was great doubt whether they would ill turn out to be perfectly favourable. Then your Lordship did, at the time you sailed, entertain coosiderable doubt whether that informs-. tioa 11/1114 or was not to be relied upon ?—That not whet I meant at all to sly. What I mear.t to soy was, that it might be very doubtful whether the enterprise would succeed, because it required the concurrence of so minty favourable circuinstatites. I de not mean to express any doubt as to the truth of the intelligence; but it was a consideration to make me doubt whether it would succeesror ; whether ell those circumstances wood I turn out m eetly as was wished. Did your Lordship conceive that the success of this enterprise depended entirely on the con currence of a great many circumstances, which in their own nature were very doubtful ?—1 appre herd that almost all enterprises in war must be subject to great doubt ; it was itnpossible to know before-hand how all those circuinstauces would turn out. Did the military opinions suggest no doubts to your Lordship other than those which you have stated ?—They might suggest some doubts, but I do not exactly know of what de.cription ; they re pre.ented the enterprise as very difficult, which un doubtedly I conceived it to be. It is sail in the report of Colonel Gordon, " that this would be a desperate enterprise cannot be doubted, and tit it in the attempt, whether suc cessful or otherwise, a very large proportion of our naval and military means would be put to ins• minent hazard," did that opinion suggest no doubts to your Lordship's mind which in your opinion re quired further disetsssion ?—1 did trot conceive that either the naval or the military of the country were exposed by the Expedition to imminent hazard, Did yonr Lordship understand that the posses. lion of Flushing was necessary to the ulterior ob jt.ets r.f Cie Expedition ?—I did. IVill your Lordship have the goodness to state what nitinlwr or troops were destined to the siege .f Flushing and the occupstoot of Wrlcheren ? The corps of troops, in the first instance, consistera, I think, of twelve thousand men under Sir Eyre Conte, that went frota Portsmouth. Cat; your Lordship state what number of men were destined to be disembarked at S•antrliet for the attack of Antwerp ?—Nearly the whole of the remaining force of the army. Was taut a portion of the army destined to gar. riman Cailsanil during the sic 4 e of Flia.laing part of the army that was destined to have gone on in advance. Was that part included in the twelve thousund men that mere destined for Waleheren ?—ft ens never shsolotely derided that Cadsand should be mann:lined during the siege of Flushing. it p Sibly might have been necessary to have door so, or Might have been advantageous to have done s o, but it was unt destined to be oecopied by any pat of the corps destined to destroy the batteries, they were all to proceed to Sootyliet. Were not the iustructioas given to LarJ Hunt ley, that lie was to occupy Cadmus( snail the re duction of Flushing ?—The instructions to Lord Huntley were, that he was to take such measures (and he had an engineer with him for that purpose) us might enable a small corps to malitain them sd yes at, Cadsand. if it should be found necessary to maintain it during the siege of Flushing; but it was distinctly stated, thut the whole of the corps under Lord Huntley was to have gone oo to Sant. whet, and that if it had been thought desirable to nitintuin any post at Cad.and duriug the siege, it a mild either have been furnished by the marines of the fleet, or it would have been furnished under the concert between Admiral Otway and Sir Eyre Coote, from th- 12,000 then that were making the siege of Flushing ; lay own opiti;ol certainly was, that there was no necessity to maintain ally post there, unless it had been the desire of the Admiral to du so; and I stated distinctly, that I could not leave say of the corps of Lord Huntley there. Independent or the force in Walcheren, was it not the original plan to detach some force to oc cupy the island of Schowen, and North and South Beveland did not consider it as any part of the original plan to occupy more than South Bove laud ; the occupation of Schowen sod - North Beer land arose entirely oat of accideutal 66cm:want:es there. Allowing such detachments as were in contem plation originally to have been made for the occu potion of Walc.,ereu and SoUTII neveland, 'What was the amoitut of force Mali which your Lord , hip hoped, that. under rovouralile circumstances, in four slays you might have wowed at Santeliet ?—I 'should wish first to state, that I entertained very great hopes it would not have been necessary to have left 2.000 men, or near G►targe a force as that at Walcherea ; but supposing that to have been left, probahly ,bout ti,tX.W mare wool,' have been ouffic:reat to hive left ill South &Ireland, which would prob ibly hare given about two or three and tweuty thousaud fur the ulterior ope rations. Stipppsing those two or three and twenty thou sand men to have arrived at Sootyliet within four days from the 'Ailing of the Expedition, and to have landed under favourable circumstances, what portion of that force don your Lordship thiuk would, at that time, have .berm, necessary to convey the communication with Saatvliet, threatened, as it would be, from Lillo and Bergen-op-Zoom, sup posing the intention was to have marched direct upon Antwerp have stated that an distinct plait had been formed for the operation against Antwerp. It is extremely difficult to give au opinion upon a supposed questiou, and ender cir eunivtances which never existed ; it must have been by the circumstances that I found to exist upon my landing at Santvliet, that I must have governed the distribution of the army, as well as every other consideration. If your Lordship had been able to effect the lend ing of the whole force originally intended to be Ism Ltd there by the ftli of August, would it base hero possible to have marched to Antwerp without a force t.ri mash Lillo earl Bergen-op-Zoom) By the 6th of August I should not *hi rkir that the whole of that fordi could have arrived, at.•: been landed there with its artillery, cavalry, and provisions ; I do not think I have stated that it could in that tiros. Some of the divisions, I be lieve, did not leave the Doling till the 30th of July, two of the corps did not arrive till the 314 of July off Walcheren. Under the most favourable cireantstenees, whits is the earliest day, from the sailing of the Emmy& tiers, on which your Lordship cm.ceived it to be possible that the whole of that force might have been landed in Sootyliet ?—lt is very diScult for sue to envier that question, because I do not feel myself a very competent judge of the time it would take for•the armament to arrive at flantvliet ; if that was stated, l eau form a judgment as to the time at which the armament might be likely to be mova ble. You Lordship having stated, that, under the most favourable circumstances the passage might have been effected in four days ; taking that u the basis of your supposition, on what day does year Lordship think that it was possible the whole of that force might have been landed at Santvliet ? I do not apprehend the whole of the armament could have performed it in four days, they sailed at dif ferent times; the whole of the armament could nut have arrived certainly in four days, there was a consideroblediffereuce in the dine of their sailing. Supposing that to have been the time employed in the passage, sailing at the times at which they did sail, on what day might that force have been assembled at Sivitviiet ?—Supposing that to be the case, they might have arrived by the fourth or fifth of August ; 1 believe the last sailed en the 30th ofJuly ; I sailed myself on the Mk. According to your Lordship's most sanguine ex pectations, on what day of August dill you think it probable, that, under the most favourable cir cumstances, those two or tierce and twenty-thousand mild been disembarked at Santrlict ?—I do not feel myself competent to speak to the time of their arnval ; I can state how long I think possibly they might be di. embarking ; but it is rather a naval question than one I conceive myself able to speak to, 119 to the time they would have takes in writing. . . Supposing the who'e of that armament to have arrived on the 4th of Augwit, in what time would the whole of that armament hare been disernhailt ed, and have been ready to commence its muds to Antwerp?--That must depend very much, in the first instance, on the nature of the landing-place, and, secondly, on the naval means that were fur. nished to land the troops; but supposing the land. in„-place to bs favourable, and outlining also that there were sufficient naval menu there, I should suppose that perhaps the infantry and cavalry might h ave been landed in two or three days, and I sup. pose the heavy ordnance would troliribly have taken three or four day.; 1 sbonl,l tbu,k on, but it io to speak with any certainty, sin mint acquainted with the nature of the pl..ce ; so much would depend on the nature of the landing-place. Does :•O'IT Lordship mean that the whole might I, iie Leen effected within three or four any-, or th.it the heray ordinance wnis!,l have taken three or Ivor day. iii the tim- Rectums) , to do embark the troops ?...-That lure hay* depended entirely arm the naval mesas. but I should thinit the whole might have been dimemberked at the same time, end I believe there wen soaking means to hive done so. Taking the shortest period, and *opposing that en the seventh of August the army bad beep ready to march, would it at that time have bee, possible to have marched to Antwerp, without leaving a strong detachment to muk the fermis Bergen-op. Zoom and Lido ?—I am not quite aware wat the force in Bergen.op.Zoom was at that particular time, it certainly would have required to be mask. ed; Lille would have required underthose circum stances very little I should apprehend at that times Would it nut have been a necessary precaution to have left a considerable detachment in the neighbourhood of Santvliet, to have protected.she rear end the communications of the army?—Nos a very large one, if Bergenmp-Zctoui was masked. and South Bevt.land occupied. • Would it not have required a considerable lie. tachtnent to have masked - Bergen-pp-Zoom on dm seventh or eighth of August ?—lt is very difficult to form an opinion upon thaitsiibiett, it waist have depended wholly upon circumstaucei with which I was unacquainted, as we never landed. Previously to your Lordship's sailieg, had you concerted iviy plain of operations with bit Richard Strachan ?-IVe had had repeated eisavervatious upon the subject, and I thouglit'perfrctly under. stood each other as to the mode of prosecuting the enterprise. Has your Lordship now any remise se think there was any misuuderstiutding upon that subject?—No s I have tree. Can year Lordship state the number of fortiflol, towns within thirty miles of Antwerp?—l sadly cannot. • Can year Lordship state the cumber of fortified towns within sixty miles of Antwerp'—No. 1 can. not. Before your Lordship sailed upon this Expedi. lion, WAS the opinion of Colonel Gordon given to your Lord.hip for your perusal ?-1 have said, that I maw all-the military opinions that were given; it was not given to one in any particular way distinct from any of the others. Were . the opinions of Colonel Gordon. of Gene. ral Calvert, of Sir David Dandle. and of Geneve' Erownrigg, or copies of those opinions, given I. your Lordship ?—1 think they were, I am pretty sure I had them, but I do not at this onetneut re• collect from whom I had them, but probably from the Secretary of State for the War DepartmeaL Did your Lordship consult with Sir Dar d Dune das upon the subject of his opinion ?—1 have al. ready said, that I had general cons ersatiotawbrith Sir David Dundee on the subject of his sapiailMe but nothing more. Does your Lordship recollect in the apinies at , Sir David Dundee, the following Matelot : N Its iabatever way Antwerp is to by approached it taken, the service is one ef very great risk, and which the safe return of the army se employ may be very procarioat?"-1 remember that yam sage j : t ztrinly. your Lordship recollect having any parti.. elder ceasersissiou with Sir David Duadas, epee the subject of that opinion be se esteemed t—. Net particularly. Deem your Lordship recollect that yea bad sq conversebon with General Calvert upon the subject of his opinion ?—1 rather think not. Does) our Lordship recollect, in the opinions of General Calvert, the following pottage; " It must, however, be remarked, that the citadel of Antwerp is formidable. and the works of the town itself such as would demand regular approac hes, and a treia, of artillery. which could not be withiset much time and labour, fink.* we could secure the navigation of the Scheldt. which could only be assured by the pomemois of the forts oa the left as well as on the . right bank of the river ?"—I meet. lect that passage; I saw General Calvert very often on the subject of Lb! equipments, but had no peril. ruler conversation with him, upon the subject of his opinion. Does your Lordship recollect having nny comer• cation with Colonel Gordon on the stilled of his o pi n i on ?—1 h a d some conversation with him; bat mere conversation only., not any official intercoune with him. Did that conversation between Colonel Gordo. and your Lordship amount to a discussion of the opinion. or any part of the opinion, of Col. Gordo° I —To a certain degree, it did perhaps. Will your Lordship have the goodness to state what passed in that coaveration s in diccauitig the. opinion to the degree to which is was discussed 1 , -• really do not recollect it sufficiently to be able to state it ; I saw Cowrie% Gordon often, but there is no particular day to which I refer, scar de I allude to any particular conversation ; I saw hint often ea the subject of the Expedition, and of course talked with him on the whole subject of the Expedition. Did your Lordship at any time call upon Col. Gordon, pointedly, for any explanation of tbe epi. ..ion he had so delivered 1-1 did not. When your Lordship was First Lard of the Ad. miralty, was any project submitted to your tonsi deration, in your thea official situation, for the at. tack of the island of Walchereu have no 're membrance that any was. hid the first project which your Ivordehip hr stated to have bees formed for the attack of A' warp the sanction of your Lordship's approbati( —I was never called upon to giyi-a distinct opt, upon the subject militarilt. %Viso it at any bate proposed to vOdr Lordship carry into execution that plan which bad Item) formed ?—lt was. llad your Lordship undertaken on your part carry that project into execution ?—1 utter unth stood the measure to Moe been decided upon was a measure. I apprehend, upon which opinion of Sir Davi& Dander and the Omens/ Officers was required In your Lonlshii/A narrative, you have stated " your M.tje.ty will:permit me here to recal to yr recoil,ction the charier which took place io ttoo ,, ;V alid i .ftjeCt formed for the attack et Autrierp, of the French fled iss the Weil Scheldt coniequ:see of the opinions of the Gesetel Stiff Officers, to whops this question eras tekrreo , et ate to t it: Co to mitt ee whether helms the Wefts,* wo. made to the Geoeval Ofiests. Lonist,' had received Hi. Ilektst,'s Cl/01 o w %brassie ' p boo Ant. ion ? 1 ip to so • rt to der. ; it thy i; wok ctrl Four on. 4 *P. 1, la end eel; eoce t the